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Leela Chitnis (''
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
'' Nagarkar; 9 September 1909 – 14 July 2003) was an Indian actress in the
Indian film industry The cinema of India, consisting of Film, motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various #Cinema by language, film indus ...
, active from the 1930s to the 1980s. In her early years she starred as a romantic lead, but she is best remembered for her later roles playing a virtuous and upright mother to leading stars.


Early life

She was born in a
Marathi Marathi may refer to: *Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India **Marathi people (Uttar Pradesh), the Marathi people in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh *Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Mar ...
-speaking
Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
family, in
Dharwad Dharwad (), also known as Dharwar, is a city located in the northwestern part of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of the Dharwad district of Karnataka and forms a contiguous urban area with the city of Hubballi. It was merged ...
,
Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
. Her father was an English literature professor. With a B.A. degree, she was one of the first educated film actresses. After graduation she joined Natyamanwantar, a progressive theater group that produced plays in her native Marathi language. The group's works were greatly influenced by
Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...
, Shaw and Stanislavsky. With the theatre group, Leela played the lead role in a series of comedies and tragedies and even founded her own
repertory A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...
.


Career

Chitnis' early stage work included comedy ''Usna Navra'' (1934) and with her own film group ''Udyacha Sansar''. She started acting to support her four children. She started as an extra and went on to stunt films. In ''Gentleman Daku'' ("Gentleman Thief") in 1937, Chitnis played a polished crook dressed in male apparel and was publicised in the
Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
as the first graduate society-lady from
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
. By then she had already made her first major mark as an actress on the silver screen. Chitnis worked at Prabhat Pictures,
Pune Pune ( ; , ISO 15919, ISO: ), previously spelled in English as Poona (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1978), is a city in the state of Maharashtra in the Deccan Plateau, Deccan plateau in Western ...
and
Ranjit Movietone Ranjit Studios, also known as Ranjit Movietone, was an Indian film production company with studio facilities located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It produced films between 1929 and mid-1970s. The studio was founded by Chandulal Shah along wi ...
before going on to be the leading lady in
Bombay Talkies Bombay Talkies was a movie studio founded in 1934. During its period of operation, Bombay Talkies produced 40 movies in Malad, a suburb of the Indian city of Bombay. The studio was established in 1934 by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. Afte ...
. Specialising in controversial films that challenged accepted societal norms, especially those regarding marriage and the invidious caste system,
Bombay Talkies Bombay Talkies was a movie studio founded in 1934. During its period of operation, Bombay Talkies produced 40 movies in Malad, a suburb of the Indian city of Bombay. The studio was established in 1934 by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. Afte ...
