India’s First AI Story – Film Actor Balraj Sahani
Born on the first of May 1913, in Pakistan’s Rawalpindi province, Balraj Sahni first appeared as Yudhishthir Sahni. After joining the Government College in Lahore, he completed his studies there he earned a doctorate in English literature. Upon his return to Rawalpindi, he wed Damayanti Sahni, and the two of them became blessed with Parikshit and Shabnam as children. Shabnam, their daughter, tragically passed away from meningitis. The Sahni family relocated to Shantiniketan around 1930, where Balraj Sahni lectured Hindi and English at Tagore’s Vishwa Bharati University. It happened around this time that their child Parikshit Sahni came into the world. Before Sahni began working closely with Gandhi’s family for a year in 1938, he was a radio broadcaster for the BBC-London Hindi program. Sahni took part in the communist movement, as did his spouse.
When the Sahni family moved back to India in 1943, Balraj Sahni followed his boyhood acting dream. His acting career started with the Indian The public’s Theatre Organisation (IPTA), and in 1946 he made his cinematic debut in “Dharti Ke Lal”.
https://youtu.be/FMdRaX24BAg
Notable actors Balraj and Damayanti Sahni costarred in the 1946 movie “Door Chalen” as well as other films. Regretfully, Damayanti did not survive till 1947. With the highly regarded film “Do Bigha Zamin,” helmed by Bimal Roy, Balraj Sahni became a well-known actor in 1953. The movie won prizes in foreign film festivals.
“Do Bigha Zamin” has an unusual backstory. Bimal Roy had first thought about casting another actor in the main role, but after seeing Sahni’s performance in “Ham Log,”
He made him an important role. Sahni put a lot of effort into the part, spending hours each day on the Mumbai streets getting ready to play a struggling rickshaw puller.
While Sahni is shot “Hulchul,” she got caught up in an argument. In the end, the director Asif recognised him, so he helped Sahni with filming in the penal premises. Sahni spend approximately two decades in prison as she was making the film. Over 100 significant parts were portrayed by Balraj Sahni is over the course of his career, & his impact continues to be felt today.
https://googleliveindia.blogspot.com/2024/04/indias-first-ai-story-film-actor-balraj.html