Murlidhar Ramachandra Acharekar (1907–1979) was an Indian artist and film art director in Hindi cinema who won the

Filmfare Best Art Direction Award The Filmfare Best Art Direction Award is given by the '' Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Although the awards started in 1954, this category was started only in 1956. Superlatives Awards See also * ...

three times: for '' Pardesi'' (1958), for ''

Kaagaz Ke Phool ''Kaagaz Ke Phool'' () is a 1959 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film along with Waheeda Rehman. It is the first Indian film in CinemaScope and the last film of ...

'' (1960), and for ''

Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai ''Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai'' () is a 1960List of Bollywood films of 1960 Indian film directed by Radhu Karmakar and produced by Raj Kapoor. The film stars Padmini, Raj Kapoor and Pran in lead roles. This was the first directorial venture ...

'' (1962).

Early life

Ramachandra Acharekar was born in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second-m ...

Career

1923–28 M.R Acharekar Explored new areas of expression like photography and lithography. Started a lithopress, Bombay. Noted for his brilliant career with an early success at various exhibitions at home and abroad. Established himself easily as one of the most promising painters of his time. Executed important commissions like painting the historical event of the inauguration of the

Round Table Conference The three Round Table Conferences of 1930–1932 were a series of peace conferences organized by the British Government and Indian political personalities to discuss constitutional reforms in India. These started in November 1930 and ended in Dec ...

by his late Majesty

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

of the United Kingdom, in 1932,the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of

in 1935, in London where he was sent with special credentials by the then Viceroy of India,

Lord Willingdon Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon (12 September 1866 – 12 August 1941), was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada, the 13th since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy and ...

. He executed portraits of dignitaries and eminent men and women in India. His book, ''Rupadarsini, An Indian Approach to Human Form'' addressed the controversial issue of

figure drawing A figure drawing is a drawing of the human form in any of its various shapes and postures using any of the drawing media. The term can also refer to the act of producing such a drawing. The degree of representation may range from highly detailed, ...

. Acharekar remained in the forefront of portrait paintings, especially of the commemorative genre, for more than forty years. He was also an educationist and a successful art director who raised art direction to a new height in the field of cinema. His interest and superb ability in live portraiture is apparent in the ease and rapidity of his renditions of human figures, retaining their character and likeness. It was the perfect academic discipline gained in his early life, the sheet anchor of his artistic credo, which facilitated these easy renderings. He remained alive to change and rejuvenate, evolving gradually without sudden revolutionary mutations. He remained very much his own master with no direct and obvious influences of any "isms".

Career highlights

Education

* 1917–23 Studied at Ketkar Institute of Art, Bombay. * 1928 Diploma in Painting, Govt. of Maharashtra, Bombay. * 1932–34 Studied at

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It o ...

, London.

Exhibitions

Awards

Teaching experience

* 1923 Appointed as Junior Teacher, Ketkar Institute of Art, Bombay. * 1937–39 Deputy Director,

Sir J. J. School of Art The Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy School of Art (Sir J. J. School of Art) is the oldest art institution in Mumbai, India, and is affiliated with the University of Mumbai. The school grants bachelor's degrees in fine art and sculpture, and Master's de ...

, Bombay. * 1948–56 Principal, Academy of Art, Bombay.

Art Direction/Production Design

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Acharekar, M.R. 1907 births 1979 deaths Indian art directors Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Indian portrait painters People from Sindhudurg district 20th-century Indian painters Painters from Maharashtra