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He was the son of a textile mill worker from the interiors of Maharashtra, but he was completely mesmerized by the magic of films. Illiterate and expected to begin life as an ordinary laborer, his love for cinema only grew stronger. He knew that if he wanted to make a mark in films, he had to reach Bombay. Settling in the densely populated mill areas of Central Bombay, he made a name for himself as a wrestler, where he emerged as a champion and earned the title of 'Bhagwan Dada.'
His passion for films drove him to visit studios regularly, where he initially found work as part of the crowd and gradually became a junior artist. While working in studios, he developed his own unique dance style, which later became popular as the 'Bhagwan Dada School of Dancing.
He earned enough money to start his own film production company. After facing a continuous string of failures, he finally succeeded as a producer, director, and lead actor alongside one of the most popular actresses of the time, Geeta Bali. The film, Albela, was filled with Bhagwan Dada’s signature dance moves and the exceptionally popular music of C. Ramchandra, one of his closest friends, with lyrics penned by another dear friend, Rajinder Krishan.
Upon its release, Albela created a frenzy, surpassing the success of films featuring Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, and Raj Kapoor at the time. The songs and dances of Bhagwan Dada, along with the duets featuring him and Geeta Bali, became so iconic that audiences would throw coins and even currency notes onto the screen in excitement, dancing inside the theaters.
That one film, Albela, transformed the fate of a former mill worker and wrestler! Bhagwan Dada now owned a massive sea-facing bungalow in Juhu, a 25-room mansion. His collection of luxury cars included seven personal vehicles—one for each day of the week! At that time, he was wealthier and more popular than most male or female stars in the industry.
The massive success of just one film pushed him to replicate the entertainment formula he had used in Albela. However, fate refused to be kind to him again. He produced three more films, including Jhamela and La Bela, inspired by Albela’s success, but they all failed miserably at the box office. Bhagwan Dada was left in ruins. Very few had seen such astronomical success followed by such devastating failure in such a short span of time!
His grand sea-facing bungalow had to be sold, along with his Jagriti Studio, which was located next to the famous RK Studios. Ironically, it was Raj Kapoor—whom Bhagwan Dada had worked with in Chori Chori—who had once encouraged him to become a producer and director.
Once a generous man who helped everyone in need, Bhagwan Dada now found himself in desperate need of help. To make matters worse, some of his own relatives deceived him and took away whatever little property he had left. Alone, broken, and bankrupt, he was forced to return to a small chawl in Parel—the very place where he had once lived as a mill worker. His story had come full circle in the most heartbreaking way.
He never tried to fight back because, deep down, he had already surrendered. The man who once roamed studios in stylish suits was now moving from studio to studio, desperately searching for any kind of work. Some who remembered his glorious days offered him minor roles or placed him in the background as a dancer. At the end of the day, he would be paid just a few hundred rupees.
There was a deep sadness in his eyes, but he never begged—neither for money nor for help from those he had once supported. Among them was the renowned lyricist Anand Bakshi, who had once been a soldier in the army with dreams of writing songs. It was Bhagwan Dada who had given him his first break in the film industry.
As he struggled through life’s hardships, fate dealt him another cruel blow. A relative who had acquired the rights to Albela re-released the film across Bombay. To everyone’s amazement, even after forty years, the film was a massive hit, and audiences—especially the younger generation—once again threw money at the screen and danced with joy. Bhagwan Dada’s signature dance moves saw a resurgence, influencing even Amitabh Bachchan, who adapted them into his own style.
While all this was happening, Bhagwan Dada remained trapped in his small, dingy room in a Parel chawl, sick and forgotten. His name and legacy thrived on the big screen, but in real life, he was left to battle loneliness and poverty.
This writer once visited Bhagwan Dada’s room with Sunil Dutt, where they found him in a homemade wheelchair that also served as his toilet. He was completely helpless, with only a nephew and his wife taking care of him.
Once, his lavish home was the venue for grand evening parties, where the finest whiskey and all kinds of liquor were served. Knowing his fondness for whiskey, Sunil Dutt gifted him a bottle of the best Indian whiskey. Bhagwan Dada took the bottle, kissed it, and placed it on his head. In that fleeting moment, he tried to recreate the dance moves from Albela, but his frail body betrayed him, and he gave up.
A few days later, Bhagwan Dada—the boy from a small village in Maharashtra who had once ruled the silver screen—passed away after suffering a heart attack. None of his closest friends, nor those whom he had once helped build their careers, found the time to attend his funeral.
The only reminder of his extraordinary story is a black plaque, placed near the chawl, with his name written in white letters. It stands as a symbol of a man who was once an essential figure in every celebration, not just in India but across the globe, wherever Indians reside.
His life is a lesson for every star and for ordinary people like us as well. A life that teaches us the transient nature of fame and fortune, and the importance of humility, resilience, and the connections we make along the way.
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