Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre

V. Shantaram, also known as Shantaram Bapu or Annasaheb, was a legendary filmmaker who made a significant contribution to the world of cinema. He was one of the early filmmakers to realize the efficacy of the film medium as an instrument of social change and used it successfully to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other. He was also one of the pioneers of sound and colour in Indian cinema, and experimented with various genres and techniques. He directed and produced over 100 films in Hindi and Marathi, and acted in many of them. Some of his most notable films include Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), Amar Bhoopali (1951), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Do Aankhen Barah Haath (1957), Navrang (1959), Duniya Na Mane (1937), Pinjara (1972), and Zunj (1975). He was also praised by Charlie Chaplin for his Marathi film Manoos (1939), which depicted the plight of a prostitute. He received many accolades for his work, including the Best Director and Best Film awards at the National Film Awards, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1985, and the Padma Vibhushan in 1992. He was also nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. He was married thrice and had seven children, some of whom followed his footsteps in the film industry. He died on 30 October 1990 in Mumbai at the age of 88. His autobiography Shantarama was published in Hindi and Marathi. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers in Indian cinema and a pioneer of social realism.