Lalita Pawar

Infobox actor
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name = Lalita Pawar


imagesize = 180px
caption =
birthdate = birth date|1916|4|18
location = Nashik, Maharashtra
height =
deathdate = Death date and age|1998|2|24|1916|4|16
deathplace = Pune, India
yearsactive = 1928-1997
birthname = Amba Laxman Rao Sagun
othername =
homepage =
awards = 1959: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in "Anari"
1961: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - Acting

Lalita Pawar (April 18, 1916—February 24, 1998) [ [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/447395/Lalita-Pawar#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=Lalita%20Pawar%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia Lalita Pawar] Britannica.com.] was a prolific Indian actor, who later became famous as character actress, appearing in over 700 films in Hindi and Marathi cinema, where she gave hits like, "Netaji Palkar" (1938), made by Bhalji Pendharkar, New Hana Pictures’ "Sant Damaji", Navyug Chitrapat’s "Amrit", written by VS Khandekar, and Chhaya Films’ "Gora Kumbhar". Her other memorable roles were in film, "Anari" (1959), "Shri 420" and "Mr & Mrs 55", and the role of Manthara, in Ramanand Sagar's television epic serial, "Ramayan".

Biography

Born Amba Laxman Rao Sagun, on (April 16, 1916, in a orthodox family in a village, Yevle in Nashik, where her father Laxman Rao Shagun was a rich silk and cotton piecegoods merchant [ [http://www.screenindia.com/old/mar12/films4.htm Tribute to Laita Pawar] "Screen".] , she started her acting career began at age nine, as a child artist in film, ‘Raja Harishchandra’ (1928), and later went on to play lead roles in silent era films and 1940's Hindi cinema, in a career that lasted until the end of her life, spanning seven decades.

Her first marriage was to G.P. Pawar, a stunt film director [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0667984/ G.P. Pawar] "Internet Movie Database".] , who directed most of her later silent, and initial sound films [ [http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=496682&KW=qwest Down the Years( frame to frame)] www.india-forums.com ] . She co-produced and acted in a silent film, Kailash (1932), and later produced another film, Duniya Kya Hai in 1938, a talkie.

In 1942, she was slapped by film actor Bhagwan Dada, during a film, which resulted in facial paralysis and a burst in a left eye vein, and three years of treatment later, she was left with a defective left eye; thus she had to leave lead roles, and switch to character roles, which got her much of her fame, later in life [ [http://movies.indiainfo.com/tales/lalita.html Lalita Pawar - The Mother of all mother-in-laws] movies.indiainfo.com.]

She was known particularly for playing maternal figures, especially wicked matriarchs or mothers-in-law. She also notably played the role of the strict but kind, Mrs. L. D'Sa in "Anari" (1959) with Raj Kapoor, acting under Hrishikesh Mukherjee's direction, she gave performance of a lifetime [ [http://www.uiowa.edu/~incinema/Anari.html Anari] "Indian Cinema", "University of Iowa".] , for which she received Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award; as the tough matriarch who falls in love in "Professor" (1962), and the devious hunchback Manthara in Ramanand Sagar's television series "Ramayan".

Personal life

Her first marriage was to Ganpatrao Pawar, which went sour after his affair with her younger sister. She later married, film producer husband Rajprakash Gupta, of ‘Ambika studios’, Mumbai [ [http://www.expressindia.com/news/ie/daily/19980226/05751024.html Lalita Pawar..] "Indian Express", February 26, 1998.]

She died on February 24, 1998 in Aundh, Pune, where she had been staying, for a while. She was survived by her husband, Rajprakash Gupta, a son and daughter-in-law, who stay in Mumbai.

Filmography

* Anari (1959)
* Sujata (1959)
* Professor (1962)
* Shri 420
* Mr & Mrs 55
* Hum Dono (1961) [ [http://www.upperstall.com/people/lalita-pawar Flimography] at Upperstall.com.]

Awards

* 1959: Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her role in "Anari" (1959) [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0667985/awards Awards] Internet Movie Database.]
* 1961: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - Acting [ [http://www.sangeetnatak.com/programmes_recognition&honours_films_acting.html Sangeet Natak Akademi Award - Acting] Official listing at "Sangeet Natak Akademi" Official website.]

References

External links

*
* [http://www.screenindia.com/old/mar12/films4.htm Tribute to Laita Pawar] at Screen.