Durga Khote
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Durga Khote (14 January 1905− 22 September 1991) was an Indian actress active in Bollywood and Marathi cinema for over 50 years, from 1931 to 1983.
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[edit] Early life
She was born in a traditional brahmin family from Kolhapur in present-day Maharashtra. By the age of 26, Durga Khote was a widowed mother. She had to seek work in films in order to support her children. In doing so, she became a pioneer of sorts, as she hailed form a traditional family, and since the film industry at that time was regarded as the preserve of the base and the bawdy. Also, most of the female characters were played by men.
[edit] Early career
Durga Khote debuted in a minor role in an obscure 1931 film (Farebi Jaal) by the Prabhat film company, but was soon promoted to play heroine in the 1932 film "Ayodhyecha Raja", another Prabhat film, which was the first-ever Marathi talkie and proved to be a runaway hit. There was no looking back for the diffident widow from Kolhapur after that. Indeed, she ventured yet another pioneering trend: despite working closely with Prabhat studios, she broke away from the "studio system" (exclusive contract with a studio to work in its films on a monthly salary) then in vogue and became one of the first "freelance" artistes of that era by working occasionally with the New Theatres company. In 1937, she produced and directed a film titled Saathi, making her one of the first women to do so.
Durga Khote was also active in theatre and diversified into production of ad films.
[edit] Later career
Durga Khote essayed a wide variety of roles over a career that was not only long but also untouched by scandal. She was the inspiration for several generations of Indian actresses, including veterans like the late Shobhana Samarth, who frequently spoke of how she had been inspired by Durga Khote's example.
During later years, she played several important character roles, such as the mother of the protagonist. Her portrayal of Jodhabai, the queen of Akbar torn between duty towards her husband and love towards her son in the film Mughal-e-Azam was well received. She went on to play other widely appreciated character roles in later movies such as the role of the grandmother of the heroine in Bobby and the hero's aunt in Abhimaan. She acted in over 200 films in her career.
[edit] Recognition
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the lifetime recognition award for films from Government of India in 1983.
- The Padma Shri, a civilian award.
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1958.
[edit] References
- Durga Khote at the Internet Movie Database
- Profile with photographs
- Film music history - First section titled Until 1935
- Mention of her role in theatre and ads
- Autobiography - details from Oxford University Press website
[edit] Further reading
- I, Durga Khote: An autobiography, translated into English by Shanta Gokhale (to be published in June 2006); ISBN 13: 978-0-19-567475-0 & ISBN 10: 0195674758
