Bharat Bhushan Explained

Bharat Bhushan
Birth Name:Bharatbhushan Gupta
Birth Date:14 June 1920
Birth Place:Meerut, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India
(Present-day Uttar Pradesh, India)
Death Place:Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Years Active:1941–1992
Nationality:Indian
Known For:Baiju Bawra
Occupation:Actor
Awards:Filmfare Best Actor Award (1955)
Children:Anuradha Bhushan
Aparajita Bhushan

Bharatbhushan Gupta, better known as Bharat Bhushan (14 June 1920 – 27 January 1992) was an Indian actor in Hindi language films, scriptwriter and producer, who is best remembered for playing Baiju Bawra in the 1952 film of the same name.[1] He was born in Meerut, and brought up in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.

Career

He made his debut with the Kidar Sharma hit Chitralekha (1941).[2] However, he struggled for over a decade to make a mark in Hindi movies till Baiju Bawra (1952), which gave him instant stardom and legendary status along with Mohammad Rafi, Meena Kumari and Naushad Ali. Though a very talented actor and a prominent star of the 1950s and 1960s in Hindi language films, he often took on roles of tragic musicians in the movies. Films in which he starred as lead actor include Basant Bahar. His pairing with Madhubala proved to be very popular as they worked together in successful films like Gateway of India (1957), Phagun (1958) and Barsaat Ki Raat (1960).[3]

"He portrays historical and mythological characters the best in Hindi movies," states contemporary actor-producer Chandrashekar. He wrote scripts and stories for Barsat Ki Raat, Nayi Umar Ki Nayi Fasal, Basant Bahar, Dooj Ka Chand, etc. He was the producer of Dooj Ka Chand. His brother R. Chandra made many films such as Bebus, Minar, and Basant Bahar. He was the recipient of the second Filmfare best actor award for the film Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in 1954. Most of the great songs of major singers of that period such as Rafi, Manna Dey, Talat, and Mukesh were pictured on him. He was one of the few actors who had a good sense of music, so most music-based movies were made with him in lead roles in the 1950s and 1960s.

He acted in Hindi language movies until the 1990s. He is still loved and revered by the Indians for the great movies and great songs that he gave in spite of personal tragedies and stiff competition from his contemporaries. He is considered to be one of the greatest stars and legends of Hindi cinema.

Personal life

Bharat Bhushan was born as Bharatbhushan Gupta on 14 June 1920 in a Vaishya (Baniya) family at Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India.

His father, Raibahadur Motilal, was the government pleader of Meerut. He had one older brother. His mother died when he was two years old. The brothers left for Aligarh to stay with their grandfather after their mother's death. He did his studies and earned a graduate degree from Dharam Samaj College, Aligarh. His elder brother was film producer Rameshchandra Gupta,[4] who owned the Ideal Studio at Lucknow. After studies, he took to acting against his father's wishes. He first went to Calcutta to join cinema and later established himself in Bombay.

He married into a prominent family in Meerut, Zamindar Raibahadur Budha Prakash's daughter Sarla. They had two daughters, Anuradha (who had polio-associated complications) and Aparajita. Bhushan's wife Sarla died of labour complications after delivering their second child in the early 1960s, soon after the release of film Barsaat Ki Raat. In 1967, he married actress Ratna, his co-star from Barsaat Ki Raat . Ratna was a prominent actress who played the sister or friend of the heroine in many films. Among her notable TV appearances was the serial Trishna as mother of the four young girls. It was an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

In an interview, his daughter Aparajita had said that after the sudden demise of her husband, she turned to acting. Aparajita has done more than 50 films and TV serials. She played the role of Mandodari in Ramanand Sagar's famous serial Ramayan.

