Suchitra Sen Death Anniversary

 

Suchitra Sen, who passed away on 17 January 2014, was an Indian actress who worked in Bengali and Hindi cinema. The movies in which she was repeatedly paired opposite Uttam Kumar became classics in the history of Bengali cinema. Often referred to as the Madhubala of Bengal, Roma Dasgupta, who was born in Pabna district on April 6 in the year 1931, made her Tollywood debut in 1952 with ‘Shesh Kothay’ which never saw the light of day.

The following year, she filmed ‘Sharey Chuattor’ with none other than the heartthrob of Bengal at the time – Uttam Kumar, and her career took off. Her first official release, however, was Sukumar Dasgupta's Saat Number Kayedi (1953). More than anything else, audiences loved the chemistry of the two stars. Sen and Kumar went on to do several hit films together like ‘Harano Sur’ and ‘Saptapadi’ and were loved by film watchers so much that their names 'Uttam-Suchitra' are still taken together by Bengali film lovers.

From 1979 on, she retreated from public life and shunned all forms of public contact; for this she is often compared to Greta Garbo. In 2005, she refused the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest cinematic award in India, to stay out of the public eye.

 

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala Death Anniversary

 

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, who passed away on 17 January 1951, was a prominent Assamese playwright, songwriter, poet, writer and film maker from Assam, India.

Agarwala is considered the father of Assamese cinema and is credited for making the first Assamese language film, Joymoti, in 1935. He wrote the story, produced and directed the film, which was based on the legend of the Ahom princess, Joymoti Konwari. The film attained critical and commercial success and is considered a classic in Indian cinema.

Jyoti Prasad Agarwala was an accomplished artist and a multi-faceted personality. He was not only a filmmaker, playwright, and poet, but also a journalist, songwriter, and social reformer. He was a prominent figure in the cultural and literary scene of Assam in the early 20th century. Agarwala was also a prolific playwright and wrote many plays in the Assamese language, many of which were later made into films. Some of his famous plays include Sonit Kunwori, Rupalim, Nimati Kanya, Lobhita, Karengor Ligiri, Siraj, etc. His plays were known for their strong social and political themes and were very popular in Assam.

Agarwala also participated in India’s freedom movement under Mahatma Gandhi leadership at the age 17. He spent 15 months in hard jail in 1932 and was fined Rs 500 for actively participating in the freedom movement. He also suffered from physical health movement during his imprisonment. During this period, he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. Jyoti Prasad Agarwala joined the Congress volunteer force in 1941 after completing his jail term. He had to flee the British government and hide in Kolkata on many occasions because of his active participation in India’s freedom movement. He also played an active role in the Quit India Movement of 1942.

His day of demise i.e. 17 January is celebrated as “Artist’s Day (Silpi Divas)” every year as memory of Agarwala. The day was celebrated on 17 January 1953, to commemorate the artist for the first time since the artist’s death. However, then it was named Jyoti Diwas. It was later named Artist’s Day (Silpi Divas) instead of Jyoti Diwas.

 

Karpoor Chandra 'Kulish" Death Anniversary

 

Karpoor Chandra Kulish, passed away on 17 January 2006, was the founder of Rajasthan Patrika, a Hindi language newspaper of Rajasthan.

Kulish started Rajasthan Patrika as an evening newspaper and took it to the heights of glory was a visionary par excellence, a many-splendoured genius who had lived the ideal as embodied in the oft-quoted puranic aphorism “charaiveti-charaiveti” (move on and on and rest not) and above all a man of extraordinary versatility as reflected in his ability to convert a small newspaper into an unmatched daily of Rajasthan. He was a brilliant journalist, a scholar of Vedas, a thinker, a philosopher and a poet. When he was in his early twenties, much before he had achieved anything worthy of mention, he had awarded himself the appellation of 'Kulish' - the Invincible One.

The man who strode across the land and dreamt of hitting the sky had a humble beginning. He was born on 20 March 1926 in a relatively unknown village called Soda which was a part of the erstwhile state of Diggi and Lawa of Tonk Distt in Rajasthan. He is best remembered for his fearless journalism.

