Bharat Bhushan

• Name — Bharat Bhushan • Birth Name — Bharatbhushan Gupta • Born — 14 June 1920 • Birthplace — Meerut, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, British India (Present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) • Died — 27 January 1992 • Place of death — Bombay, Maharashtra, India • Years Active — 1941–1992 • Occupation — Actor • Awards — Filmfare Best Actor Award (1955) • Children — Anuradha Bhushan Aparajita Bhushan

Bharat Bhushan began his career in 1941 with a small role in Kidar Sharma's superhit film Chitralekha. Despite this, his career didn't take off as his films apart from another Kidar Sharma's directional Suhaag Raat (1948) did not perform well commercially. In 1952, he appeared and played the lead in Vijay Bhatt's musical romantic drama film Baiju Bawra. The film emerged a huge blockbuster at the box office and made Bhushan a bankable star. Its music by Naushad and songs by Mohammed Rafi, such as "Tu Ganga Ki Mauj Mein Jamana Ka Dhara", "O Duniya Ke Rakhwale Sunn Dard Bhare Mere Naaley" and "Man Tarpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj" were also very successful and won Naushad the inaugural Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. The same year with two more successes, Maa and Anand Math, Bhushan further solidified his stardom. In 1953, he delivered another blockbuster and second highest earner of the year with Ladki, co-starring Vyjayanthimala, Kishore Kumar and Anjali Devi.

