Balraj Sahni
Balraj Sahni (born May 1, 1913 in Rawalpindi , † April 13, 1973 in Bombay ) was an Indian film actor and author.
Life
Sahni studied literature in Lahore and then worked as a writer. In addition, he dealt with modern realistic theater. In his first marriage he was married to the stage actress Damayanti. He worked as a journalist, publicist, broadcaster and lecturer in Hindi and English.
His first major role in film was in Khwaja Ahmad Abbas ' Dharti Ke Lal in 1946 . From 1947 he was based in Bombay. Balraj Sahni's fame as an actor came from his role as a rickshaw driver in the neorealistic film Do Bigha Zamin (1953, Filmfare Award / Best Film ) directed by Bimal Roy . He plays the main role of a farmer who tries to earn money as a rickshaw driver in Kolkata in order to be able to buy his land and thus prevent the building of a factory in his village, with humanity and great emotional depth. Balraj Sahni often played formally difficult roles, such as a madman in Garam Coat (1955) and a radical poet in Sone Ki Chidiya (1958). He performed with the great female stars of 1950s Indian film ( Nargis , Meena Kumari , Vyjayantimala and Nutan ). In the 1960s he came out particularly with character roles, such as in Yash Chopra's Waqt (1965).
Sahni directed Lal Batti (1957) and wrote the screenplay for Guru Dutts Baazi (1951, with Dev Anand in the lead role). From the 1960s he directed the left-wing political theater group "Juhu" and published novels. In 1971 his autobiography was published. His last film Garam Hawa (1973) shows him in a great role as an aging Muslim in Agra at the time of the partition of India , who has to decide whether to leave the country for Pakistan or to face an uncertain future as part of a minority in Hindu India.
Balraj Sahni was one of the intellectuals of Indian film and was left politically. He was a participant in cultural delegations in the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China .
His younger brother was the Hindi writer Bhisham Sahni (1915-2003).
Web links
- Balraj Sahni in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Sahni, Balraj |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Indian film actor and author |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 1, 1913 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Rawalpindi |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 13, 1973 |
| Place of death | Bombay |