Kulishji was a voracious reader and versatile writer. He has to his credit a number of books, among them ‘Saat Sainkda’ is a poetic composition, 'Amerika Ek Vihangam Drishti’, ‘Mein Dekhta Chala Gaya’ and his biography in the form of a conversation under the title ‘DharaPravah’. 'Polampol' is his later years, segment on current affairs. He also rendered his valuable contribution towards ‘Veda’ with his two popular works i.e. “Vedas as Science” and “Ved-Vidya Praveshika”. His famous compilation of all existing 11 samhitas of four vedas, titled as “Shabd Vedas” has been a rare work.

He gave talks at the Universities of Bonn and Hamburg, the Institute of Indology in Frankfurt and the International Forum for a Better World, Cologne. His talks had also been serialized by the BBC, Voice of America and Voice of Germany. Kulishji was credited with having brought Pandit Madhusudan Ojha's work on Vedas to light. He has set high standards and healthy traditions for his successors to imbibe and follow.

Babu Gulabrai Birth Anniversary

 

Babu Gulabrai, born on 17 January 1888, was a significant figure in modern Hindi literature.

Babu Gulabrai wrote profusely in Hindi and later, he adopted the sanskritized mode of Hindi, as evidenced by his use of Sanskrit shlokas.

His literary style was known for its distinct and original approach, a fresh undertaking of a literary journey seldom found during his time. His works also had a patriotic tone, which moved him to write and embody a humanistic approach.

His first two works were philosophical, Shanti Dharma and Maitri Dharma which mirrored Babu Gulabrai’s ideals and beliefs.

He has also been credited with documenting a history of Hindi literature, called Hindi Sahitya ka Subodh Itihaas.

His biographies, Meri Asafaltaein and Thalua Club were quite favourite with his readers due to his sense of humour and usage of satire in his works.

His literary magazine, Sahitya Sandesh also enriched the readers with various essays, stories, etc.

His writing career can be traced from 1913 and ending with the final years of his life. His last noted work was published in 1956, seven years prior to his death.

In the final years of his life, Babu Gulabrai was awarded an honorary doctorate in 1957 by the then vice president of India, V.V. Giri.

In June 2002, the Government of India issued a Rs 5 postal stamp to commemorate his contribution to Hindi literature.

Kamal Amrohi Birth Anniversary

Kamal Amrohi, born on 17 January 1918, was an Indian film director and screenwriter. He was also an Urdu and Hindi poet. He established Kamal Pictures in 1953 and Kamalistan Studio in Bombay in 1958.

The fame and appreciation Kamal Amrohi receives goes far beyond his limited body of work. In 34 years, the writer-filmmaker only directed four films, but three of them were the Ashok Kumar-Madhubala starrer Mahal, the Dharmendra-Hema Malini starrer Razia Sultan, and the film that made the dying Meena Kumari immortal, Pakeezah.

Amrohi’s cinema was commercially successful and elegant, showcasing his great eye for detail. His movies told stories of lovers who were unable to cross the boundaries of social conventions (Pakeezah), tradition or marriage (Daera).

Amrohi made his directorial debut in 1949 with Mahal, a reincarnation movie that set the film world alight. He was just 30 years old when he pitched the idea to Ashok Kumar, who was running Bombay Talkies then.

Amrohi received acclaim for his deft use of chiaroscuro (the treatment of light and shade) as well as its music, including ‘Aayega aanewala’, one of Lata Mangeshkar’s first big hits in Hindi. Then, in 1953, Amrohi directed Daera, the story of a 16-year-old girl who was forced to marry a man much older than her, but fell in love with a younger neighbour boy. Called “far ahead of its time”, Daera bombed at the box office, but it was important for another reason — it was the first collaboration between Amrohi and his third wife Mahjabeen Bano, whom the world remembers as Meena Kumari.

Pakeezah, which was conceived in 1958 but was not brought to the screen until 1972. He also wrote the screenplay, lyrics and produced the latter. Film Pakeezah (1972) has been called one of the extraordinary musical melodramas ever made in India, although flawed but noble. Meena Kumari herself, in her public comments to the press, after seeing the movie, said that it was Kamal Amrohi's tribute to her. This was followed by Razia Sultan (1983), his last film. Though, he started a film, Majnoon with Rajesh Khanna and Rakhee Gulzar as leads, however the film got shelved.