was having limited luck at the box office. But it bounced back with ''Kangan'' ("Bangles", 1939), which introduced Chitnis playing the lead role as the adopted daughter of a Hindu priest in love with the son of a local landlord who opposes the relationship and threatens the holy man. Her love, however, stands up to his father's prejudices, an unusual theme for the time, but one that appealed to the public imagination enough to ensure it success at the box office. With ''Kangan's'' success, Leela replaced Bombay Talkies' ravishing leading lady Devika Rani. Leela made a particularly good partner with Devika Rani's leading man
Ashok Kumar Ashok Kumar (born Kumudlal Ganguly; 13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema. He is regarded as one of the greatest actors of Indian cinema. He is considered to be the first Super-st ...
for a series of box-office hits such as '' Azad'' (''Free'', 1940), '' Bandhan'' (''Ties'', 1940) and '' Jhoola'' ("Swing", 1941) that broadly deal with societal issues.. Ashok Kumar was so impressed by her acting abilities that he admitted to having learnt how to speak with his eyes from her. In 1941 Chitnis, at the height of her popularity and glamour, created history of sorts by becoming the first Indian film star to endorse the popular Lux soap brand, a concession then only granted to top Hollywood heroines. By the mid-1940s her career went downhill as the new leading ladies came in. Leela accepted the reality and in 1948 entered the next, and perhaps most renowned, phase of her career in ''
Shaheed ''Shahid'' ( ,   ,   ) denotes a martyr in Islam. The word is used frequently in the Quran in the generic sense of "witness" but only once in the sense of "martyr" (i.e. one who dies for his faith); the latter sense acqui ...
'' ("Martyr"). Cast as the hero's suffering, ailing mother, she played this role to perfection. For 22 years, Chitnis played the mother of the later leading men including
Dilip Kumar Dilip Kumar (born Muhammad Yusuf Khan; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021) was an Indian actor and film producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated Hindi cinema from the 1950s throughout t ...
, often playing an ailing mother or a mother going through hardships and struggling to bring up her offspring. In fact she created the archetype of the Hindi Film mother, which was continued by later actresses. Leela's maternal histrionics were portrayed in a range of films such as ''
Awaara ''Awaara'', also written ''Awāra'' and known overseas as ''The Vagabond'', is a 1951 Indian crime drama film, produced and directed by Raj Kapoor, and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. It stars Raj Kapoor along with his real-life father Prithv ...
'' (''The Vagabond'', 1951), '' Ganga Jumna'' (''The Confluence'', 1961) and, in 1965, the runaway success ''
Guide A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Exp ...
'', based on the award-winning novel of the same name by R.K. Narayan. She was busy through the 1970s, but cut down her appearances thereafter before taking the final curtain call in '' Dil Tujhko Diya'' ("I Give My Heart to You") in 1985. She then emigrated to the United States in the late 1980s to join her children. She died in Danbury, Connecticut at a nursing home, at the age of 94. Leela also briefly dabbled in movie-making, producing '' Kisise Na Kehna'' ("Don't Tell Anybody", 1942) and directing '' Aaj ki Baat'' ("The Talk of Today", 1955). She also wrote and directed a stage adaptation of
Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...
's '' Sacred Flame'' and published her autobiography, ''Chanderi Duniyet'', in 1981.


