Balraj Sahni is one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema. According to many film critics, the legendary actor is at the top of the list with the legendary actor Dilip Kumar. However, there is a large section of cinema enthusiasts who believe that Balraj Sahni was even better than Dilip Kumar and it was the former’s political ideologies that overshadowed his genius acting skills. While the comparison creates endless debates, there is no denying the fact that Balraj Sahni is the name that comes to everyone’s mind when we talk about legendary Indian actors who raise the bar of acting to an unprecedented level.
Balraj Sahni’s Story: Businessman who worked with Mahatma Gandhi and became one of India’s greatest actors
Balraj Sahni was born on May 1, 1913 in a wealthy family in Rawalpindi, Punjab, British India. According to several reports, he belonged to a family of entrepreneurs and had no connection to the world of cinema. Balraj Sahni completed his education from a number of reputed schools and institutions such as Government College Lahore, Gordon College and Visva-Bharati University. After completing his education, Balraj Sahni joined his family business in Rawalpindi.
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A few years after joining the family business, Balraj Sahni married Damayanti Sahni on December 6, 1936. Soon after his marriage, he began to separate himself from his family business and worked with Mahatma Gandhi for some time. On Mahatma Gandhi’s suggestion, Balraj went to London and joined BBC Hindi. After working with the reputed company for some time, Balraj Sahni returned to India and moved to Mumbai with his wife Damayanti Sahni to pursue their shared passion for acting.
After initially having difficulty getting roles, Balraj Sahni made his acting debut in Hindi cinema in 1946 with the film: For him. However, it was the film Red of the earth with which he got his first taste of stardom. In the following years, Balraj Sahni proved his acting skills in films such as Do Bigha Zameen, Neelkamal, Do Raaste, Ek Phool Do Maali, Chhoti Bahen, Kabuliwala, Waqt, And Eve’s salt.
Balraj Sahni’s wife Damayanti Sahni died during the shooting of their film
Balraj Sahni’s wife, Damayanti Sahni, was also an actress and made her acting debut with the film: Door Chale. However, she died in 1947 while shooting for one of her films.
Damayanti’s death deeply shocked Balraj Sahni and just when he thought he had suffered the greatest loss of his life, another tragedy was at his doorstep. After the death of his wife, Balraj Sahni’s daughter, Shabnam Sahni passed away at her in-laws’ house. The reason for her death is still unknown to the general public.
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Balraj Sahni wanted no Pundits or Shlokas to be recited at his funeral and died with his Marxist philosophy
The sudden death of his wife and daughter was too much for Balraj Sahni, due to which he developed heart disease. Unfortunately, the legendary actor died of a heart attack on April 13, 1973 at the age of 59. Not everyone is aware of the fact that Balraj Sahni was a Marxist who led the idea of Marxism to death.
According to a report by ABP Live, the legendary actor had already instructed his family not to bring any Pundit to recite Shlokas at his funeral and instead placed a red flag next to his remains. For those unfamiliar, the red flag symbolizes left-wing politics, which includes socialism, communism, Marxism, the labor movement and anarchism.
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Balraj Sahni acted in films while in prison; here’s how!
An interesting anecdote about Balraj Sahni that speaks volumes about his love for acting and his importance in Hindi cinema comes from the time when he was in prison. Balraj Sahni was already an active member of the Indian Progressive Theater Association in 1946 when he was arrested by the police and put behind bars because of its revolutionary ideas.
Even though Balraj Sahni was in jail, he acted in films at the request of film producers. The actor had to go to prison again and again after filming for his film was completed, which was not common back then or even today.
Even after so many decades of his demise, we have not seen an actor of Balraj Sahni’s stature in Indian cinema. Back in November 2015, veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar asked everyone to leave Balraj Sahni aside as there was no actor who could match his level. This statement comes as no surprise as it is a well-known fact that Balraj Sahni is one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema who has inspired so many modern superstars of Indian cinema.
What do you think about Balraj Sahni’s brilliant acting career and tragic personal life? Let us know.
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