Ashok Kumar

In my childhood days, I felt that an actor who indulged in theatrics and screamed endlessly on the screen were great actors. A few years later, I saw actors like Amol Palekar, Farooque Sheikh and Rakesh Roshan in characters that brought our everyday normal life to the fore. In some of these films, I found an actor playing a supporting role – as a lovable father-in-law kept under suppression by a domineering wife in KHUBSUROOT or a zany ex-colonel adviser to our hero in CHOTI SI BAAT. I am sure you have guessed by now whom I am talking about – the lovable ‘Dadamoni’ viz , Ashok Kumar who straddled several decades of Hindi cinema. His birthday falls on October 13, which he had stopped celebrating himself because his younger brother, the famous singer Kishore Kumar, died on this day.

I haven’t seen much of his earlier works which earned him great fame. The films I have watched which gave him an ability to showcase his talent were those by Hrishikesh Mukherjee (HM) and Basu Chaterjee (BC) and a few others. He gave a stunning performance in a central role in HM’s ASHIRWAD and in a supporting role in HM’s Mili as a worried father saddled with the terminal illness of his daughter. In BC’s Shaukeen he plays one of the three elderly characters out on a hunt for dalliances with the opposite sex for fun. In BC’s Khatta Meetha as well, Ashok Kumar had a pivotal character.
Most of us possibly can’t visualize Dadamoni in angry roles, but just rewind to Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and you will find that in a particular sequence, he unleashes a ‘box’ to quieten a character in that film.
I have seen him in a few Bengali films as well, notable among them being Tapan Sinha’s Hatey Baazarey where he plays a conscientious doc. Even in the film Hospital he played a doc. in love with leading lady Suchitra Sen.In Anand Ashram he played the character of an orthodox father of Uttam Kumar.
I read somewhere that Mrinal Sen was contemplating casting him initially in the character of the bureaucrat in the iconic film Bhuvan Shome but the role finally went to Utpal Dutt.
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Anand Ashram (1977)

There are certain films that you enjoy watching because of its rootedness, fine performances, social commentary, lovely songs and a light-hearted treatment while addressing issues of national concern. Inter-community marriages, the urgency of providing medical care in the villages, the need to adapt to changing social values have been woven into the storyline of ANAND ASHRAM.

The brilliance of Ashok Kumar as the patriarch, the chemistry of Uttam Kumar and

Sharmila Tagore, the able support by the supporting cast like Utpal Dutt, Moushumi Chatterjee, Rakesh Roshan and a memorable role for Asit Sen as a caretaker instrumental in raising the children of the orthodox family of Ashok Kumar are the highlights of this watchable film. The film was directed by Shakti Samanta.

Rating: 3.7 out of 5

ASHIRWAD

Ashirwad is one of those rare gems from a gifted filmmaker, the late Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Dadamoni Ashok Kumar carries the whole film on his

shoulder. A few haunting melodies have been used in unfolding a touching, melodramatic story. The film is a must watch, just to witness the amazing prowess of a gifted actor from the natural school of acting. Able support is rendered by Sanjeev Kumar, Sumita Sanyal and others.

Rating: 4 out of 5