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{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = David Abraham
| image = Actor David.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = David in ''[[Boot Polish (film)|Boot Polish]]'' (1954)
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|06|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Thane]], [[India]]
| birth_name = David Abraham Cheulkar
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1982|01|02|1909|06|21|df=y}}
| death_place= [[Toronto]], Canada
| years_active= 1941–1982
| homepage =
| spouse =
}}

'''David Abraham Cheulkar''' (21 June 1909– 02 January 1982), popularly known as '''David''', was a [[History of Jews in India|Jewish-Indian]] [[Hindi film]] actor and a member of [[Mumbai]]'s Marathi-speaking [[Bene Israel]] community. In a career spanning four decades, he played mostly character roles, starting with the 1941 film ''[[Naya Sansar (1941 film)|Naya Sansar]]'', and went on to act in over 110 films, including memorable films such as ''[[Gol Maal]]'' (1979), ''[[Baton Baton Mein]]'' (1979) and ''[[Boot Polish (film)|Boot Polish]]'' (1954), for which he was awarded the 1955 [[Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Bollywood once had a Jewish connection Published: Sunday |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_bollywood-once-had-a-jewish-connection_1516106 |publisher=[[DNA (newspaper)|DNA]] |date= 6 Mar 2011 }}</ref>

==Early life==
David graduated from the [[Mumbai University|University of Mumbai]] with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1930. After a six-year unsuccessful struggle to land himself a job, he decided to try his luck in the [[Bollywood|Hindi film industry]] by becoming a professional actor. During these years of struggle, he also managed to obtain a degree in law from the Government Law College.

Finally, on 15 January 1937, with the help of his close friend Nayampalli, a veteran character actor, he landed his first role in a movie. The movie was ''Zambo'', and it was being produced and directed by Mohan Bhavnani, who was the Chief Producer of the Films Division of the [[Government of India]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://cineplot.com/david-abraham-memories/|title= David Abraham's interview in 1956 - Cineplot.com}}</ref> He was born to [[Israelis in India|Indo-Israeli]] parents from [[Ashdod]].

==Career==
David was actively associated with [[Indian People's Theatre Association|IPTA]], a theatre organization, and went on to be part of many [[Khwaja Ahmad Abbas]]'s films, including [[Palme d'Or]] nominee ''[[Pardesi (1957 film)|Pardesi]]'' (1957),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/3489/year/1958.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Journey Beyond Three Seas |work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref> and ''[[Shehar Aur Sapna]]'' (1963), which won the [[11th National Film Awards|1964]] [[National Film Award (India)|National Film Award]] for [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film|Best Feature Film]], ''Munaa'' and ''Char Dil Char Raahein''.

Strongly associated with avuncular roles, David is best known for his portrayal of "John Chacha" <ref>[[#Va|Vail, p. 118]]</ref> in the 1954 hit and [[Filmfare Award for Best Film]] winner and [[Palme d'Or]] nominee,<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/3737/year/1955.html |title=Festival de Cannes: Boot Polish |access-date=31 March 2012|work=festival-cannes.com}}</ref> ''[[Boot Polish (film)|Boot Polish]]'', directed by Prakash Arora, for which he won the 1955 [[Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award]].<ref>[http://deep750.googlepages.com/FilmfareAwards.pdf List of Filmfare Award Winners and Nominations, 1953-2005]</ref> The song "Nanhe Munne Bachche" from the film, picturized on him became a memorable song of that era.

In his prime, in the period 1959 to 1975, David was one of the best and the most well-known anchor, [[Master of Ceremonies|compere]] and the host of the prominent award shows and other functions.<ref name=jews>{{cite book |title=The Jews of India|author=Benjamin J. Israel|publisher=Mosaic Books|year=1998|isbn=81-85399-43-3 |page=200 }}</ref> In one of the speeches of [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], the [[prime minister]], said that any of the events will be surely be incomplete without David's speech.

He was involved in promoting sports,<ref name=jews/><ref>[[#Va|Vail, p. 120]]</ref> and later became India's [[Olympic Games]] representative.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Sight & Sound]] |year=1957 |volume= 26-27 |page=200 |publisher=British Film Institute }}</ref> He was awarded the [[Padma Shri]] award in 1969 by the [[Government of India]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Padma Awards Directory (1954-2009) |publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] |url=http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510095705/http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/LST-PDAWD.pdf |archive-date=10 May 2013 }}</ref>

Often billed as simply David or Uncle David, Cheulkar appeared in more than 110 Bollywood films in a career that exceeded four decades, many of them indeed as a kindly, avuncular character. Among his more notable performances were his roles in Boot Polish (1954), in which he played John Chacha, a kindly bootlegger who, before he is sent off to jail, takes two orphan siblings under his wing and teaches them to work for a living shining shoes, rather than to get by begging. Cheulkar received the Filmfare magazine best supporting actor prize for that role.

