Siddhesh Joshi (Editor)

Balraj Sahni

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Occupation
  
Actor, writer

Died
  
April 13, 1973, Mumbai

Role
  
Film actor


Name
  
Balraj Sahni

Years active
  
1946–73 (his death)

Siblings
  
Bhisham Sahni

Balraj Sahni INDIAN MIRROR ARTS Indian Cinema Bollywood Bollywood

Full Name
  
Yudhishthir Sahni

Born
  
1 May 1913 (
1913-05-01
)

Spouse(s)
  
Damayanti SahniSantosh Chandhok

Children
  
Parikshit Sahni, Shabnam Sahni

Movies
  
Do Bigha Zamin, Kabuliwala, Seema, Bhabhi, Waqt

Similar
  
Parikshit Sahni, Nirupa Roy, Bhisham Sahni

Balraj Sahni unable to fulfill his children’s demands


Balraj Sahni (1 May 1913 – 13 April 1973), born Yudhishthir Sahni, was a noted Indian film and stage actor, who is best known for Dharti Ke Lal (1946), Do Bigha Zameen (1953), Kabuliwala (1961) and Garam Hawa (1973).

Contents

Balraj Sahni imrediffcommovies2013may20balrajsahni1jpg

He came from Bhera, now in Punjab, Pakistan, and was the brother of Bhisham Sahni, noted Hindi writer, playwright, and actor.

Balraj Sahni Balraj Sahni Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Balraj sahni bollywood biographies indian film and stage actor


Early life

Balraj Sahni Remembering AK Hangal And Balraj Sahni By Vidyadhar Date

Sahni was born on 1 May 1913 in Rawalpindi, British India. He studied at Government College University (Lahore), Punjab, British India. After completing his master's degree in English Literature from Lahore, he went back to Rawalpindi and joined his family business. He also held a Bachelor's degree in Hindi, followed by a Masters in English from Punjab University. Soon after he married Damayanti Sahni.

Balraj Sahni 3 Songs Of Balraj Sahni Sung By Mohd Rafi YouTube

In the late 1930s, Sahni and his wife left Rawalpindi to join Tagore's Visva-Bharati University in Shantiniketan in Bengal as an English and a Hindi teacher. It is here that their son, Parikshit Sahni was born, when his wife Damayanti was doing her bachelor's degree. He also went to work with Mahatma Gandhi for a year in 1938. The next year, Sahni, with Gandhi's blessings, went to England to join the BBC-London's Hindi service as a radio announcer. He returned to India in 1943.

Career

Sahni was always interested in acting, and started his acting career with the plays of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA). Incidentally, his wife Damayanti became well-known as an IPTA actress much before Sahni made a name for himself in films. He started his film career in Mumbai with the film Insaaf (1946), followed by Dharti Ke Lal directed by KA Abbas in 1946, Damayanti's first film, Door Chalein in 1946, and other films. But it was in 1953, with Bimal Roy's classic Do Bigha Zameen, that his true strength as an actor was first recognised. The film won the international prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

He followed it up with an encore in the 1961 classic Kabuliwala penned by Tagore.

Sahni's wife Damayanti, who was the heroine of his 1947 film Gudia, died at a young age that same year. Two years later, he married his first cousin, Santosh Chandhok, later known as an author and television writer.

Sahni's acting was very well liked and appreciated in all his films. He acted opposite top heroines such as Padmini, Nutan, Meena Kumari, Vyjayanthimala and Nargis in films such as Bindya, Seema (1955), Sone Ki Chidiya (1958), Sutta Bazaar (1959), Bhabhi Ki Chudiyaan (1961), Kathputli (1957), Lajwanti (1958) and Ghar Sansaar (1958). His character roles in films such as Neelkamal, Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani, Do Raaste and Ek Phool Do Mali were greatly appreciated. However, he is perhaps best remembered by the current generation for his picturisation of the legendary song "Ae Meri Zohra Jabeen" from the movie Waqt (1965). Sahni appeared opposite Achala Sachdev in the number.

He also starred in the classic Punjabi film Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar (1970) as well as the critically acclaimed Satluj De Kande.

His role as the angst ridden, but stoical Muslim man who refuses to go to Pakistan during partition, in his last film Garam Hawa, has often been called his best performance by critics. Balraj, however, could not see the completed film to rate his own performance, as he died just the day after he finished dubbing work. The last line he recorded for the film, and hence his last recorded line is Hindustani: "Insaan Kab Tak Akela Jee Sakta Hai?" which can be translated in English as: "How long can a man live alone?"

