Kanhaiyalal (actor)

Kanhaiyalal (1910 – 14 August 1982) was an Indian actor who acted in 105 films in his career, primarily in Hindi films produced in Bollywood, the Mumbai-based film industry.

After completing a century of roles in Bollywood, Hathkadi (1982) became his swan song as his histrionics breathed their last on 14 Aug 1982 while he was 72.

The trouble monger continued his winning streak with Upkar, Ram aur Shyam (both 1967), Teen Bahuraniyan, Dharti Kahe Pukare (1969), Gopi, Jeevan Mrityu (1970), Dushman (1972) Apna Desh (1972), Heera, Dost, Palkon Ki Chaon Mein, Karmayogi (1978), Janata Hawaldar (1979) and Hum Paanch (1980).

In Gunga Jumna (1961), he again excelled as a munim. He also shone in Mahesh Kaul's Sautela Bhai (1962), but the film tanked. Gemini's Grahasti (1962), in which he played a station master gave him immense satisfaction and he said: "In my opinion, it's the first picture from the South starring me to achieve that much versatility."

During the shooting of the scene in which the house collapses on the salacious Sukhilala, Kanhaiyalal got hurt. In honour of the dictum, the show must go on, he right away told Mehboob Khan not to call a doctor immediately, but to finish the remaining shots. When he came out of the set eventually, the doctor was waiting for him. Aurat had a golden jubilee run with Sardar Akhtar (Mrs. Mehboob Khan) playing the lead. When Mehboob remade Aurat as Mother India (1957), only Kanhaiyalal reprised his role, a first in Hindi cinema with the same actor replaying the same character 17 years later.

Telescoped into the stereotype that bears his signature, early in his career he experimented much more than in his later years. "In Mehboob's film Bahen (1941), I had the role of a good-natured pickpocket. Here, four scenes originally conceived for me were spun out into about fourteen by Wajahat Mirza. In National Studios' Radhika (1941), directed by K. B. Lall, I played a temple priest and in Lal Haveli (1944, again by Lall), I played the comic role of a Pandit. Yakub starred in the film and his frequent punch line telling me Chacha, pasina aa raha hai became quite famous."

However, the rise of his career graph was launched by Mehboob Khan with writer Wajahat Mirza playing catalyst. At his instance Kanhaiyalal was selected for the role of Sukkhi Lala in Aurat (1940). He played the wicked moneylender who has evil designs on the young widow. As he reminisced in an interview, "On this production, too, I had the feeling that the ice had yet to be broken. There was no make-up man free or willing to attend to me. When I explained this difficulty to Faredoon Irani, the cinematographer, he calmly said, 'Don't worry. Just appear as you are and I will photograph you without makeup.' He did just that. My make-up consisted only of a moustache. There are not very many cinematographers who will stake their reputation by agreeing to photograph artistes without make-up. I admired Mr. Irani's courage and self-confidence. I regard my Aurat role as a really good one. I was helped tremendously by the lines Wajahat Mirza wrote for me. In fact, I firmly believe that what an actor needs most of all are good dialogue to enable him to do well."

He was fond of plays and came to Mumbai to find a space on stage. He staged his own written play Pandrah August in Mumbai, and later he tried his luck in films. He also had written many plays. In the 1939 film Ek Hi Raasta as Banke, he got a break in Hindi films and in 1940 he got the role of the moneylender (Sahukar) in Mehboob Khan's film Aurat as Sukkhi Lala. After that, he later acted in many films as a character artiste. When Mehboob Khan directed his film Mother India which was a remake of his earlier film 'Aurat', he again picked Kanhaiyalal to act as Sukkhi Lala, a character that came alive with his natural acting. Some of the performances of Kanhaiyalal which were appreciated by the audience for his versatility include his characters in the films Bhookh (1947), Ganga Jamuna, Gopi, Upkar, Apna Desh, Janta Hawaldar, Dushman, Bandhan, Bharosa, Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke, Hum Paanch, Upkar, Gaon Hamara Desh Tumhara, Dadi Maa, Gruhasti, Hatyara, Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein, Heera, Teen Bahuraniyan, Dost etc. His memorable roles include those as villainous scheming moneylenders in the films Mother India , Ganga Jamuna, Gopi and Upkaar.

Kanhaiyalal was born in 1910 in Varanasi. His father Pandit Bhairodutt Choube, popularly known as Choubeji, was the proprietor of the Sanatan Dharm Natak Samaj in Varanasi. With his father not in agreement with him taking up any form of stage work, he eventually wore out his father's opposition and did odd jobs in the troupe. At 16, he started writing and then moved on to small roles. When his father died, the brothers tried for some time to run the drama company. Proving to be unsuccessful, they downed shutters and Kanhaiyalal decided to seek a film career in Bombay. His elder brother Sankata Prasad Chaturvedi had already set a precedent and established himself as an actor in silent films, but Kanhaiyalal came to films without the intention of acting, wanting to write and direct instead. Eventually capitulating, he began by working as an extra in Sagar Movietone's Sagar Ka Sher. He would have remained a background extra but for a fated twist.