He was also featured in Pardesi (Journey Beyond Three Seas), a 1957 Russian-Indian coproduction taking place in the 1400s; The City and the Dream (Shehar Aur Sapna, in Hindi), a naturalistic urban drama from 1963, that was nominated for Indias National Film Award as best feature, and the romantic comedy Chupke Chupke from 1975 (from minute 1 to minute 2 of clip).

In the 1969 film Satyakam, Cheulkar was given the opportunity to play against type, taking the role of Rustom, a debauched drunkard who serves as a foil to the hero of the film, a family drama that takes place during the final days of British rule in India, in 1947.

According to Bentsion Abraham Chewoolkar, who wrote an essay about his relation Uncle David, on the centenary of the latters birth, Cheulkar, though not religiously devout, prayed briefly each day, and always observed Yom Kippur by fasting and by visiting synagogue for the Neilah service.

== Personal life ==
He never married.<ref name="times" />

== Death ==
He died on 02 January 1982 in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada of a heart attack at the age of 73.<ref name="times">{{cite book |title=The Times of India directory and year book including who's who|author= Sir Stanley Reed|author2=The Times of India|chapter=Deaths, 1982: January 1| publisher=Bennett, Coleman & Co. |year=1984|page=836 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xU3jAAAAMAAJ&q=%22David+Abraham%22+Hindi+film+actor|quote=Death date January 1, 1982 }}</ref>

==Selected filmography==
{{div col|colwidth=40em}}
* ''[[Gehri Chot - Urf: Durdesh]]'' (1983) – Released after his death. Canada, Bangladesh, India joint production.
* ''Sumbandh'' (1982) – Released after his death.
* ''[[Khubsoorat]]'' (1980)
* ''[[Gol Maal]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Baton Baton Mein]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Hamare Tumhare]]'' (1979)
* ''[[Satyam Shivam Sundaram (film)|Satyam Shivam Sundaram]]'' (1978) – Bade Babu
* ''[[Khatta Meetha (1978 film)|Khatta Meetha]]''
* ''[[Shatranj Ke Khilari]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Kotwal Saab]]'' (1977)
* ''[[Chupke Chupke (film)|Chupke Chupke]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Abhimaan (1973 film)|Abhimaan]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Anuraag (1973 film)|Anuraag]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Jwala (1971 film)|Jwala]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Nanak Naam Jahaz Hai]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Satyakam]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Ek Phool Do Maali]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Samay Bada Balwan]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Sapnon Ka Saudagar]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Mere Huzoor]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein]]'' (1967)<ref name=hin>{{cite news |title=Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1968)|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/bambai-raat-ki-bahon-mein-1968/article3292105.ece |work=The Hindu|date=8 April 2012 |access-date=2 May 2013}}</ref>
* ''[[Upkar]]'' (1967)
* ''[[Aasra]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Anupama (1966 film)|Anupama]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Mamta (1966 film)|Mamta]]'' (1966)
* ''[[Himalaya Ki God Mein]]'' (1965)
* ''[[Sangeet Samrat Tansen]]'' (1962)
* ''[[Ek Phool Char Kaante]]'' (1960)
* ''[[Return of Mr. Superman]]'' (Mr. Superman ki Wapsi) (1960)
*''[[Santan (1959 film)|Santan]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Amar Deep (1958 film)|Amar Deep]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Pardesi (1957 film)|Pardesi]]'' (1957)
* ''Bhai Bhai'' (1956)
* ''[[Boot Polish (film)|Boot Polish]]'' (1954)
* ''[[Rahi (film)|Rahi]]'' (1952)
* ''[[Hamara Ghar (1950 film)|Hamara Ghar]]'' (1950)
* ''[[Sawan Aya Re]]'' (1949)
* ''[[Actress]]'' (1948)
* ''Insaaf (1946 film)'' (1946)
* ''Nargis'' (1946)
* ''Ghulami (1945 film)'' (1945)
* ''Insaan'' (1944)
* ''Tasveer'' (1943)
* '' Kismet'' (1943)
* ''Anjaan'' (1941)
* ''[[Naya Sansar (1941 film)|Naya Sansar]]'' (1941)
* ''Zambo'' (1937)
{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* {{cite book |title=India's Jewish heritage: Ritual, Art & Life-Cycle|author=Shalṿah Ṿail|publisher=Mārg Publications |year=2006|isbn=81-85026-58-0 |ref=Va }}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=2235484|name=David}}
{{FilmfareBestSupportingActorAward}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Art}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheulkar, David Abraham}}
[[Category:Bene Israel]]
[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
[[Category:Indian male stage actors]]
[[Category:Male actors in Hindi cinema]]
[[Category:Jewish male actors]]
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:Male actors from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Indian People's Theatre Association people]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male actors]]
[[Category:Jewish film people]]

David Abraham Cheulkar - Revision history

>Hadilhide at 09:27, 28 June 2021