Entertainment News Desk – Who does not know Ashok Kumar, the first superstar of Hindi cinema? Born on 13 October 1911 in Bhagalpur, Bihar, Ashok’s real name was Kumudlal Ganguly, whom people fondly called Dadamuni (elder brother). The story of Ashok Kumar, who grew up in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, coming into films is very interesting. Ashok Kumar’s father Kunjlal Ganguly was a famous lawyer. Mother Gauri Devi also belonged to a rich Bengali family. Ashok studied law from Presidency College of University, Calcutta, but his mind was always in films. He always wanted to be a part of cinema, but not as an actor, but as a director. Yes, Ashok Kumar, who has mastered acting, wanted to become a seasoned director, but his fate pulled him into the world of acting.
This is how a lab assistant became an actor
When Ashok Kumar came to Mumbai from Khandwa to make his mark in the cinema world, he met Himanshu Rai, who was so impressed by his personality that he advised him to become a hero. But Ashok did not agree and expressed his desire to work as a lab assistant. He started working as a lab assistant in Bombay Talkies, and also started assisting the director. Then one day his luck took a beautiful turn and Ashok Kumar became the shining star of Hindi cinema. Actually, Bombay Talkies owner Himanshu Rai was making the film Jeevan Naiya, in which his wife Devika Rani and Najm-ul-Hussain were playing the lead roles. Were. Suddenly Najm was out of this film. It is said that he eloped with Devika Rani. However, Devika later returned. Himanshu was looking for a new face, which he found in the form of a lab assistant (Ashok) in his own production house. Then what, Himanshu convinced Ashok and then his acting created such magic that he became evergreen.
Marriage broken because of acting
At the time when Ashok Kumar entered the world of acting, the profession of acting was considered infamous. As soon as the actor stepped into acting, his marriage broke up. Actually, he was engaged before coming to Mumbai. However, as soon as he started working in films, his marriage broke down. Ashok Kumar himself once talked about this in an interview given to Rediff. He had said, acting was infamous in those days. Call girls became heroines and brokers became heroes. That’s why no one thought about acting and neither did I. The family was strictly against it. There was a lot of uproar over this. The news reached my home in Khandwa and my marriage broke.
Ashok Kumar had a deep relationship with Kishore Kumar.
Do you know that Ashok Kumar had a special relationship with veteran singer and actor Kishore Kumar. Both were real brothers. Ashok had another brother, whose name was Anoop Kumar. He was also an actor. All three have worked together in films like ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ and ‘Badhti Ka Naam Daadhi’. These are still included in the list of best films.
Why did Ashok Kumar not celebrate his birthday?
Ashok Kumar used to celebrate his birthday every year on 13 October, but after 13 October 1987, he stopped celebrating his birthday. The reason for this was his younger brother Kishore Kumar. Actually, Kishore Kumar died on this date and then the actor never celebrated his birthday. This shows how much he loved his brother.
Kiara Advani and Ashok Kumar are relatives
Well-known Bollywood actress Kiara Advani also has a deep relationship with Ashok Kumar. Actually, Ashok was Kiara’s great grandfather. Kiara’s mother Genevieve Jaffrey’s stepmother Bharti Ganguly was the daughter of Ashok Kumar. In this sense, Ashok is Kiara’s great grandfather.
Never had an affair with co-actresses
In the film world, discussions about actors’ affairs with co-stars often remain in the headlines, but Ashok Kumar’s name was never associated with anyone. He has always been honest towards his wife Shobha Devi. He never cheated on his wife, but he has definitely been attracted to other actresses. In an interview given to Leharan Retro YouTube channel, Ashok Kumar had told that he is not a saint. During the shooting, he has been attracted towards female co-stars, but he never forgets his limits. Whenever someone asked to meet him, he always avoided it. He never took the matter further.
first blockbuster movie
Ashok Kumar was called the first anti-hero of Hindi cinema. His film ‘Kismat’ released in 1943 was the first blockbuster film of the industry. According to reports, this film had done a business of Rs 1 crore at the box office at that time.
Ashok Kumar became the anchor of TV
Ashok Kumar, who became famous by playing the role of hero and villain in films, has also worked in TV serials. Ashok Kumar was the presenter of India’s first TV serial ‘Hum Log’. At the end of the episode, people were eager to hear the informative words of Ashok Kumar.