Personal life

Chitnis belonged to the
Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...
caste. However, her father adhered to
Brahmo Samaj Brahmo Samaj ( ) is the societal component of Brahmoism, which began as a monotheistic reformist movement during the Bengal Renaissance. It was one of the most influential religious movements in India and made a significant contribution to ...
, a religious movement that rejected caste. At the age of 15 or 16, she married Dr. Gajanan Yeshwant Chitnis, a gentleman of her own community who was somewhat older than her, in a match arranged by their parents in the usual Indian way. Dr. Chitnis was a qualified medical doctor. The couple were quickly had four children, all boys. They supported India's struggle for independence from Britain and once risked arrest by harbouring
M.N.Roy Manabendra Nath Roy (born Narendra Nath Bhattacharya, better known as M. N. Roy; 21 March 1887 – 25 January 1954) was a 20th-century Indian revolutionary, philosopher, radical activist and political theorist. Roy was the founder of the Mexi ...
, a famous Marxist freedom fighter, in their house. After she divorced her husband, she worked as a school teacher before turning to acting. She had four sons Manavendra (Meena), Vijaykumar, Ajitkumar and Raj. She lived with her eldest son in
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
in United States, until her death. She had three grandchildren then.


Filmography


Actress

* ''Shri Satyanarayan'' (1935) * ''Dhuwandhar'' (1935) * ''Chhaya'' (1936) - Chhaya * ''Wahan'' (1937) - Princess Jayanti * ''Insaaf'' (1937) * ''Gentleman Daku'' (1937) * ''Master Man'' (1938) * ''Raja Gopichand'' (1938) * '' Jailor'' (1938) as Kanwal * ''Chhote Sarkar'' (1938) * ''Sant Tulsidas'' (1939) - Ratnavali * ''Kangan'' (1939) - Radha * ''Chhotisi Duniya'' (1939) * '' Ghar Ki Rani'' (1940) - Arundhati * '' Bandhan'' (1940) - Beena * '' Azad'' (1940) * ''Ardhangi'' (1940) - Arundhati * ''Kanchan'' (1941) * '' Jhoola'' (1941) - Geeta * '' Kisise Na Kehna'' (1942) * ''
Rekha Bhanurekha Ganesan (; born 10 October 1954), better known by her mononymous stage name Rekha, is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Hindi films. Acknowledged as one of the finest actresses in Indian cinema, she has starred in mo ...
'' (1943) * ''Manorama'' (1944) * ''Kiran'' (1944) * '' Char Aankhen'' (1944) * ''Shatranj'' (1946) - Shobharani * ''Dev Kanya'' (1946) * '' Bhakta Prahlad'' * ''Ghar Ghar Ki Kahani'' (1947) * ''Andhon Ki Duniya'' (1947) - Sushila * ''
Shaheed ''Shahid'' ( ,   ,   ) denotes a martyr in Islam. The word is used frequently in the Quran in the generic sense of "witness" but only once in the sense of "martyr" (i.e. one who dies for his faith); the latter sense acqui ...
'' (1948) - Mrs. Dwarkadas * ''Namoona'' (1949) * ''Aakhri Paigham'' (1949) * ''Saudamini'' (1950) * ''
Awaara ''Awaara'', also written ''Awāra'' and known overseas as ''The Vagabond'', is a 1951 Indian crime drama film, produced and directed by Raj Kapoor, and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. It stars Raj Kapoor along with his real-life father Prithv ...
'' (1951) - Leela Raghunath * '' Saiyan'' (1951) - Rani Sahiba * '' Sangdil'' (1952) - Dhaayi Maa * '' Maa'' (1952) - Bhanu's & Raju's mother * ''Naya Ghar'' (1953) * ''Hari Darshan'' (1953) * '' Baadbaan'' (1954) * '' Aaj Ki Baat'' (1955) * ''Funtoosh'' (1956) * ''Basant Bahar'' (1956) - Gopal's mother * ''Aawaz'' (1956) - Mrs. Bhatnagar * '' Naya Daur'' (1957) - Shankar's Mother * '' Sadhna'' (1958) - Mohan's Mother * ''Post Box 999'' (1958) - Mrs. Gangadevi (as Lila Chitnis) * '' Phil Subha Hogi'' (1958) - Sohni's Mother (uncredited) * '' Dhool Ka Phool'' (1959) - Gangu Dai * '' Ujala'' (1959) - Ramu's Mother (as Leela Chitnes) * '' Main Nashe Mein Hoon'' (1959) - Mrs. Rajni Khanna * '' Kal Hamara Hai'' (1959) - Hiralal's wife * '' Barkha'' (1959) - Mrs. Haridas * ''Maa Baap'' (1960) - Raju's Mother * ''
