'Neecha Nagar' to 'Laal Singh Chaddha': Yesteryear star Kamini Kaushal dies at 98
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Mumbai (PTI): Actor Kamini Kaushal, one of Hindi cinema's earliest female stars who began her career with the classic "Neecha Nagar" in 1946 and went on to act in a host of films right till 2022, has died in her Mumbai home. She was 98.
Amongst the industry's highest paid actresses in the late 1940s and early 1950s, Kaushal starred opposite the triumvirate of Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor before moving on to character roles in the 1960s. Her last screen appearance was in Aamir Khan's 2022 film "Laal Singh Chaddha" at the age of 95, making for a remarkable 76 years in the movies.
"She died at her Mumbai home late on Thursday night. She would have turned 99 in February," Sajan Narain, a close friend of the family, told PTI.
Kaushal, who also crafted puppets and worked actively in storytelling for children, was born Uma Kashyap on February 24, 1927 in Lahore.
The youngest of two brothers and three sisters, Kaushal graduated with a degree in English literature from Government College in Lahore.
Her father, Shiv Ram Kashyap, was widely regarded as the father of Indian botany and taught as a professor at the University of Punjab in pre-partition Lahore.
Proficient in horse riding and swimming, Kaushal's movie career happened when family friend and filmmaker Chetan Anand approached her for his film "Neecha Nagar". The film, where she acted opposite actor Rafiq Anwar and Anand's wife Uma, won the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film at the inaugural Cannes Film Festival in 1946.
"Neecha Nagar" is considered a classic for its portrayal of the gulf between rich and poor. It also marked the debut of the late star Zohra Sehgal and music by renowned sitarist Ravi Shankar.
It was Chetan Anand who rechristened her Kamini Kaushal to avoid confusion between two Umas.
"My name also being Uma, he wanted a different name for me. I asked him to give me a name beginning with ‘K’ to match with the names of my daughters Kumkum and Kavita,” Kaushal told Filmfare in an interview in 2014.
After the success of "Neecha Nagar", Kaushal worked extensively with Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor in films such as "Jail Yatra", "Do Bhai", "Aag", "Shaheed", "Nadiya Ke Par", "Ziddi", "Shabnam" and "Arzoo".
“Each of my heroes were different from each other. Raj was very extrovert and always used to bluff a lot on the set. He was a fun-loving guy. Dev was sincere and passionate about his craft. Dilip, like me, was quiet and I was most comfortable to work with him. We did many films together," she told PTI in 2013.
She holds the distinction of being the first actor for whom Lata Mangeshkar lent her voice. The film was the 1948 "Ziddi", which featured tracks such as "Chanda Re Ja Re Ja, Piya Se Sandesa Mora Kahiyo Ja" and "Yeh Kaun Aaya Re, Karke Yeh Sola Singa". Kaushal played the lead role in filmmaker Bimal Roy's acclaimed 1954 movie "Biraj Bahu", adapted from renowned author Saratchandra Chattopadhyay’s Bengali novel. Her portrayal of devoted wife won a National Film Award and earned her a Filmfare award for best actress.
The actor took a break from movies but Manoj Kumar convinced her to come back. She transitioned to mother roles with Manoj Kumar's "Upkar" in 1967. Kaushal was just 40 at the time.
She went on to star in Kumar's other hit films such as "Purab Aur Paschim", "Sanyasi", "Shor", "Roti Kapda Aur Makaan", "Dus Numbari" and "Santosh", playing his mother in each of them.
Though selective in her film choices throughout her career, Kaushal worked right till the end. In the twilight of her life, she appeared in Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Chennai Express" and Shahid Kapoor's "Kabir Singh", which earned her a Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Filmfare nomination.
She was 95 when she made a cameo as an elderly woman travelling in a train in "Laal Singh Chaddha".
Besides movies, Kaushal also featured in several television shows, including "Chand Sitare" on Doordarshan and "Shanno Ki Shaadi" on StarPlus.
She appeared as Aunt Shalini in the British serial "The Jewel in the Crown" in 1984.
Beyond the world of showbiz, the actor was known for her work with children. In her spare time, Kaushal wrote stories for the children’s magazine Paraag, and in the late 1970s chaired the Children’s Film Society of India. She also worked extensively in children’s television on Doordarshan, appearing in serials such as "Khel Khilone".
Under her banner Gudia Ghar Productions (1989–1991), she hosted puppet-based programmes like "Chand Sitare", "Chaat Pani" and "Chandamama". She crafted the puppets herself and would modulate her voice to fit each character.
