It must have been a warm day of 1966/67 when, during a casual conversation over a fish meal, Ashok Kumar said to Hrishikesh Mukherjee, “You came into industry a little late as a director. I would have loved to work with you.” To which Hrishikesh Mukherjee replied, “You can still…”
“Not as a hero… maybe in a father’s role,” quipped Ashok Kumar.
“Dadamoni don’t challenge me. In my next film you will be the hero,” said Mukherjee. Few months later Hrishikesh Mukherjee went to Ashok Kumar with a script. “Dadamoni… you are the hero of my next film. This is the script.”
Ashok Kumar disbelievingly looked at Mukherjee who narrated the script of Aashirwaad to him. Mukherjee had kept his promise to make Dadamoni his hero. And Ashok Kumar gave one of his best performances in Aashirwaad, a film that remained close to his heart all his life. He sang his songs in the film. And Rail Gadi Rail Gadi… was an instant hit that remained on top of the Binaca Geetmala for quite some time.His association with Hrishikesh Mukherjee continued in Mili and Khubsoorat where he played a father’s character. Ashok Kumar Ganguly from Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh was one of the first singing heroes of Hindi film industry.
His first film with Devika Rani Achut Kanya was a super hit of that era and is deemed to be a pathbreaker. He was the eldest son of the Ganguly pariwar with two younger brothers and two sisters. One of Ashok Kumar’s sister married Shashdhar Mukherjee, the owner of Filmalaya studio. Ashok Kumar was a national level boxing champion. He had, initially, never dreamt that he would ever become a film star.
He was suave, sophisticated man who spoke fluent French. He had learnt the language through Linguaphone records along with his friend and co-actor Iftekar. They became so good at the language that they spoke in French on the sets and made others uncomfortable. He had used French as an additional dialogue to give the character finesse in Gumrah.A hardworking man, Ashok Kumar went on to become a part owner of Bombay Talkies, the studio that gave him his first break as an actor.
He ensured that all workers who had slogged during the bad times of the studio were given their dues and taken care off. He had a good business acumen and a great eye for talent. He spotted talent in youngsters and gave them a chance based on their potential and not on their track road. Ashok Kumar was responsible for giving quite a few stalwarts their first film. This list includes people like Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and Bimal Roy. Not many know that Yusuf Khan adopted the name Dilip Kumar because he was inspired by Ashok Kumar.
Ashok Kumar was the first suave lead man of the Hindi film industry. Though he started his career as a dehati, he went on to establish himself as one of the stylish heroes of his time. His suit-boot image was appreciated by women. His swag is visible when he dances with Madhubala at the end of popular song – Aaiye Meherbaan… in Howrah Bridge.
His transition from lead to character roles was quite smooth. He was never awkward during the transition as he believed that he is an actor first. It was this conviction that helped him accept the role that some rejected – Jewel Thief. In an era when Pran, Jayant and Madan Puri reigned supreme as villains and Prem Chopra was already on the scene, it was a casting coup by Vijay Anand and Dev Anand to cast Ashok Kumar as a villain. It was the progression of the character in the film from positive to negative and the shades offered that interested the veteran. It is said that he took a break from shooting for four/five days to prepare himself to shoot the scene where it is revealed that he is the real thief. And the end result where his affectionate eyes turn cold is just awesome.
He often locked himself in his big bathroom for hours together to prepare for his characters. He rehearsed dialogues, tried looks in the bathroom. He had once admitted that he never knew what to do with his hands. And that was the reason he always had some prop with him – cigarette, stick, book, spade, just anything that made him comfortable and justified the character.In his later years, he teamed well with Pran and director Brij Saldanha to give thriller comedies like Chori Mera Kaam, Victoria 203 and Ek Se Badhkar Ek.
Ashok Kumar’s stint with television in the golden days of Doordarshan is unforgettable. His analysis at the end of Hum Log was awaited eagerly. His talks at that time were mimicked by most mimicry artists that include Sudesh Bhosle and Johny Lever. Ashok Kumar never carried more than 100 rupees in his pocket for many years. This was because he was scared of giving away everything to someone. It was a habit inculcated into him by his wife. He was so generous that he could never say no to anyone.
Notable Films
Mahal
Howrah Bridge
Kanoon
Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi
Do Phool
Jewel Thief
Dil Daulat Duniya
Choti Si Baat
Victoria 203
Dream Girl
Chori Mera Kaam
Khubsoorat
Mili
Khatta Meetha
