'Neecha Nagar' to 'Laal Singh Chaddha': Yesteryear star Kamini Kaushal dies at 98
_vb_77.jpeg)
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.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support.
The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
