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Ashok Kumar Age, Death, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Ashok Kumar

Bio/Wiki
Real NameKumudlal Kunjilal Ganguly
Nickname(s)Sanjay, Ashok Kumar, Dadamoni
Profession(s)Actor, Painter, Singer, Film Producer, Film Director
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 175 cm
in meters- 1.75 m
in feet inches- 5’ 9”
Eye ColourBrown
Hair ColourBlack
Personal Life
Date of Birth13 October 1911
BirthplaceBhagalpur, Bengal Presidency, British India (Bihar)
Date of Death10 December 2001
Place of DeathMumbai, Maharashtra, India
Age (at the time of death)90 Years
Death CauseHeart Failure
Zodiac sign/Sun signLibra
SignatureAshok Kumar Signature
NationalityIndian
HometownBhagalpur, Bihar, India
SchoolNot Known
UniversityPresidency University, Kolkata
Educational QualificationGraduate
DebutFilm: Jeevan Naiya (1936)
Ashok Kumar Debut Film Jeevan Naiya (1936)
TV: Hum Log (Anchor)
Ashok Kumar Debut TV Serial Hum Log
ReligionHinduism
HobbiesReading novels
Awards, Honours, Achievements Filmfare Awards for:

Best Actor (1963, Rakhi)
Best Actor (1970, Aashirwad)
Best Supporting Actor (1967, Afsana)
Ashok Kumar with his winning Trophy

Other Awards:

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Films - Acting (1959)
National Film Award for Best Actor (1970, Aashirwad)
Ashok Kumar Awards
Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1989)
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award (1996)
Padma Bhushan (1999)
Girls, Affairs and More
Marital StatusMarried
AffairsNalini Jaywant, Hindi Film Actress (18 February 1926 – 20 December 2010)
Ashok Kumar with Nalini Jaywant
Family
WifeShobha Devi (20 April 1936 - 1986)
Ashok Kumar with his wife
ChildrenSon- Aroop Kumar Ganguly (Corporate World)
Daughter(s)- Preeti Ganguly (Actress), Bharati Jaffrey (Actress), Rupa Ganguly (Wife of Bollywood actor Deven Verma)
Ashok Kumar with his Four Children
ParentsFather- Kunjlal Ganguly (Lawyer)
Mother- Gouri Devi (Home-maker)

Note: Images in the Siblings' Section
SiblingsBrother(s)- Kalyan Kumar Ganguly (Anoop Kumar, Actor), Kishore Kumar (Actor, Singer, Musician)
Sister- Sati Rani Devi (Wife of Sashadhar Mukherjee, Actor)
Ashok Kumar with his Family
Favourite Things
Favourite ActressDevika Rani (30 March 1908-9 March 1994)
Ashok Kumar's Favourite Actress
Favourite FilmChalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958, Comedy Movie)
Favourite SingerK. L. Saigal (11 April 1904-18 January 1947)
Ashok Kumar's Favourite Singer
Money Factor
Salary (approx.)₹300-400/month (during 1940s and 1950s)

Ashok Kumar

Some Lesser Known Facts About Ashok Kumar

  • Did Ashok Kumar smoke?: Yes

    Ashok Kumar Smoking

    Ashok Kumar Smoking

  • Did Ashok Kumar drink alcohol?: Not Known
  • This iconic legend was born in a Bengali Family at Bhagalpur, Bihar.

    Ashok Kumar Birthplace

    Ashok Kumar Birthplace

    • His father, Kunjlal Ganguly, was a lawyer by profession.
  • His mother, Gouri Devi, was a homemaker who belonged to a very rich Bengali family.

    Ashok Kumar with his Mother Gouri Devi and his Brothers

    Ashok Kumar with his Mother Gouri Devi and his Brothers

  • He attained his Law degree from Presidency College of the University of Calcutta (now, Kolkata).

    Ashok Kumar's University

    Ashok Kumar’s University

  • He was a law student, but he was not interested to make his career in the judiciary; as he always wanted to work in the film industry as a technician.
  • His first stint in the film industry was as a lab assistant at the Bombay Studio where he worked for 5 years.
  • His first movie as an actor was Jeevan Naiya. He became an actor in this movie by chance; as he replaced Najm-ul-Hassan (who was the first choice for the role) due to some reasons.

    Ashok Kumar's First Movie Jeevan Naiya

    Ashok Kumar’s First Movie Jeevan Naiya

  • Himanshu Rai was the person who gave him his first break and forced him to enter the cinema world as an actor.

    Ashok Kumar with Himanshu Rai

    Ashok Kumar with Himanshu Rai

  • With his superb singing and charismatic performance, he became the first hero in the Indian Film Industry whose film “Kismet, 1943” crossed one crore amount at the box office.

    Ashok Kumar's First Blockbuster Hit

    Ashok Kumar’s First Blockbuster Hit

  • Famous by the name Dadamoni, which means “jewel of an elder brother.”
  • He is noted for his tremendous performances in various films such as Achhut Kannya (1936), Bandhan (1940), and Kismet (1943).
  • Later, he went on to become a noted film producer and it was Ashok Kumar who had introduced two another iconic personalities to the Indian Cinema: Dev Anand (Ziddi, 1948) and Madhubala (Mahal, 1949).
  • His last movie as an actor was “Aankhon Mein Tum Ho” (1997).

    Ashok Kumar's Last Movie Ankhon Mein Tum Ho

    Ashok Kumar’s Last Movie Ankhon Mein Tum Ho

  • In the 1980s, he started hosting Hum Log (India’s 1st soap opera) and became a well-known face on TV screens.

    Ashok Kumar's TV Show Hum Log

    Ashok Kumar’s TV Show Hum Log

  • He was also known for his singing, he sang a lot of songs including ‘Choodi Main Laaya Anmol Re’ (Achhut Kanya, 1936), ‘Main Ban Ki Chidiya’ (Achhut Kanya, 1936), ‘Dekh Ke Teri Nazar’ (Howrah Bridge, 1958), ‘Hum Tumhare Hain’ (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, 1958), and more.
  • His song “Rail Gaadi” from movie Aashirwad (1968) is considered as the first rap song of Bollywood.

  • The actor never celebrated his birthday after 1987; as his younger brother “Kishore Kumar” died on 13 October 1987 (Ashok Kumar’s birthday).

    Ashok Kumar's Brother Kishore Kumar Death

    Ashok Kumar’s Brother Kishore Kumar Death

  • During the 2005 Mumbai Floods, Dadamoni lost many of his trophies from his godown.
  • Apart from his successful acting career, he was a great homeopathy practitioner and a passionate painter.
  • He drew a nude picture of his wife, which represents his excellent artistic skills.

    Ashok Kumar's Wife Painting

    Ashok Kumar’s Wife Painting

  • He was considered one of the most versatile actors of his time; as he had excelled in every kind of characters, whether it was tragedy, comedy, or romance. 
  • Here’s a conversation with this legendary actor: