Leela Mishra (1 January 1908 – 17 January 1988) was an Indian actress. She worked as a

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to ...

in over 200

Hindi film Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

s for five decades, and is best remembered for playing stock characters such as

aunt An aunt is a woman A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to de ...

s (''Chachi'' or ''Mausi''). She is best known for her role of "mausi" in the blockbuster '' Sholay'' (1975), ''Dil Se Mile Dil'' (1978), '' Baton Baton Mein'' (1979),

Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a recor ...

films such as '' Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein'', ''Aanchal'', '' Mehbooba'', ''

Amar Prem ''Amar Prem'' () is a 1972 Indian Hindi romantic drama film directed by Shakti Samanta. It is a remake of the Bengali film '' Nishi Padma'' (1970), directed by Arabinda Mukherjee, who wrote screenplay for both the films based on the Bengal ...

'' and Rajshri Productions hits such as '' Geet Gaata Chal'' (1975), '' Nadiya Ke Paar'' (1982) and '' Abodh'' (1984). Her career's best performance was in ''Naani Maa'' in 1981, for which she received Best Actress award at the age of 73.

Personal life

Leela Mishra was married to Ram Prasad Mishra, who was a character artist, then working in silent films. She got married at the very young age of 12. By the time she was 17, she had two daughters. She hailed from Jais, Raebareli, and she and her husband were from ''zamindar'' (landowners) families.

Career

Leela Mishra was discovered by a man called Mama Shinde, who was working for

Dadasaheb Phalke Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (Pronunciation: ̪ʱuɳɖiɾaːd͡ʒ pʰaːɭke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke () (30 April 1870 – 16 February 1944), was an Indian producer-director-screenwriter, known as "the Father of Indian cinema". His de ...

's Nasik Cinetone. He persuaded her husband to make her work in films. During those days there was a severe scarcity of women actors in films; this was evident in the paychecks that the Mishras received when they went to

Nasik Nashik (, Marathi: aːʃik, also called as Nasik ) is a city in the northern region of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Situated on the banks of river Godavari, Nashik is the third largest city in Maharashtra, after Mumbai and Pune. Nashik ...

for the shooting. While Ram Prasad Mishra was hired on a salary of Rs. 150 per month, Leela Mishra was offered Rs. 500 per month. However, as they fared poorly in front of the camera, their contracts were cancelled. The next opportunity that came their way was an offer to work in the movie ''Bhikarin'', which was being produced by a company owned by the

Maharaja Mahārāja (; also spelled Maharajah, Maharaj) is a Sanskrit title for a "great ruler", "great Monarch, king" or "high king". A few ruled states informally called empires, including ruler raja Sri Gupta, founder of the ancient Indian Gupta Em ...

Kolhapur Kolhapur () is a city on the banks of the Panchganga River in the southern part of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the administrative headquarter of the Kolhapur district. In, around 2 C.E. Kolapur's name was 'Kuntal'. Kolhapur is k ...

. However, Leela Mishra lost out on this opportunity too, as the role required her to put her arms round the actor (who was not her husband) while delivering a dialogue, which she point-blank refused to do. She faced a similar problem while working in another film titled ''Honhaar''. She was cast opposite Shahu Modak as a heroine, and was supposed to hug and embrace him, which she again refused steadfastly. Since the company was legally in a weak position, they couldn't turn her out of the film, which proved to be a blessing in disguise for her. She was offered Modak's mother's role in the film and it clicked instantly. This opened the doors for her to play mother roles at the young age of 18.

Notable works

Early on in her career she acted in notable films such as the musical hit '' Anmol Ghadi'' (1946),

Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (pronunciation: �aːd͡ʒ kəpuːɾ born Shrishti Nath Kapoor; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered one of ...

's '' Awaara'' (1951) and

Nargis Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she made her screen debut in a minor role ...

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starrer '' Lajwanti'' (1958), which was nominated for the

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

for Best Film at

1959 Cannes Film Festival The 12th Cannes Film Festival was held from 30 April to 15 May 1959. The Palme d'Or went to the ''Orfeu Negro'' by Marcel Camus. The festival opened with '' Les Quatre Cents Coups'', directed by François Truffaut and closed with ''The Diary of An ...

. She acted in the first Bhojpuri film, '' Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo'' (1962), which also starred Kumkum, Helen and

Nazir Hussain Nazir Hussain (15 May 1922 – 16 October 1987) was an Indian actor, director and screenwriter. He was famous as a character actor in Hindi cinema and acted in almost 500 films. Dev Anand starred in a large proportion of the films he acted ...

. Her roles varied from mothers, benign or evil aunts, to comic roles.

Death

She died of a heart attack in Bombay on 17 January 1988 at the age of 80.

Partial filmography

*'' Chitralekha'' (1941): Nandrekar, Mehtaab Bano, A.S.Gyani, Monica Desai, Leela Mishra, Ram Dulai, Ganpatrai Premi, Bharat Bhushan *'' Anmol Ghadi'' (1946): Surendra, Noorjehan, Suraiya, Zahoor Raja, Leela Mishra, Murad *''Elan'' (1947): Surendra, Munawar Sultana, Mohd. Afzal, Zebunissa, Leela Mishra, Shah Nawaz, Reehan, W.M. Khan, Shaheeda, Rita *''

Rambaan ''Rambaan'' (Rama's Arrow) is a 1948 Indian film with a mythological theme, directed by Vijay Bhatt. Made under the banner of Prakash Pictures, it had music by Shankar Rao Vyas. The story writer was Mohanlal Dave with dialogue by Pandit Girish. ...

'' (1948): Shobhana Samarth, Prem Adib, Chandra Mohan * Daulat (1949):Mahipal,Madhubala,Jankidas *'' Sheesh Mahal'' (1950): Sohrab Modi, Naseem Banu, Mubarak, Pran, Nigar Sultana, Leela Mishra *'' Aaram'' (1951): Dev Anand, Madhubala, Premnath, Durgabai, Leela Mishra *'' Awaara'' (1951): Prithviraj Kapoor, Leela Chitnis, Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Premnath, Nimmi, Leela Mishra *'' Daag (1952 film)'' - as Jagat's wife (Dilip kumar's neighbour) Dilip Kumar, Nimmi, Usha Kiran, Kanhaiyalal, Leela Mishra *'' Aandhiyan'' (1952): Dev Anand, Nimmi, Shyama, Leela Mishra *'' Shikast'' (1953): Dilip Kumar, Nalini Jaywant, Leela Mishra *'' Ladki'' (1953) as Mrs. Hazurdas *''

Pyaasa ''Pyaasa'' (; ) is a 1957 Indian Hindi drama film directed and produced by Guru Dutt, who stars alongside Mala Sinha, Waheeda Rehman, Rehman, and Johnny Walker. Set in Calcutta, it focuses on the disillusioned Urdu poet Vijay (Dutt), whose ...

'' (1957): Guru Dutt, Mala Sinha, Johnny Walker, Leela Mishra *''

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'' (1958) *'' Lajwanti'' (1958) *''Santan'' (1959) : Rajendra Kumar, Kamini Kadam *'' College Girl'' (1960): Shammi Kapoor *''Suhaag Sindoor'' (1961): Manoj Kumar, Mala Sinha, Leela Mishra *'' Ummeed'' (1962) *'' Ganga Maiyya Tohe Piyari Chadhaibo'' (1962) Bhojpuri film *'' Ghar Basake Dekho'' (1963) as Kashi, Ganga's mother *''

Leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...

'' (1964) *'' Dosti'' (1964) *'' Chhoti Chhoti Baten'' (1965) *''

Raat Aur Din ''Raat Aur Din'' () is a 1967 Indian Hindi-language psychological film directed by Satyen Bose. The leading actress, Nargis, won the distinguished National Film Award for Best Actress for her role as Varuna, a married woman who has dissociative ...

'' (1967) *''

Ram Aur Shyam ''Ram Aur Shyam'' ( English: ''Ram And Shyam'') is a 1967 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Tapi Chanakya. The film is a remake of Chanakya's 1964 Telugu film '' Ramudu Bheemudu''. It stars Dilip Kumar in a double role as twi ...

''(1967) as Shyam's mother *'' Majhli Didi'' (1967) *'' Bahu Begum'' (1967) as Kareeman Bua *'' Dharti Kahe Pukarke'' (1969) *'' Tumse Achha Kaun Hai'' (1969) *'' Suhana Safar'' (1970) *'' Dushman'' (1971) *''

Lal Patthar ''Lal Patthar'' is a 1971 Indian Hindi-language drama film, produced by F. C. Mehra, and directed by Sushil Majumdar. The film is a remake of the Bengali film, ''Lal Pathar'' which released in 1964. The film stars Raaj Kumar, Hema Malini, Raakh ...