He wrote scripts for the movies made by Sohrab Modi, Abdul Rashid Kardar and K. Asif. He was one of the four dialogue writers for the latter's famous 1960 movie, Mughal-e-Azam, for which he won the Filmfare Award.

As a director, he developed a style that combined a stylised direction with minimalist performances. This style was different from the one with expressive acting that was common in Indian cinema of his period.

It was mentioned that the last movie he wanted to make was called Aakhri Mughal. He had written a substantial portion of the script. But it went into oblivion after his death. Noted film maker J P Dutta was to revive the film in the late 1990s which was supposed to have been Abhishek Bachchan's debut movie. But later Dutta scrapped the project. He was again planning to revive the film in 2007 after the debacle of his costume drama Umrao Jaan (2006) remake from the cult film from the 1980s.

Marudur Gopalan Ramachandran Birth Anniversary

 

Well known as "Makkal Thilagam" (People's King) in Tamil Nadu, Marudur Gopalan Ramachandran, born on 17 January 1917, was an Indian actor, filmmaker and politician, known for his work in the Tamil industry. Popularly called MGR, he made his acting debut in a supporting role in the 1936 film Sathi Leelavathi. MGR got his first lead role in the 1950 movie, Manthiri Kumari. It was written by current politician, M. Karunanidhi. But it was the 1954 movie, Malaikallan, which own the President's Silver Medal, that put MGR firmly amongst the top Tamil heroes of the era.

MGR went on to act in hit movies like Marmayogi (1951), Kundukkili (1954), Alibabhavum Narpathu Thirudargalum (1955), Gul-E-Bakavali (1956), Mahadevi (1957), Nadodi Mannan (1958), Baghdad Thirudan (1960), Thaai Sollai Thattathey (1961), Shabash Mappillai (1961), Thayai Katha Thanayan (1962), Kudumba Thalaivan (1962), Needhikkupin Pasam (1963), Kalai Arasi (1963), Dharmam Thalai Kakum (1963), Thayin Madiyil (1964), Panakara Kudumbam (1964), Panam Padaithavan (1965), Enga Veetu Pillai (1965), Petral Than Pillayya (1966), Parakkum Pavai (1966), Naan Anaittal (1966), Vivasaayee (1967), Rahasya Police 115 (1968), Oli Vilakku (1968), Kudiyiruntha Koyil (1968), Kadhal Vaganam (1968), Adimai Penn (1969), Sirithu Vazha Vendum (1974), Nalai Namadhe (1975), Oorukku Uzhaippavan (1976), Needhikku Thalai Vanangu (1976) and Indru Pol Endrum Vazhga (1977). He won the National Film Award for Best Actor in 1971 for Rickshawkaran. MGR also won the Filmfare awards for Enga Veettu Pillai and Adimai Penn. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna by the Government of India posthumously in 1988 for his contribution in the field of Films and Politics.

In 1953 MGR joined Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on the insistence of his friend and mentor, C.N. Annadurai. He founded a new party after Annadurai's death. MGR named it the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and won the elections in 1977. MGR served as the Chief Minister from 1977 to 1987 for three consecutive terms. MGR passed away on 24 December 1987 after a prolonged illness.

Benjamin Franklin Birth Anniversary

Benjamin Franklin, born on 17 January, 1706, was an American statesman, Founding Father, and scientist. He has also been known as "the First American". He was a very important person in the American Revolution and helped make the Thirteen Colonies one nation. As a leader of the Enlightenment, he influenced European scientists. He even was the first thing many Europeans associated with America at the time. His successful diplomacy in France was an important factor in the United States' win over Great Britain.

7 of the most important of Franklin's accomplishments

1. The Franklin Stove was revolutionary

In 1740, Benjamin Franklin invented his now-famous Franklin Stove. This freestanding stove produced more heat for less fuel compared to contemporaries of the period.

The stove was actually a specially designed fireplace that had a hollow baffle near the rear to transfer more heat from the fire to the room's air. Hot fumes and smoke from the fire were drawn over an "inverted siphon" to achieve this effect and help produce less smoke than ordinary fireplaces.

Smoke and other exhaust gases were then channeled up the chimney. Unfortunately for Franklin, it wasn't a massive commercial success until it was later improved by David Rittenhouse.

2. Franklin also invented a new musical instrument

Benjamin Franklin also turned his hand to creating new forms of musical instruments. Chief amongst them was his interesting glass instrument called the Armonica.

