Dadamoni the Life and Times of Ashok Kumar

DescriptionAshok Kumar (1911-2001), fondly known as Dadamoni, is one of the great icons ofHindi cinema. This warm, intimate biography traces his remarkable journey, fromreluctant actor to Bollywood's first superstar and, in his later years, a much-lovedpresence on national television.Born in Bhagalpur (then in the Bengal Presidency), Ashok Kumar was enthralled bythe 'bioscope' as a child. In his twenties, he quit his law studies and came to Bombayto become a film director. But life-rather, Himanshu Rai, the founder of BombayTalkies-had different plans for him. Despite the director's reservations, he was castin the lead role opposite Devika Rani in the 1936 film Jeevan Naiyya when the originalhero went missing. The same year, Ashok Kumar was paired with Devika Rani againin Achhut Kanya, which was a blockbuster. The transformation of the accidentalhero into a charismatic star-actor had begun. Over the next six decades, he provedhimself to be a master of the craft, playing cop and thief; genial grandfather and slymatchmaker; villain and hero; heartbroken lover and suave rake with equal ease innumerous films, including Kismet, Mahal, Parineeta, Kanoon, Gumrah, Chalti Ka NaamGaadi, Aashirwad, Mamta, Jewel Thief, Khoobsurat and Khatta Meetha. But as NabenduGhosh writes, Ashok Kumar's world was much larger-he was also a charmingconversationalist, mentor, homeopath, astrologer, painter, linguist, limericist and, above all, loyal friend and devoted husband and father. This book is also a mini-historyof the early decades of Bombay's Hindustani cinema, and its pages are rich withlittle anecdotes featuring legends like-besides Devika Rani-Saadat Hasan Manto, Sashadhar Mukherjee, Leela Chitnis, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Meena Kumari andB.R. Chopra. Sarojini Naidu and Jawaharlal Nehru make brief appearances too, asdoes Morarji Desai.For anyone interested in Hindi cinema of yesteryears-in its cosmopolitanism, camaraderie and charm-this thoroughly engaging book is a must read.