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 Bollywoods 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 directors 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 Kumars 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 Bombays 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.