Chandulal Shah

Chandulal Shah was born in 1898 in Jamnagar, Gujarat, British India. He studied at Sydenham College in Bombay (now Mumbai) and got a job at the Bombay Stock Exchange in 1924. He also helped his brother, J. D. Shah, who was a writer for mythological films. He got a chance to direct a film Vimla in 1925 when the original director fell ill. He then directed two more films for Laxmi Film Company before returning to the Stock Exchange. He joined Kohinoor Film Company in 1926 and directed several films starring Gohar, a singer-actress whom he later married. His most famous film at Kohinoor was Gunsundari (1927), which was a huge hit. In 1929, he founded Ranjit Studios, which produced films between 1929 and mid-1970s. He made many successful and influential films in Indian cinema, such as Achhut (1940), which dealt with the issue of untouchability, Papi (1953), which starred Raj Kapoor and Nargis, and Zameen ke Taare (1960), which was based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi. He also devoted a lot of time to the organizational work of the Indian film industry. He was the first president of The Film Federation of India formed in 1951 and led an Indian delegation to Hollywood in 1952. He also organized the Silver Jubilee (1939) and the Golden Jubilee of the Indian film industry (1963). His downfall started when Papi and Zameen ke Taare failed at the box office. He took to gambling and horse racing and lost his fortune. He died in 1975 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. He is often considered one of the most influential filmmakers of Indian cinema and is regarded as a pioneer of the social drama genre. He has won several awards and honors, including the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honor.