Kaushal married brother-in-law B S Sood, the chief engineer at the Bombay Port Trust, in 1948 after her sister's death in a car accident and became an adoptive mother to two daughters. The couple had three sons -- Rahul, Vidur and Shravan.
"I loved my sister deeply. I feared my nieces, who were just around two and three, would flounder without a mother... It seemed an ideal solution. It was not a sacrifice. I feared whether I’d be able to live up to the responsibility. More so, my husband was a genteel and decent human being," she told Filmfare.
She defied convention by balancing the demands of a leading lady career with the responsibilities of a home -- a choice that in her era often worked against women in the film industry.
Kaushal and Dilip Kumar were in love but the affair did not last long.
“We were both shattered. We were very happy with each other. We shared a great rapport. But what to do? That’s life. I can’t dump people and say ‘Enough now, I’m going!’ I had taken on the girls. I wouldn’t be able to show my face to my sister. My husband, a fine human being, understood why it happened. Everyone falls in love," she said in the Filmfare interview.
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Protests against Khamenei's killing: Curbs remain in force in Kashmir
Srinagar (PTI): Strict restrictions remained imposed in many areas of Kashmir for the third consecutive day on Wednesday following massive protests across the valley against the killing of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officials said.
As a precautionary measure, the government shut educational institutions till Saturday, while mobile internet speed continued to remain throttled.
"Restrictions on the movement and assembly of the people continued in many parts of Kashmir on Wednesday," the officials said.
They said strict restrictions were being enforced especially in the parts having large Shia population and those areas which have witnessed massive protests over the last three days.
A large number of police and paramilitary CRPF personnel were deployed across the city to prevent gatherings of protestors, the officials said.
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They added that concertina wires and barricades were placed at important intersections leading into the city, while asserting that these were precautionary measures imposed to maintain law and order.
The iconic Ghanta Ghar in the city centre of Lal Chowk here continued to remain a no-go zone after the authorities sealed area with barricades erected all around it on late Sunday night.
The move to seal the Ghanta Ghar came after it witnessed massive protests on Sunday after Khamenei's assassination in the joint air strikes by the US and Israel.
This is the first time since August 2019 that protests on such a large scale have taken place in Kashmir.
The government had first ordered the closure of schools, colleges and universities for two days. However, on Tuesday it decided to close the educational institutions till Saturday as a precautionary measure in view of the protests.
Mobile internet speeds continued to remain throttled while some prepaid mobile connections were also barred, the officials added.
On Tuesday, protests rocked several places in the valley, including Sumbal and Pattan areas of North Kashmir.
In Sumbal of Bandipora district, security forces had to resort to force to disperse the demonstrators.
Some media outlets and individuals, including National Conference Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, and former Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu, faced police heat for allegedly circulating misleading information.
A case was filed against Mehdi and Mattu under BNS sections 197(1)(d) and 353(1)(b) at Cyber Police Station, Srinagar, for allegedly circulating "false, fabricated and misleading content" on digital and social media platforms.
"The content in question, prima facie, reflects the dissemination of distorted narratives and unverified information capable of causing public unrest and societal disharmony. Such deliberate attempts to spread misinformation pose a serious threat to peace, security, and overall stability," the police said in a statement.
Both have been condemning the killing of Khameinei and the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran.
However, hours after the registration of the case, Mehdi, an influential Shia leader, said he would not be deterred from speaking the truth.
"The people of Srinagar did not elect their MP to recite government-approved condolences. They elected him to speak truth. That mandate does not expire with an FIR," he said in a post on X.
Police has issued an appeal to people to refrain from violence and provocation.
"We appeal to all sections of the society to exercise restraint and refrain from violence and provocation," it said.
Police said they will take strict legal action against instigators of violence and those involved in unlawful activities.
On Tuesday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha directed officials to be on high alert and chaired a meeting of top officials of the police and army here.
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"Chaired a meeting of senior police & civil administration officials at the Police Control Room, Kashmir, to review the law and order situation. Directed the officers to remain on heightened alert and take all necessary measures to ensure public peace and tranquillity," Sinha said on X.
He appealed to the people and community leaders to maintain peace.
"I also appeal to the citizens and community leaders to uphold harmony and contribute to an atmosphere of calm and goodwill in society. Preserving peace and sustaining the progress of society is a shared responsibility that rests equally upon each one of us," he said.