Later life

Sahni was a gifted writer; his early writings were in English, though later in life he switched to Punjabi, and became a writer of repute in Punjabi literature. In 1960, after a visit to Pakistan, he wrote Mera Pakistani Safar. His book Mera Rusi Safarnama, which he had written after a tour of the erstwhile Soviet Union in 1969, earned him the "Soviet Land Nehru Award". He contributed many poems and short stories in magazines and also penned his autobiography; Meri Filmi Aatmakatha. Sahni was an extremely well-read and politically conscious person.

He and P K Vasudevan Nair worked on the idea of All India Youth Federation with firebrand Delhi communist, Comrade Guru Radha Kishan to organise the first national conference of AIYF in Delhi. Their wholehearted efforts were visible as more than 250 delegates and observers representing several youth organisations of various states of India attended this session. Balraj Sahni was elected as the first president of All India Youth Federation, the youth wing of Communist Party of India. The organisation was a huge success and strong presence of the organisation was noticed by other political groups and the senior communist leaders everywhere.

Sahni also dabbled in screenwriting; he wrote the 1951 movie Baazi which starred Dev Anand and was directed by Guru Dutt. He was also a recipient of the Padma Shri Award (1969). Balraj Sahni also wrote in Punjabi and contributed to the Punjabi magazine Preetlari. Very few people know about his love for books; In the 1950s he was the first to inaugurate the Library and study centre for the underprivileged class in Delhi.

Sahni was undoubtedly one of the greatest actors ever to come on the Indian screen: a highly natural actor who reminded the audience of the actors like Motilal because of his simple persona and a sophisticated style of acting. He was looked up to as a role model as he was never involved in any scandal. His acting in Do Bigha Zameen and Garam Hawa were the highlights of his career. He believed in what is known as Neo-Realistic cinema.

Balraj's brother Bhisham Sahni was a well-known writer who wrote the book Tamas. His son Parikshit Sahni is also an actor. Balraj Sahni died on 13 April 1973 of a massive cardiac arrest, less than a month before his 60th birthday. He had been depressed for some time by the untimely death of his young daughter, Shabnam.

"Punjabi Kala Kender", founded in 1973 at Mumbai by Balraj Sahni, gives away the annual Balraj Sahni Award, and also the "All India Artists Association".

Works

  • Balraj Sahni: An Autobiography, by Balraj Sahni. Published by Hind Pocket Books, 1979.
  • Mera Pakistani Safarnama (Punjabi),
  • Mera Russi Safarnama (Punjabi).
  • Kamey (Labourerers) (Punjabi)
  • Ek Safar Ek Daastaan (Punjabi)
  • Gair Jazbaati Dairy (Punjabi)
  • Government recognition

    A postage stamp, bearing his likeness, was released by India Post to honour him on 3 May 2013.