Kanoon ''Kanoon'' () is a 1960 Indian Hindi-language courtroom drama film directed by B. R. Chopra. The film stars Rajendra Kumar, Nanda, Ashok Kumar, Mehmood, Shashikala, Jeevan and Om Prakash. The film presents a case against capital punishment ...
'' (1960) - Kalidash's Wife * '' Bewaqoof'' (1960) - Mrs. Leela Rai Bahadur * '' Parakh'' (1960) - Mrs. Nivaran * '' Kohinoor'' (1960) * '' Kala Bazar'' (1960) - Raghuvir's Mother * '' Hum Hindustani'' (1960) - Savitri Nath * '' Ghunghat'' (1960) - Laxmi's Mother * ''Mehlon Ke Khwab'' (1960) * ''Apna Haath Jagannath'' (1960) - Lajwanti Malhotra * '' Dharmputra'' (1961) - Meena's mother * '' Aas Ka Panchhi'' (1961) - Mrs. Nihalchand Khanna * ''Ram Lila'' (1961) * ''Kanch Ki Gudiya'' (1961) - Raju's Mother * '' Hum Dono'' (1961) - Anand's Mother * '' Gunga Jumna'' (1961) - Govindi * ''Char Diwari'' (1961) - Sunil's mother * ''Batwara'' (1961) - Suhagan / Suhagi * ''Naag Devata'' (1962) * ''
Man-Mauji ''Man Mauji'' () is a 1962 Indian Hindi-language film starring Kishore Kumar and Sadhana in lead roles and directed by Krishnan–Panju. It was Jayalalitha's first Hindi film, in which she played Lord Krishna in a 3-minutes dance sequence with ...
'' (1962) - Bhagwanti * '' Dr. Vidya'' (1962) * ''Prem Andhala Asta'' (1962) * '' Asli-Naqli'' (1962) - Renu's mother * '' Aashiq'' (1962) - Mrs. Amar Singh * '' Dil Hi To Hai'' (1963) - Nanny / Yusuf's foster mother * ''Pahu Re Kiti Vaat'' (1963) * ''Suhagan'' (1964) - Uma & Vijay Kumar's mother * '' Dosti'' (1964) - Mrs. Gupta * '' Zindagi'' (1964) - Beena's mother * ''
Shehnai The ''shehnai'' is a type of oboe from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end. It was one of the nine instruments found in the royal court. The shehnai is sim ...
'' (1964) - Grandmother * ''Punar Milan'' (1964) - Sonal's mother * '' Pooja Ke Phool'' (1964) - Mrs. Singh (Balam's Mother) * '' Aap Ki Parchhaiyan'' (1964) - Mrs. Dinanath Chopra * ''
Guide A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Exp ...
'' (1965) - Raju's Mother * '' Johar-Mehmood in Goa'' (1965) - Pandit's Wife * '' Waqt'' (1965) - Mrs. Mittal * '' Nai Umar Ki Nai Fasal'' (1965) * ''Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain'' (1965) - Leela * '' Faraar'' (1965) - Mrs. Choudhry * '' Phool Aur Patthar'' (1966) - Blind Beggar * '' Aurat'' (1967) - Parvati's Mom * '' Majhli Didi'' (1967) - Kishan's Mother * '' Gunahon Ka Devta'' (1967) * '' Dulhan Ek Raat Ki'' (1967) - Nirmala's mother * ''The Killers'' (1969) * ''Rambhakta Hunuman'' (1969) * ''
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
'' (1969) - Mrs. Shanti Singh * '' Intaquam'' (1969) - Mrs. Mehra * '' Badi Didi'' (1969) - Mother * '' Man Ki Aankhen'' (1970) - Mrs. Dinanath * '' Jeevan Mrityu'' (1970) - Ashok's Mother * '' Bhai-Bhai'' (1970) - Radha * '' Mehmaan'' (1973) - Rajesh's mother * '' Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein'' (1977) * '' Satyam Shivam Sundaram: Love Sublime'' (1978) - Bade Babu's Wife * '' Janta Hawaldar'' (1979) - Naani * ''Aangan Ki Kali'' (1979) * '' Takkar'' (1980) - Ganga & Pritam's Mother * '' Bin Maa Ke Bachche'' (1980) * '' Ramu To Diwana Hai'' (1980) * '' Dil Tujhko Diya'' (1987) - Mrs. Sahni (final film role)


Director

* '' Aaj ki Baat'' (1955)


Producer

* '' Aaj ki Baat'' (1955) * ''Kisise Na Kehna'' (1942)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chitnis, Leela 1909 births 2003 deaths Actresses in Hindi cinema 20th-century Indian actresses Actresses from Karnataka People from Dharwad district Indian stage actresses Actresses in Kannada theatre Indian women film directors Kannada film directors Indian women film producers Kannada film producers Film directors from Karnataka Film producers from Karnataka Indian film actresses Businesswomen from Karnataka