Bhushan owned a bungalow in Bandra suburb of Bombay. This was the famous Aashirwad bungalow, which he sold to Rajendra Kumar, who in turn sold it to Rajesh Khanna.[5] This bungalow, was thus home to 3 famous film stars. Bhushan was an avid reader and boasted of a fine collection of books, which he had to sell off like his cars and bungalows in bad times, after he turned co-producer at the instance of his brother. Only a few of his films were successes and unfortunately, the rest flopped. He died after he escaped his financial crisis, on 27 January 1992.[6]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1941Chitralekha
1942Bhakta Kabir
1943Bhaichara
1945Sawan
1948Suhaag RaatBeli
1949Rangila Rajasthan
Udhaar
ThesShyam
1950Aankhen
Bhai Bahen
Janmashtami
Kisi Ki Yaad
Ram Darshan
1951Hamari Shaan
Saagar
1952Baiju Bawra
MaaBhanu
Anand MathMahendra
1953Paheli Shaadi
Dana Pani
Farmaish
LadkiRaja
Shuk Rambha
Shri Chaitanya MahaprabhuWinner, Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1954Shabaab
Meenar
PoojaDeepak
Kavi
Dhoop Chhaon
Aurat Teri Yehi Kahani
Mirza GhalibNomination, Filmfare Award for Best Actor
1955AmanatPradeep
1956Basant BaharGopal Also co-wrote the script
1957Sakshi Gopal
Mera Saalam
Champakali
Gateway of IndiaPrakash
Rani Rupmati
1958Samrat Chandragupt
PhagunBijandra "Bijan"
Sohni Mahiwal
1959Kal Hamara HaiBharat
Kavi Kalidas
Sawan
1960Chand Mere Aaja
GhunghatDr. Gopal
Angulimaal
Barsaat Ki RaatAmaan Hyderabadi / Mirza Lakhnauwi Also co-wrote the script
1962Gyara Hazar LadkianPuran
Sangeet Samrat Tansen
1964Jahan AraMirza Yusuf Changezi
Chandi Ki Deewar
Dooj Ka ChandGopu Also producer, co-wrote the script
VidyapatiVidyapati
1965Naya KanoonDeepak
1967Taqdeer
1969Pyar Ka MausamGopal
VishwasRamnath "Ram" Kapoor
1972Gomti Ke KinareBharat
1973Kahani Kismat KiDoctor
1975Ranga KhushDilip Singh
1977Solah ShukrawarBhola Bhagat
Hira Aur PattharTulsiram
Khoon PasinaKaka
Jai Dwarkadheesh
1978Nawab SahibSalma's father
Ganga SagarPratap Singh (Padma's father)
1980Unees-Bees
1981Khara Khota
YaaranaKomal's father
Commander
Umrao JaanKhan Saheb (music master)
1983Adi ShankaracharyaKaippilly Shivaguru Nambudiri (Adi Shankara's father)
NastikTemple priest
Justice ChaudhuryJagannath
HeroRamu (Jaikishen's father)
Ek Baar Chale AaoNarayan Das
1984Zakhmi SherJudge
SharaabiMasterji
Shravan Kumar
Farishta
1985Phaansi Ke Baad
Mera SaathiGopal
RehguzarLandlord Direct-to-video film
1986Mera DharamBaba
Kala Dhanda Goray LogMaharaj
Ghar SansarRahim Chacha
Paise Ke PeechheyMahendra Malhotra
1987Himmat Aur MehanatCustomer in hotel Special appearance
RamayanGoswami Tulsidas TV series
1988Pyaar Ka MandirSatish's father
Sone Pe SuhaagaKashinath
MaalamaalShri Mangatram's manager
Jai Karoli Maa
1989Abhi To Main Jawan Hoon
ChandniDoctor
IlaakaMan with suitcase
GharanaRadha's father
ToofanPriest in the Hanuman temple
JaadugarGyaneshwar
1990Baap Numbri Beta Dus NumbriJohn
MajboorJudge
SheshnaagBhola & Champa's father
BaaghiAsha's father
1991Pyar Ka DevtaDoctor
Karz Chukana HaiCollege principal
Irada
Prem QaidiSuryanath
Swarg Yahan Narak YahanSchool principal
Sau CroreKamlesh's father Cameo
1992HumshakalJudge Posthumous release
1993Aakhri ChetawaniPosthumous release

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryFilmResult
1955Filmfare AwardsBest ActorShri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
1956Mirza Ghalib

References

  1. News: Gangadhar. V.. They now save for the rainy day. 2007-08-17. The Hindu. 2013-10-30. 8 October 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111008192359/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2007/08/17/stories/2007081750490100.htm. dead.
  2. [#Gu|Gulzar, p. 533]
  3. Web site: Raheja. Dinesh. Bharat Bhushan, the tragic hero. live. 2021-09-19. Rediff.com. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20030625132954/http://www.rediff.com:80/movies/2003/apr/22dinesh.htm . 25 June 2003 .
  4. Web site: Veteran Bollywood Actor Bharat Bhushan Rich to Poor Story | जब टॉप के हीरो को बेचने पड़े बंगले, लग्जरी कारों में चलने वाला बस स्टैंड पर दिखने लगा, फिर एक वक्त की रोटी के लिए जूनियर आर्टिस्ट का काम करने को मजबूर हुआ...ये सब भाई के कारण हुआ - Dainik Bhaskar . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190514144539/https://www.bhaskar.com/news/vetran-bollywood-actor-bharat-bhushan-rich-to-poor-story-5961363.html . 14 May 2019 . 14 May 2019.
  5. Web site: Rajesh Khanna's Aashirwad Bunglow . youtube.com . Hindi . video .
  6. Book: Sabharwal, Gopa . 2007 . India Since 1947: The Independent Years . India . . 978-0143102748 . 2013-10-30 . 12 April 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140412051446/http://books.google.com/books?id=LKySGJAGVEQC&pg=PA250&dq=Bharat+Bhushan+greatest+actor&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DXRxUrzXOpDmsAT9x4G4Aw&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Bharat%20Bhushan%20greatest%20actor&f=false . live .

Sources

External links