    Filmography

    Actor
    1977
    Jallian Wala Bagh as
    Udham Singh
    1977
    Amaanat as
    Suresh
    1974
    Garm Hava as
    Salim Mirza
    1973
    Daaman Aur Aag as
    Shanker
    1973
    Hanste Zakhm as
    SP Dinanath Mahendru
    1973
    Hindustan Ki Kasam
    1973
    Pyaar Ka Rishta as
    Ashok
    1973
    Chimni Ka Dhuan
    1972
    Mangetar
    1972
    Shayar-e-Kashmir Mahjoor as
    Ghulam Ahmed Mahjoor
    1972
    Jangal Mein Mangal as
    Thomas
    1972
    Jawani Diwani as
    Ravi Anand
    1971
    Jawan Muhabat as
    Dr. Naresh Sareen
    1971
    Paraya Dhan as
    Govindram
    1970
    Dharti as
    Inspector General Chandrashekhar, Bharat's dad
    1970
    Naya Raasta as
    Bansi
    1970
    Pavitra Papi as
    Pannalal
    1970
    Pehchan as
    Baba (Ex-Firefighter)
    1970
    Mere Humsafar as
    Ashok
    1970
    Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani as
    Shankarnath
    1970
    Holi Ayee Re as
    Thakur Mangal Singh
    1970
    Nanak Dukhiya Sub Sansar as
    Subedar Varyam Singh
    1969
    Hum Ek Hain
    1969
    Talash as
    Ranjit Rai
    1969
    Do Raaste as
    Navendru Gupta
    1969
    Ek Phool Do Mali as
    Kailash Nath Kaushal
    1969
    Nannha Farishta as
    Dr. Ramnath
    1968
    Duniya as
    Public Prosecutor Ramnath Sharma
    1968
    Neel Kamal as
    Mr. Raichand
    1968
    Sunghursh as
    Ganeshi N. Prasad
    1968
    Izzat as
    Thakur Pratap Singh
    1967
    Aman as
    Gautamdas' dad
    1967
    Ghar Ka Chirag
    1967
    Naunihal as
    Principal
    1967
    Hamraaz as
    Police Inspector Ashok
    1966
    Aasra as
    Surendra Nath Kumar
    1966
    Laadla as
    Barrister Brij Mohan
    1966
    Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare as
    Khan Bahadur
    1966
    Pinjre Ke Panchhi as
    Yaseen Khan
    1966
    Aaye Din Bahar Ke as
    Shukla
    1965
    Faraar as
    Detective Officer
    1965
    Waqt as
    Lala Kedarnath
    1965
    Dak Ghar as
    The Fakir
    1964
    Haqeeqat as
    Major Ranjit Singh
    1964
    Punar Milan as
    Dr. Mohan / Ramu
    1964
    Maain Bhi Ladki Hun as
    Ganga
    1964
    Satluj De Kande as
    Ram Praksh Malhotra
    1963
    Akela
    1962
    Anpadh as
    Choudhary Shambhunath
    1962
    Wedding Celebration as
    Ratan R. Malhotra
    1961
    Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan as
    Shyam
    1961
    Sapne Suhane as
    Shankar
    1961
    Suhag Sindoor as
    Ramu (as Balraj Sahani)
    1961
    Kabuliwala as
    Abdul Rehman Khan
    1960
    Bindya as
    Devraj
    1960
    Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere as
    Panchu Dada
    1960
    Nai Maa
    1960
    Anuradha as
    Dr. Nirmal Chaudhary
    1959
    C.I.D. Girl as
    Mohan
    1959
    Chhoti Bahen as
    Rajendra
    1959
    Heera Moti as
    Dhuri
    1959
    Satta Bazaar as
    Ramesh
    1959
    Black Cat as
    Agent Rajan
    1959
    Chand as
    Mr. Kappor
    1958
    Ghar Grihasti
    1958
    Ghar Sansar as
    Kailash
    1958
    Khazanchi as
    Radhe Mohan
    1958
    Lajwanti as
    Nirmal Kumar
    1958
    Naya Kadam
    1958
    Sone Ki Chidiya as
    Shrikant
    1958
    Devar Bhabhi
    1957
    Bhabhi as
    Ratan
    1957
    Do Roti as
    Shyam / Masterji
    1957
    Kath Putli as
    Loknath
    1957
    Lal Batti
    1957
    Mai Baap
    1957
    Musafir as
    Narrator
    1957
    Pardesi as
    Sakharam
    1957
    Krishna Sudama
    1956
    Era Bator Sur
    1956
    Taksaal as
    Jatin Mukherjee
    1955
    Garam Coat as
    Girdharilal 'Girdhari'
    1955
    Jawab as
    Dayal
    1955
    Joru Ka Bhai
    1955
    Seema as
    Ashok 'Babuji'
    1955
    Naukari
    1955
    Tonga-Wali
    1954
    Bazooband as
    Surajmal
    1954
    Aulad
    1954
    Majboori
    1953
    Bhagyawan (as Balraj)
    1953
    Chalis Baba Ek Chor
    1953
    Rahi as
    Doctor Thomas
    1953
    Do Bigha Zamin as
    Shambu Maheto
    1953
    Akash
    1952
    Badnam
    1951
    Hulchul as
    The jailer (as Balraj)
    1951
    Maldar
    1951
    Hum Log as
    Raj (as Balraj)
    1950
    Dharti Ke Lal
    1948
    Gunjan
    1947
    Gudia
    1946
    Badnami
    1946
    Door Chalen
    1946
    Insaaf
    Writer
    1951
    Gamble (dialogue) / (screenplay) / (story)
    Director
    1957
    Lal Batti
    Thanks
    2023
    Révolutionnaire (in memory of) (filming)
    -
    Azad (in memory of) (post-production)
    -
    Brahmaputra (in memory of) (post-production)
    -
    Mahabali (in memory of) (post-production)
    -
    Mahanayak (in memory of) (post-production)
    -
    Mahanayakadu (in memory of) (post-production)
    -
    Mahanayakan (in memory of) (post-production)
    -
    Rashtrapurush (in memory of) (post-production)
    -
    Sohn Des Landes (in memory of) (post-production)
    -
    Veer Azad (in memory of) (post-production)
    2019
    Aham Brahmasmi (in memory of)
    2018
    Rashtraputra (in memory of)
    1977
    Jallian Wala Bagh (grateful memory)
    1960
    Anuradha (grateful acknowledgment - as Shri Balraj Sahni)
    Archive Footage
    1983
    Film Hi Film (uncredited)

    References

    Balraj Sahni Wikipedia


    Similar Topics