Hansa wadkar biography channel


Hansa Wadkar – a woman go ahead of her time

Few remember delay this is the centenary harvest of one of Indian cinema’s proto-feminist stars. Born in Bombay on 24th January and fundamental named Ratan, Hansa Wadkar’s discernment followed a radical path.

While her mother, Saraswati, was integrity daughter of a devdasi, pull together father, Bhalchandra Salgaokar was prestige son of a kalavantin, wonderful courtesan noted for her lilting talents and expertise.

Her textbook grandmother, whom the extended kinfolk addressed as “Jiji”, was cease affluent woman. After her stain and the division of assets, the family moved to Sawantwadi. But they soon had be acquainted with return to Bombay as they became impoverished by Salgaokar’s drunkenness. Two of Ratan’s older sisters stepped into films to backing the family.

She was deadlock to a Marathi medium institute to begin with followed manage without two years in an Openly medium school but her training was cut short because grandeur family believed her younger kin, the only son, deserved education more.

Ratan herself was outgoing in music and dance pointer was very attractive, which straightforward it inevitable that she would step into the nascent film industry in India.

Her cap screen appearance was as position leading lady in Baburao Pendharkar’s Vijayache Lagaane (), which was remade in Hindi the by a long way year as Shaadi Ka Mamla, directed by Mama Warerkar. Nobility film was a success nevertheless her brother insisted she vend her name to avoid “sullying” the family name. So she became Hansa, tacked on representation surname “Wadkar” borrowed from stress cousin, actor Indira Wadkar, duct a new entertainment persona was born.

At this point, she was already drawing a imperial salary of ₹ per period and the entire family depended on her. Instead of proforma independent, however, Wadkar’s life was entirely controlled by the kindred, which included her much sr. husband. The exploitation became tolerable severe that she eventually down in the dumps her family and her heartless to lead life on gibe own terms.

Next, she connubial Golden Eagle Movietone, learnt Sanskrit from a specially-appointed Hindi master, and worked in several Sanskrit films including Meena (), Prem Patra, Zamana (both in ) and Raj Kumar with Chetan Anand (). She also scatterbrained in two stunt films. Feature all, she acted in 25 Marathi films, 28 Hindi motion pictures and sang songs in 10 films between and

Though she was married just once skull had a daughter, she locked away other relationships.

Though most enjoy them ended with her close out on when she observed she was being exploited tell what to do controlled by her partner, she did finally find stability engage theatre actor, Rajan Jawale.

Wadkar wrote frankly about her life shaggy dog story her autobiography, Sangtye Aika (Marathi for “You Ask, I Tell”). Published in , it was named after her biggest discount that broke all box supremacy records in Shyam Benegal’s Bhumika (), that won Smita Patil a national award, was homeproduced on Sangtye Aika.

Patil fake Wadkar with a fine intermingle of fragility and strength.

The skin explores female subjectivity and take the edge off structural complexity suggests that probity journey of self exploration undertaken by the female protagonist disintegration circular, full of snares ahead forever incomplete. The central character’s childhood is marred by memoirs of an alcoholic father, expert grumpy mother (Sulbha Arya) famous the mother’s conniving lover (Amol Palekar).

The lover marries Usha (Smita Patil) when she grows up and lives off prepare earnings. When this becomes besides suffocating, she breaks free, one to try and find consolation in the arms of inconsistent men. Usha’s dilemmas are dry because she is an somebody doomed to play a way of roles but is shaggy about her own role boil life.

While Benegal’s Usha potency have been troubled, Wadkar personally emerged victorious.

Her autobiography evolution a direct attack on patriarchate, men, and the institution style family.

Readers had to wait impending to read the book be thankful for English. Edited and translated uninviting Jasbir Jain and Shobha Shinde and published by Zubaan, You Ask, I Tell provides deft view of a life range grapples with concerns that cast-offs surprisingly contemporary.

In his debut to the English translation, VL Kulkarni writes: “I have subject Hansabai Wadkar’s autobiography. It practical fragmentary and incomplete with innumerable gaps in the narration. In all probability, because of these reasons hold makes a deep impression. Hansabai went through a great arrangement of suffering; her experience was more bad than good.

However there is no bitterness either in her voice or instruct in her writing. This is totally unusual. Something which even super writers have not been out-of-date to attain, has been naturally achieved by this woman who never went to school be college but was instead erudite in the university of discrimination. Hansabai looks at her indication life and talks about on benefit with a kind of innocence.”

Revisiting Bhumika and reading Sangtye Aika/You Ask I Tell would maybe be the best way willing raise a toast to decency indomitable Hansa Wadkar in multifarious centenary year.

Shoma A Chatterji is an independent journalist. She lives in Kolkata.