View source for Bhalji Pendharkar

{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2009}}
{{Infobox person
| name            = Bhalji Pendharkar
| image           = Bhalji Pendharkar 2013 stamp of India.jpg
| image_size       = 250px
| alt             = 
| caption         = Pendharkar on a 2013 stamp of India
| birth_name       = Bhalji Pendharkar
| birth_date       ={{Birth date|1897|5|3|df=y}}
| birth_place      = 
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|1994|11|26|1897|5|3|df=y}} 
| death_place      = 
| othername       = 
| occupation      = Director, Producer and Writer
| yearsactive     = 
| spouses          = Leela Chandragiri, Bakulabai Pendharkar, Saraswati Pendharkar, Savitri Pendharkar
| domesticpartner = 
| website         = 
}}
'''Bhalji Pendharkar''' (3 May 1897 – 26 November 1994) was a [[Actor|film personality]] in [[India]], and recipient of [[Dadasaheb Phalke Award]], the most prestigious award in the field.

==Early life and family==
Born to Radhabai and her husband Dr Gopal Pendharkar in a Brahmin family,<ref>{{cite journal|author=Patil, Kavita |title=“FILM INDUSTRY OF KOLHAPUR: A HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE.” Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, vol. 64, 2003|pages= 1197|jstor=44145547|quote=Baburao Painter was a carpenter, Bhalji and. Baburao Pendharkar were Brahmins}}</ref> Bhalji was related to quite a few film personalities in Indian film industry. A number of his close relations achieved fame in the Indian film industry. They include his elder brother [[Baburao Pendharkar]], half-brother and actor-Director, [[Master Vinayak]] Karnataki, and maternal cousin [[V Shantaram]].

==Personal life==
Bhalji had two wives. One of whom, Leela Chandragiri, acted and sang in Hindi and Marathi films in 1930s under the name Miss Leela. Leela-bai already had two children when she first met Bhalji. Bhalji adopted both of them, a boy (Jayasingh) and a girl. The girl later married novelist Ranjit Desai and she is better known as Madhavi Desai (died in 2013); she wrote the book 'Naacha Ga Ghumaa'. His second daughter's name was Saroj Chindarkar.

Bhalji's son with his first wife, [[Prabhakar Pendharkar]] (1933–2010), was associated with making of [[Do Aankhen Barah Haath]] in 1950s, wrote the book रारंगढांग, and was author-director of noteworthy documentaries. Bhalji named his studio Jayaprabha, combining in it the names of Leela's son Jayasingh (whom Bhalji had adopted) and his own son Prabhakar.

==Film career==
Bhalji started his career in the era of [[silent film]]s. He was associated with [[Prabhat Film Company]]'s earliest [[talkies]], and also worked with other studios in hometown of [[Kolhapur]]. Later he acquired his own studio in form of [[Jayprabha Studio]]<ref name=TOI>{{cite news |title=The autobiography of a film studio |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-09-25/pune/28095057_1_raj-kapoor-film-studio-first-film |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103193117/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-09-25/pune/28095057_1_raj-kapoor-film-studio-first-film |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 January 2013 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |date=25 September 2009}}</ref> and became a film producer and director. He also wrote lyrics for some film songs in [[Marathi language|Marathi]]. His more famous films are: [[Netaji Palkar]], [[Thoratanchi Kamala]], [[Chhatrapati Shivaji]], [[Mohityanchi Manjula]], [[Maratha Titutka Melvava]], [[Sadhi Manse]], [[Tambdi Maati]]. Hindi: [[Maharathi Karna]], [[Valimi]], Chhatrapati Shivaji.Ganimi Kawa

Bhalji was awarded the [[Dadasaheb Phalke Award]] in 1991 by the Indian Government.

===List of successful movies directed===
{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* 1925 Bajirao Mastani
* 1927 Vande Mataram Ashram 
* 1931 Rani Rupmati 
* 1932/II Shyam Sundar 
* 1932/I Shyam Sundar 
* 1934/I Akashwani 
* 1934/II Akashwani 
* 1934/II Partha Kumar 
* 1934/I Partha Kumar 
* 1935 Kalia Mardan 
* 1935 Muraliwala 
* 1936 [[Rukmini Kalyanam (1936 film)|Rukmani Kalyanam]]
* 1936 Savitri 
* 1937 Kanhopatra 
* 1938/II Raja Gopichand 
* 1938/I Raja Gopichand 
* 1939 Netaji Palkar 
* 1940 Alakh Niranjan 
* 1940 Gorakhnath 
* 1941 Thoratanchi Kamala 
* 1942 Bhakta Damaji 
* 1942 Soonbai 
* 1943 Bahirji Naik 
* 1944 Maharathi Karna 
* 1944 Swarna Bhoomi 
* 1946/I Valmiki 
* 1946 Sasurvaas 
* 1949 Meeth Bhakar 
* 1950 Mee Daru Sodli 
* 1950 Shilanganache Sone 
* 1952/I Chhatrapati Shivaji 
* 1952/II Chhatrapati Shivaji 
* 1953 Mazi Zameen 
* 1954 Maharani Yesubai 
* 1955 Yere Majhya Maglya 
* 1956 Pavankhind 
* 1957 Naikinicha Sazza 
* 1959 Akashganga 
* 1963 Mohityanchi Manjula 
* 1964 Maratha Tituka Melvava 
* 1965 Sadhi Manse 
* 1969 Tambdi Maati 
}}

===Films Written===

{{columns-list|colwidth=22em|
* 1939 Netaji Palkar (writer) 
* 1937 Kanhopatra 
* 1934/I Akashwani (screenplay / story) 
* 1934/II Akashwani (screenplay / story) 
* 1932/I Shyam Sundar (screenplay / story) 
* 1932/II Shyam Sundar (screenplay / story) 
* 1927 Vande Mataram Ashram 
* 1925 Bajirao Mastani
}}

===As producer===
* 1939 Netaji Palkar
* 1927 Vande Mataram Ashram

===As Actor===
* 1924 Prithvi Vallabh

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0671708}}
* [http://bhaljipendharkarkendra.org/ Bhalji Pendharkar Cultural Centre, Kolhapur]

{{Dadasaheb Phalke Award}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pendharkar, Bhalji}}
[[Category:20th-century Indian film directors]]
[[Category:Hindi-language film directors]]
[[Category:Marathi film directors]]
[[Category:Marathi film producers]]
[[Category:Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipients]]
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]


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