Durga Khote

Born: 14 January 1905

Died: 22 September 1991

• She was an Indian actress, beginning as one of the foremost leading ladies of her times, she remained active in Hindi and Marathi cinema, as well as theatre, for over 50 years, starring in around 200 films and numerous theatre productions.
• In 2000, in a millennium issue, India Today named her among “100 People Who Shaped India”, noting: “She marks the pioneering phase for women in Indian Cinema”as she was one of the first women from respectable families to enter the film industry, thus breaking a social taboo.
• She also ranks among the top ten actresses in mother roles in Hindi cinema,most notable among them were as Jodhabai in K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam (1960); as Kaikeyi in Vijay Bhatt’s classic Bharat Milap (1942); her other memorable roles as mother were in Charnon Ki Dasi (1941); Mirza Ghalib; Bobby (1973) and Bidaai (1974).
• She has received the highest award in Indian cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1983), for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.
• She played a wide variety of roles over a career that was not only long, but also untouched by scandal.
• She was the inspiration for several generations of Indian actresses, including veterans such as the late Shobhna Samarth, who frequently spoke of how she had been inspired by Khote’s example.

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