Bharat Bhushan was born as Bharat Raibahadur Motilal Gupta on 14 June 1920 in a Vaishya (Baniya) family at Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. His father, Raibahadur Motilal, was the government pleader of Meerut and Supreme Court Judge, Allahabad. He had one older brother. His mother died when he was two years old. The brothers left for Aligarh to stay with their grandfather after their mother's death. He did his studies and earned a graduate degree from Dharam Samaj College, Aligarh. His elder brother was film producer and high court judge, Rameshchandra Gupta, who owned the Ideal Studio at Lucknow. After studies, he took to acting against his father's wishes. He first went to Kolkata to join cinema and later established himself in Bombay. He married into a prominent family in Meerut, Zamindar Raibahadur Budha Prakash's daughter Sarla. They had two daughters, Anuradha (who had polio-associated complications) and Aparajita. Bhushan's wife Sarla died of labour complications on 12 November 1954 at 10 p.m. after delivering their second child. His film Meenar (1954) was dedicated to her where the above information regarding the date and time of her death was mentioned. In 1967, he married actress Ratna, his co-star from Barsaat Ki Raat. Ratna was a prominent actress who played the sister or friend of the heroine in many films. Among her notable TV appearances was the serial Trishna as mother of the four young girls. It was an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. In an interview, his daughter Aparajita had said that after the sudden demise of her husband, she turned to acting. Aparajita has done more than 50 films and TV serials. She played the role of Mandodari in Ramanand Sagar's famous serial Ramayan. Bhushan owned a bungalow in Bandra suburb of Bombay. This was the famous Aashirwad bungalow, which he sold to Rajendra Kumar, who in turn sold it to Rajesh Khanna. This bungalow, was thus home to 3 famous film stars. Bhushan was an avid reader and boasted of a fine collection of books, which he had to sell off like his cars and bungalows in bad times, after he turned co-producer at the instance of his brother. Only two of his films were successes and unfortunately, the rest flopped. He died after he escaped his financial crisis, on 27 January 1992.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1941 — Chitralekha • 1942 — Bhakta Kabir • 1943 — Bhaichara • 1945 — Sawan • 1948 — Suhaag Raat — Beli • 1949 — Rangila Rajastan • Uddhār • Thes — Shyam • 1950 — Ankhen • Bhai Bahen • Janmashtami • Kisi Ki Yaad • Ram Darshan • 1951 — Hamari Shaan • Saagar • 1952 — Baiju Bawra — Baiju • Maa — Bhanu • Anand Math — Mahendra • 1953 — Pahli Shadi • Dana Pani • Farmaish • Ladki — Raja • Shuk Rambha • Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu — Vishvambhar Mishra / Chaitanya Mahaprabhu — Winner, Filmfare Award for Best Actor • 1954 — Shabaab — Rattan • Meenaar — Dinesh — Also Co-producer • Pooja — Deepak • Kavi • Dhoop Chhaon • Aurat Teri Yehi Kahani • Mirza Ghalib — Mirza Ghalib — Nomination, Filmfare Award for Best Actor • 1955 — Amanat — Pradeep • 1956 — Basant Bahar — Gopal — Also co-wrote the script • 1957 — Sakshi Gopal • Mera Saalam • Champakali — Madho • Gateway of India — Prakash • Rani Rupmati — Baz Bahadur • 1958 — Samrat Chandragupt — Chandragupta Maurya • Phagun — Bijandra "Bijan" • Sohni Mahiwal — Mahiwal • 1959 — Kal Hamara Hai — Bharat • Kavi Kalidas — Kalidas • Sawan — Sawant • 1960 — Chand Mere Aaja — Shyam • Ghunghat — Dr. Gopal • Angulimaal — Ahinsak (Angulimaal) • Barsaat Ki Raat — Amaan Hyderabadi alias Mirza Lucknowi — Also co-wrote the script • 1962 — Gyara Hazar Ladkian — Puran • Sangeet Samrat Tansen — Sangeet Shiromani / Sangeet Samrat Tansen "Tanu" • 1964 — Jahan Ara — Mirza Yusuf Changezi • Chandi Ki Deewar • Dooj Ka Chand — Gopu — Also producer, co-wrote the script • Vidyapati — Vidyapati • 1965 — Naya Kanoon — Deepak • 1967 — Taqdeer — Gopal • 1969 — Pyar Ka Mausam — Gopal • Vishwas — Ramnath "Ram" Kapoor • 1972 — Gomti Ke Kinare — Bharat • 1973 — Kahani Kismat Ki — Doctor • 1975 — Ranga Khush — Dilip Singh • 1977 — Solah Shukrawar — Bhola Bhagat • Hira Aur Patthar — Tulsiram • Khoon Pasina — Kaka • Jai Dwarkadheesh • 1978 — Nawab Sahib — Salma's father • Ganga Sagar — Pratap Singh (Padma's father) • 1980 — Unees-Bees • 1981 — Khara Khota • Yaarana — Komal's father • Commander • Umrao Jaan — Khan Saheb (music master) • 1983 — Adi Shankaracharya — Kaippilly Shivaguru Nambudiri (Adi Shankara's father) • Nastik — Temple priest • Justice Chaudhury — Jagannath • Hero — Ramu (Jaikishen's father) • Ek Baar Chale Aao — Narayan Das • 1984 — Zakhmi Sher — Judge • Sharaabi — Masterji • Shravan Kumar • Farishta • 1985 — Phaansi Ke Baad • Mera Saathi — Gopal • Rehguzar — Landlord — Direct-to-video film • 1986 — Mera Dharam — Baba • Kala Dhanda Goray Log — Maharaj • Ghar Sansar — Rahim Chacha • Paise Ke Peechhey — Mahendra Malhotra • 1987 — Himmat Aur Mehanat — Customer in hotel — Special appearance • Ramayan — Goswami Tulsidas — TV series • 1988 — Pyaar Ka Mandir — Satish's father • Sone Pe Suhaaga — Kashinath • Maalamaal — Shri Mangatram's manager • Jai Karoli Maa • 1989 — Abhi To Main Jawan Hoon • Chandni — Doctor • Ilaaka — Man with suitcase • Gharana — Radha's father • Toofan — Priest in the Hanuman temple • Jaadugar — Gyaneshwar • 1990 — Baap Numbri Beta Dus Numbri — John • Majboor — Judge • Sheshnaag — Bhola & Champa's father • Baaghi — Ramnath • 1991 — Pyar Ka Devta — Doctor • Karz Chukana Hai — College principal • Raiszaada — Judge • Irada • Prem Qaidi — Suryanath • Swarg Yahan Narak Yahan — School principal • Sau Crore — Kamlesh's father — Cameo • 1992 — Humshakal — Judge — Posthumous release • 1993 — Aakhri Chetawani — Posthumous release

• Year — Award — Category — Film — Result • 1955 — Filmfare Awards — Best Actor — Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu • 1956 — Mirza Ghalib