Ashok Kumar Birth Anniversary: Dadamuni i.e. Ashok Kumar was born on 13 October 1911 in Bhagalpur. Since he was the eldest among three brothers, he was called Dada. In Bengali, Moni means jewel, so by the time it became Dadamoni, it became Dada Muni of films. By the way, the name at the time of birth was Kumudlal Kunjilal Ganguly.
Ashok Kumar was multi talented
Ashok Kumar was not only an actor but also well versed in astrology. The first superstar of Hindi films and also the first person to play an antihero role. Came into films suddenly. There was a desire to move ahead in the technical field but then he accidentally became a hero.
Novelist and writer Saadat Hasan Manto was among his friends. Manto, who wrote stories like ‘Kali Salwar’, ‘Thanda Gosht’, considered Ashok Kumar a sage in the true sense of the word. That means the character of this actor always remained spotless.
What did Manto write about Ashok Kumar?
So let’s start with Manto’s ‘Meena Bazaar’ which gives proof of clean character. In this he has written at one place, a woman took Ashok Kumar to her house, so that she could attract him.
But he was so determined that the woman had to change her strategy. She told him, ‘I was just testing you, you’re like my brother!’ According to Manto, Ashok was not a flirt. That too when hundreds of girls love him and write thousands of letters to him.
How did Ashok Kumar enter films?
Entry into films was accidental. This is mentioned in his biography ‘Dadamoni The Life and Times of Ashok Kumar’. He was suddenly cast in the lead role in the 1936 film ‘Jeevan Naiya’.
Actually, the main actor had gone missing. The actress was Devika Rani who was known as the cool Dragon Lady at that time. She used to smoke and drink. Well Darr Kar worked in Himanshu Rai’s film which became a hit.
After this, ‘Achhut Kanya’ which was a blockbuster. The journey that started after this did not stop for a long time.
Over the next six decades, he played powerful characters in films including Police Wale Aur Chor, Kismat, Mahal, Parineeta, Kanoon, Gumrah, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Ashirwad, Mamta, Jewel Thief, Khoobsurat and Khatta Meetha.
As a result, he won many awards. Dadasaheb Phalke, who met in 1988, is also included in this. Years before this, he was also honored with Padma Shri.
Along with acting, Ashok Kumar also had other talents.
Nabendu Ghosh, the biographer of Dadamuni, writes that Ashok Kumar’s world was vast – he was a charming orator, mentor, homeopath, astrologer, painter, linguist, poet and above all a loyal friend and devoted husband and father.
Was a family man. He loved his family very much, perhaps that is why he had stopped celebrating his birthday since 1987. There was a deep shock. Beloved younger brother Kishore Kumar had departed from this world. Dada Muni left this world with this sorrow on 10 December 2001.