Shanta Apte (1916?-64)

Born in Dudhni, Maharashtra. Actress-singer trained at the Maharashtra Sangeet Vidyalaya music school in Pandharpur. One of the great singing stars in the pre-playback era (with Kanan Devi). Best known work at Prabhat Studio. In Amritmanthan, as the hero’s sister Sumitra, caused a box-office sensation with her songs, which became popular in the North (Amritsar and Lahore) leading to a distribution breakthrough for Prabhat. Although music director Keshavrao Bhole had doubted whether she could adapt to his light classical style (Bhole, 1964), her ability to counterpoint musical rhythm with gestural spontaneity proved a refreshing departure from the then prevalent ponderously stagey style. Best- known performance in Kunku/Duniya? Na Mane, opposite and contrasting with Keshavrao Date, ensuring the film’s reputation as a progressive social still watchable today. Apart from her Prabhat films, also worked with Bhalji Pendharkar (who introduced her to films as a child), Phani Majumdar, Master Vinayak, Nandlal Jaswantlal, Moti Gidwani and Raja Paranjpe. She featured in one Tamil film, Savithri, playing the title role alongside the singing star (and Carnatic musician) M.S. Subbulakshmi who played the male role of Narada. Wrote autobiography, Jau Mi Cinemaat? (1940). Went on a famous hunger strike at the gates of the Prabhat Studio in July 1939 in a protest over her contract.

FILMOGRAPHY (* also music d): 1932: Shyam Sundar; 1934: Amritmanthan; 1936: Amar Jyoti; Rajput Ramani; 1937: Kunku/ Duniya Na Mane; Wahan; 1938: Gopal Krishna; 1941: Savithri; 1942: Apna Ghar/ Aple Ghar; Zamindar; 1943: Duhai; Mohabbat; 1944: Bhagya Lakshmi; Kadambari; 1945: Sawan; 1946: Panihari; Subhadra; Uttara Abhimanyu; Valmiki; 1948: Mandir; Bhagyarekha; 1949: Main Abla Nahin Hoon*; Swayamsiddha; Jaga Bhadyane Dene Aahe; Shilanganache Sone; 1950: Jara Japoon; 1951: Kunkvacha Dhani; 1953: Tai Teleen; 1955: Mulu Manek; 1957: Chandi Puja.

Music Actor