Bollywood star Ashok Kumar dies

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Bollywood star Ashok Kumar dies
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/film/newsid_1701000/1701925.stm

By the BBC’s Sanjeev Srivastava in Bombay
One of the all time greats of Indian cinema, Ashok Kumar, or Dadamoni as he was affectionately referred to by those in Bollywood, has died aged 90.

He had an emotive appeal that transcended all barriers and was a source of inspiration… for many generations of aspiring actors.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee
Kumar had an inimitable acting style and dialogue delivery that gave pleasure to his countless fans in a career which spanned more than seven decades.

Kumar died of heart failure at his residence in the central Bombay suburb of Chembur at 1430 Indian time on Monday .

Among the tributes was one from Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee who described him as “an inspiration… for many generations of aspiring actors.”

Film maker Mahesh Bhatt said his death marked the end of an era.

Silent films

Born in 1911, Ashok Kumar was the screen name of Kumudlal Kanjilal Ganguly who studied law in Calcutta.

He joined a film company - Bombay Talkies - in the early 1930s as a laboratory assistant and would have perhaps retired as one if he was not noticed by a leading actress of the time, Devika Rani.

His first film - Jeevan Naiya - was released in 1936 where he was paired against Devika Rani. With his second film, Acchut Kanya, Kumar became a well known face.

That was the era of silent films and Ashok Kumar acted with Devika Rani in a number of other films as well in the late 1930s.

It was his pairing with Leela Chitnis, another leading actress of the time, in films like Kangan (1939), Bandhan (1940) and Jhoola (1941) which made a star of Ashok Kumar.

Some of his most memorable performances in the lead role came in films like Mahal, Bandini, Aarti, Gumrah, Kanoon and Mamta.

Debut

In the 1960s, Kumar settled down to play character roles and gave his fans and film lovers memorable performances in films like Jewel Thief, Aashirwad, Victoria No 203 and Khoobsurat.

He made his debut on the small screen in the 1980’s when he began anchoring the hugely popular family soap, Hum Log.

Kumar came from a family of film artistes. His younger brother Kishore Kumar was himself a producer-director-actor-playback singer and music composer of exceptional talent while another brother Anup Kumar was also an actor.

Ashok Kumar was awarded the Indian Government’s highest award for contributi

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oh thats a sad news..he was a good actor

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OH…he was really a nice actor

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/frown.gif

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/frown.gif

Very sad indeed.

*“na maiN momin vich masiitaaN, na maiN muusaa, na fir’aun!”
*

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.. great soft speaking actor of Golden times... seen his movies and always admired his confidence in acting

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http://www.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/11/india.icon/index.html
Bollywood icon Ashok Kumar dies
December 11, 2001 Posted: 6:21 AM EST (1121 GMT)

NEW DELHI, India – The Grandfather of Indian cinema, Ashok Kumar, who captivated Bollywood audiences and starred in 250 films, has died after prolonged illness at the age of 90.

Kumar, who was confined to bed for months, succumbed to ailments related to old age on Monday.

Honored with the Dada Saheb Phalke award, Indian cinema’s biggest honor, the quintessential actor worked for seven decades in Bombay.

Kumar “had an emotive appeal that transcended all barriers and was a source of inspiration and role model for many generations of aspiring actors,” the Associated Press news agency quoted Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as saying.

Kumar, whose real name was Kumud Ganguly, was a law graduate. He changed his name after he entered Hindi cinema in 1936 as the male lead opposite Devika Rani, the superstar of her times.

Though he was admired by Indians as one of the best-looking stars of Hindi cinema, German director Franz Osten once said the actor would never make it in film because of his “tremendous jaw,” United News of India reported.

But praise overwhelmed criticism, as Kumar successfully carved a mark in Bollywood films and earn the title of the Grandfather of Indian cinema.

‘The invisible man’
“For me, he was the man who could do amazing things … the invisible man,” Mahesh Bhatt, a senior Hindi filmmaker who knew Kumar since his childhood, also told the Associated Press.

“He marks the end of a definitive era,” added Bhatt.

Kumar was the eldest of the three Ganguly brothers, all of whom changed their surnames to Kumar and became popular in Hindi cinema.

His brother Kishore was a hugely popular singer and actor, while the youngest brother Anoop also acted in several films.

Chief Minister Vilasraoi Deshmukh, the top elected official of the western Maharashtra state where Bombay is located, said Kumar had touched the hearts of common people in a way few other Indian actors could.

“There is a feeling in each and every household that they have lost an elder in their family,” Deshmukh told reporters.

Kumar’s funeral was scheduled for later Monday. He is survived by his daughter Preeti Ganguly, the Press Trust of India reported.

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ashok kumar was not just a good actor he was also a great human being
if you would like know more about his personality
read stars from another sky by "sadat hasan manto"