The Armonica was invented in around 1761 and its name derives from the Italian word "Armonia" meaning harmony.

You are probably familiar with so-called "glass harps" or "musical glasses" whereby players rub their fingers around the rims of water-filled wine glasses. The Armonica is, in essence, and descendant of this ancient technique.

Franklin's Armonica, used a series of glass bowls, or goblets, of graduated size that produced musical tones through friction. It was played by rotating the glasses around a central shaft.

Both Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed music for the strange instrument. Today, similar devices are known more commonly as friction idiophones.

3. Benjamin Franklin actually invented bifocals

Benjamin Franklin is commonly credited with the invention of bifocal glasses. Whilst there is some debate about whether this is true, there is strong evidence to show that this is indeed true.

It may be the case that bifocals are yet another example of an invention that is independently developed by multiple people over time. Whatever the case, like all great inventions, they were the product of the inventor's own frustration with something in the world.

In this case, Benjamin Franklin has become so tired of his own aging eyes that he decided to do something about it. Through trial and error, he finally managed to produce a pair of glasses that allowed him to see close-up and far away without the need to change his glasses.

4. He helped pen the American Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution

Probably his most important accomplishment was being one of the authors of the American Declaration of Independence. In 1776 he was appointed as a member of the Committee of Five that would go on to draft the Declaration.

Franklin, then of advanced age, was temporarily disabled by gout and unable to attend most meetings of the Committee, Franklin made several "small but important" changes to the draft sent to him by Thomas Jefferson.

At the signing, he is quoted as having replied to a comment by John Hancock that they must all hang together: "Yes, we must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."

Franklin was a very strong advocate for the right to free speech and, in 1787, also signed one of the most important documents of all time. The United States Constitution.

To this day, it remains one of the bastions of legal protection for individual liberty in the world.

5. He was the first Postmaster General of the United States

In 1737, Benjamin Franklin was appointed as the very first Postmaster for Philadelphia by the British Crown Post. A post he held until 1753.

Franklin threw himself into the task and implemented many effective measures that enabled his post office to become the first profitable one in any British colony of the time.

In 1775, when the Second Continental Congress established the United States Post Office, Franklin was made its postmaster general due to his experience in the field.

Franklin's postal service still exists, more or less, today but was renamed the United States Postal Service in the early 1970s.

6. He helped create the First American Political Cartoon

The freedom to openly criticize politicians and other powerful figures in society is critical to freedom of thought and speech. Whilst an announcement to those who hold power, it is vitally important that political satire remains vigorous and unimpeded in a free society.

For this reason, Franklin and Hugh Meredith bought the newspaper the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1729. He not only owned the paper but also wrote satirical pieces in it under aliases.

Join, or Die, the very first political cartoon in America was personally created by Benjamin in 1754. It later became an important symbol of colonial unity during the revolution and remains popular.

7. And finally, his famous Lighting Rod

Franklin, apart from being a prolific inventor, is also well known for his scientific experimentation. Most notably his work on electricity and lightning.

He conducted extensive experiments in the field of electricity and made some very important discoveries. For example, he was one of the first people to propose that electricity consisted of two opposing forces.

He suggested that it actually moves from one body to another and even coined the terms positive, negative, battery, charge, and conductor. He is probably best known for his work with lighting and was adamant that lighting was a form of electricity.

His experiments, including his famous Kite experiment, enabled him to create a device that would protect buildings from the destructive force of lightning. Thus, the lightning rod, which protects structures by earthing, was invented.

Krishnadevaraya Birth Anniversary

 

Krishnadevaraya, born on 17 January 1471, was the emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire, reigned over most of South India from 1509-1529. He was the third monarch of the Tuluva dynasty, and is considered as one of the greatest rulers in Indian history. He ruled the largest empire in India after the decline of the Delhi Sultanate.

He was a just and able statesman and a crafty general. He was a worthy opponent to the Badami kings and the Portuguese who were in their quest to expand the boundaries of their empire.

Krishnadevaraya is also known as Andhra Bhoja and Kannadq Rajya Ramana in honour of his victories and conquests of lands in the Krishna-Tungabhadra basin. He built the Vithalaswamy temple and the Hazar Rama temple in the Hoysala style of architecture.