'' (1971) *''

'' (1971) *'' Albela'' (1971) *''

Mere Apne ''Mere Apne'' is a 1971 Indian Hindi-language film written and directed by Gulzar and produced by Romu, Raj and N. C. Sippy. It was Gulzar's first directorial venture and was almost a frame by frame remake of the National Award-winning Bengali f ...

'' (1971) *'' Parichay'' (1972) Samadhi(1972) *'' Annadata'' (1972) *'' Saudagar'' (1973) as Badi Bi *''

Honeymoon A honeymoon is a vacation taken by newlyweds immediately after their wedding, to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered exotic or romantic. In a similar context, it may also refer to the phase ...

'' (1973) *'' Bada Kabutar'' (1973) *''

Maa Ka Aanchal ''Maa Ka Aanchal'' is a 1970 Bollywood drama film directed by Jagdev Bhambri. The film stars Sanjeev Kumar and Leela Mishra. Plot The film revolves with the life of Shanti, A Kind-Hearted lady. she has the responsibility of her family hence ...

'' (1975) *'' Jai Santoshi Maa'' (1975): Kanan Kaushal, Leela Mishra *'' Sholay'' (1975): Sanjeev kumar, Amitabh, Jaya, Dharam, Hema, Leela Mishra, Amjad Khan, A.K. Hangal, Sachin *'' Geet Gaata Chal'' (1975): Sachin Pilgaonkar, Sarika, Urmila Bhatt, Leela Mishra *'' Khushboo'' (1975):

Jeetendra Ravi Kapoor ( ; born 7 April 1942), known mononymously by his screen name Jeetendra, is an Indian actor who is known for his work in Hindi cinema. He also serves as the chairman of the Balaji Telefilms and Balaji Motion Pictures. Early li ...

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*'' Bairaag'' (1976)

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*'' Mehbooba'' (1976) *''Phool aur Insaan'' (1976) *'' Paheli'' (1977) *'' Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein'' (1977) *'' Kinara'' (1977) *'' Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye'' (1977) *''

Shatranj ke Khilari ''Shatranj Ke Khilari'', also subtitled and later internationally released with the translated title ''The Chess Players'', is a 1977 Indian film written and directed by Satyajit Ray, based on Munshi Premchand's short story of the same nam ...

'' (1977): Retrieved 10 September 2011. Sanjeev Kumar *''

Nasbandi ''Nasbandi'' is a 1978 Bollywood satirical film directed by I. S. Johar, it starred duplicates of all the popular heroes of the time. It is a satire on the sterilization drive of the government of India during Indira Gandhi ruling period. Each ...

'' (1978) *'' Sunayana'' (1979) *'' Sawan Ko Aane Do'' (1979) *'' Sargam'' *'' Baton Baton Mein'' (1979) Amol Palekar,

Tina Munim Tina Ambani (née Munim) is a former Indian actress. She is married to Anil Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Group. She is actively involved in many foundations and charities. Many of these were established in the memory of her in-laws, Dhirubhai ...

*''Nani Maa'' 1981 - Best Actress and Best Comedy Diploma Award – Moscow Film festival – India – 1981 *''Daasi'' (1981) *'' Chashme Buddoor'' (1981),

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*'' Aamne Samne'' (1982) *'' Katha'' (1983)

Naseeruddin Shah Naseeruddin Shah (born 20 July 1950) is an Indian actor. He is notable in Indian parallel cinema. He has also starred in international productions. He has won numerous awards in his career, including three National Film Awards, three Filmfare ...

*'' Sadma'' (1983)

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*'' Abodh'' (1984)

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, Tapas Paul *'' Prem Rog'' (1985)

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*'' Tan-Badan'' (1986)

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*''

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'' (1988)

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*'' Zakhmi Aurat (1988)

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*'' Daata'' (1989)

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References

External links

*
Leela Mishra
at ''

Bollywood Hungama Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is a Bollywood entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000. The website provide ...

''
Leela Mishra Filmography
at Upperstall {{DEFAULTSORT:Mishra, Leela Indian film actresses 1988 deaths People of British India Actresses in Hindi cinema Actresses in Bhojpuri cinema People from Amethi district 1908 births 20th-century Indian actresses