Bhagwan Dada

Bhagwan Dada was an Indian actor and film director who worked in Hindi cinema. He is best known for his social film Albela (1951) and the songs "Shola Jo Bhadke" and "O Beta Ji O Babuji Qismat Ki Hawa Kabhi Naram". He was one of the first dancing superstars of Indian cinema and inspired many actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Mithun Chakraborty and Govinda. Bhagwan Dada was born in 1913 as Bhagwan Abhaji Palav in Amravati, Maharashtra. He was the son of a textile-mill worker who worked in Mumbai textile mills and was obsessed with films. Bhagwan dada hailed from a Marathi family. He worked as labour, but dreamt of films. He got his break with bit roles in silent films and got totally involved with the studios. He learned film-making and at one stage used to make low-budget films (in which he arranged for everything including the design of costumes and arranging meals for the cast) for Rs. 65,000. Bhagwan Dada made his debut in the silent era with the film Criminal. He co-directed his first film Bahadur Kisan with Chandrarao Kadam in 1938. From 1938 to 1949 he directed a string of low-budget stunt and action films that were popular with the working classes. He usually played a naive simpleton. One of the notable films that he made during this period was the Tamil film Vana Mohini (1941) that starred M. K. Radha and Sri Lankan actress Thavamani Devi. In 1942, as part of a scene, he had to slap actress Lalita Pawar hard. He accidentally slapped her too hard, which resulted in facial paralysis and a burst left-eye vein. After three years of treatment, Pawar was left with a disabled left eye. He turned producer in 1942 with Jagruti Pictures, purchased some land and set up Jagriti Studios in Chembur in 1947. On advice from Raj Kapoor, he turned to making a social film called Albela, starring Bhagwan and Geeta Bali, and featuring music by his friend Chitalkar, or C. Ramchandra. The songs of the film, in particular "Shola jo bhadke" are still remembered. Albela was a huge hit. After Albela, Bhagwan got C. Ramchandra and Geeta Bali together again in Jhamela (1953), where he tried to recreate the formulaic success of Albela with little success. He also directed and acted in Bhagam Bhag in 1956. He also acted in films like Chori Chori (1956), Mr. X (1957), Aasha (1980) and Khud-Daar (1982). He also made a cameo appearance in the Marathi film Tamasha (1958). Bhagwan Dada faced financial difficulties in his later years due to his lavish lifestyle and unsuccessful films. He had to sell his 25-room bungalow and seven cars and move to a chawl in Dadar. Most of his associates left him in his time of need, apart from C. Ramchandra, Om Prakash and lyricist Rajinder Krishan, who continued to meet him even in his chawl. Bhagwan died of a massive heart attack at his residence in Dadar on 4 February 2002. He was survived by his two sons, Arjun and Ramesh.