Ashok Kumar

Actor, Painter, Singer, Film Producer, Film Director

Indian Bhagalpur, Bengal Presidency, British India (Bihar)

Quick Info

ProfessionActor, Painter, Singer, Film Producer, Film Director
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth13/10/1911
Age90 years (died on 10, Dec, 2001)
BirthplaceBhagalpur, Bengal Presidency, British India (Bihar)
Date of Death10/12/2001

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Bio/Wiki

Real NameKumudlal Kunjilal Ganguly
Nickname(s)Sanjay, Ashok Kumar, Dadamoni, The Grandfather of Indian Cinema
ReligionHinduism
Awards, Honours, Achievements
Filmfare Awards
  • Best Actor (1963, Rakhi)
  • Best Actor (1970, Aashirwad)
  • Best Supporting Actor (1967, Afsana)
Other Awards
  • Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Films - Acting (1959)
  • National Film Award for Best Actor (1970, Aashirwad)
  • Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1989)
  • Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1996)
  • Padma Bhushan (1999)

Physical Stats & More

Height175 cm (5’ 9”)
Eye ColorBrown
Hair ColorBlack

Educational Qualification(s)

SchoolNot Known
UniversityPresidency University, Kolkata
Educational QualificationGraduate
DegreeLaw

Personal Life

Place of DeathMumbai, Maharashtra, India
Age (at the time of death)90 Years
Death CauseProlonged illness related to old age, chronic asthma
Zodiac sign/Sun signLibra
HometownBhagalpur, Bihar, India
Marital StatusMarried
HobbiesReading novels

Relationships & More

AffairsNalini Jaywant, Hindi Film Actress (18 February 1926 – 20 December 2010)
Family
WifeShobha Devi (20 April 1936 - 1986)
Children
SonAroop Kumar Ganguly (Corporate World)
Daughter(s)
  • Preeti Ganguly (Actress)
  • Bharati Jaffrey (Actress)
  • Rupa Ganguly (Wife of Bollywood actor Deven Verma)
Parents
FatherKunjlal Ganguly (Lawyer)
MotherGouri Devi (Home-maker)
Siblings
Brother(s)
  • Kalyan Kumar Ganguly (Anoop Kumar, Actor)
  • Kishore Kumar (Actor, Singer, Musician)
SisterSati Rani Devi (Wife of Sashadhar Mukherjee, Actor)
Grandchildren
  • Anuradha Patel (Actress)
  • Kishore Kumar Ganguly (Singer, Actor)
  • Priyadarshini Ganguly
Great-GrandchildrenKiara Advani (Actress)

Career

First MovieJeevan Naiya (1936)
Debut TVHum Log (Anchor)
Notable Films
  • Achhut Kannya (1936)
  • Bandhan (1940)
  • Kismet (1943)
Introduced Personalities
  • Dev Anand (Ziddi, 1948)
  • Madhubala (Mahal, 1949)
Last MovieAankhon Mein Tum Ho (1997)
TV ShowHum Log (India’s 1st soap opera)

Favourites

Favourite ActressDevika Rani (30 March 1908-9 March 1994)
Favourite FilmChalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958, Comedy Movie)
Favourite SingerK. L. Saigal (11 April 1904-18 January 1947)

Style Quotient

Salary (approx.)β‚Ή300-400/month (during 1940s and 1950s)

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Born into a Bengali family in Bhagalpur, Bihar.
2. Earned a law degree from Presidency College, now known as the University of Calcutta, in Kolkata.
3. First Indian film industry hero with the film "Kismet, 1943" crossing one crore at the box office.
4. Popularly known as Dadamoni.
5. Introduced Dev Anand and Madhubala to Indian cinema.
6. Hosted "Hum Log," India's first soap opera.
7. Recognized as one of the most versatile actors of his era.
8. Renowned for his singing and his first rap song in Bollywood.
9. Stopped celebrating birthdays after 1987.
10. Skilled homeopathy practitioner and a dedicated painter.
11. He was known as the 'Grandfather of Indian cinema'.
12. He was initially a lab technician before becoming an actor.
13. He was also an astrologer and a chess champion.
14. He was fluent in several languages including German, French, English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu, Bengali, and Gujarati.
15. He played the tabla and other instruments.
16. He was best friends with Saadat Hassan Manto.
17. He became the first-ever actor to play a negative role in a Bollywood movie in the 1943 movie Kismat.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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