Usha Kiran Height, Age, Death, Husband, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Usha Kiran

• Usha entered the Hindi film industry with a small role in Uday Shankar’s dance-drama film.

• She went on to act in numerous popular Hindi films such as Nazrana (1961), Daag (1952), Baadbaan (1954), Kabuliwala (1961), Patita (1953), Mili, Bawarchi (1972) and Chupke Chupke (1975).

• Her famous Marathi films include Shikleli Bayko, Jasach Tase, Postatli Mulgi, Dudh Bhakar, Stree Janma Hi Tuzi Kahani, Kanyadaan (for which she received the Maharashtra Government’s award for best actress), Gariba Gharchi Lek, and Kanchanganga.

• She starred opposite Hindi film actors such as Kishore Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, and Amitabh Bachchan.

• She was the second among five daughters.

• She married Dr. Manohar Kher, who was the Dean of Sion Hospital in Mumbai.

• Usha Kiran’s son Advait is a former model, now settled in Nashik with his wife Uttara (who was Femina Miss India of 1982).

• Usha Kiran’s daughter Tanvi Azmi is a well-known television and film actress, married to cinematographer Baba Azmi, brother of Shabana Azmi.

• She was also the Sheriff of Mumbai during 1996 and 1997.

• ‘Patita’ (1953) was her first major hit, starring alongside Dev Anand.

• Her performance in Amiya Chakraborty’s Patita (1953) was both critically acclaimed and the first commercial success of her career.

• Usha Kiran worked with quite a few lead stars—’ Dhobi Doctor’ (1952) and ‘Adhikar’ (1954) with Kishore Kumar, ‘Musafir’ (1957) with Dilip Kumar.

• Her Marathi films include blockbusters like Kanyadaan, Shikleli Bayko, Bala Jo Jo Re, Postatil Mulgi, Udyacha Sansar, Garibagharchi Lek, Garambicha Bapu, Stree Janma Tujhi Kahani, Doodhava and Jasachya Tasa.

• She also acted in Hindi films like Nazrana with Raj Kapoor, Daag withDilip Kumar, Badhwa, Kabuli Wala with Balraj Sahani, Chupke Chupke, Garibi, Raj Rani, and Musafir.

• Usha Kiran mentioned in an interview that she never wanted to be an actress. She was a good student and, left to herself, Usha would have been quite happy going through the everyday grind of school and studies.

• At the age of 10, she was enrolled in a dance class and was learning Kathak.

• She was trained in Kathak as a child professionally and was encouraged by her father to participate in theatre productions.

• After performing on modest stage shows, at the age of 12, Usha was picked up for a Marathi play, Ashirwaad.

• At that time, Uday Shankar was scouting for talent for his ambitious film fantasy Kalpana. Usha and her sister were shortlisted and spent a few days at their dance academy. However, they could not make it to the film. But her father had made up his mind to make Usha a film star.

• While performing in M.G. Rangnekar’s Marathi play “Aashirwad”, the talented youngster was spotted by Uday Shankar. Uday Shankar was looking for new talents to feature in his next project and he cast her in his film Kalpana (1948) after the persuasion of Usha’s father.

• While Usha gained limited recognition for Kalpana, she continued to appear in small roles for a while.

• According to one of her interviews, she ran into trouble with Uday Shankar on the sets of the film when she refused to obey his instructions regarding her costume for a particular sequence.

• Though Usha Kiran’s father held ambitions that she would become a successful film actor, she was held back by her family’s financial dependence on her.

• In a career spanning over four decades, she acted in over 50 Hindi and Marathi films.

• Some of her movies include Mard Maratha (1952), Lal Kunwar (1952), Husn Ka Chor (1953), Dhuaan (1954), Oot Patang (1955), Guru Ghantal (1956), Raja Vikram (1957), Trolley Driver (1958), Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960), Amrit Manthan (1961), Gharni Shobha (1963), Badi Maa (1974), and Samraat (1982).

• Her famous Marathi movies include Jasach Tase, Postatli Mulgi, Dudh Bhakar, Stree Janma Hi Tuzi Kahani, Kanyadaan (for which she received the Maharashtra Government’s award for best actress) Gariba Gharchi Lek, and Kanchanganga.

• She appeared in the Marathi film Seeta Swayamvar (1948), credited as Usha Marathe.

• She continued to do some small roles in Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati films, but her breakout role came a few years later, with Amiya Chakraborty’s Gauna (1950), in which she played the lead. Despite the film’s failure, her talent shone through.

• Significantly, Usha Kiran attributes her success to her initial failures. According to her, it was these failed films that led her to the lead roles in Gujarati and Marathi cinema while receiving offers for some Hindi films as well.

• Eventually, she was wanted by multiple directors for various movies at the same time that she was working double shifts, which was not common for actresses at the time.

• She continued to appear onscreen in well-received films like Baadbaan (1954), Dhobi Doctor (1954), Aulad (1954), Nazrana (1961), Musafir (1957), Bawarchi (1972) and Chupke Chupke (1975).

• Unfortunately, with Usha’s success also came a great deal of emotional turmoil. She fell in love with her mentor Amiya Chakraborty, a married man. However, after a meeting with his wife, she decided to get married to her acquaintance Dr. Manohar Kher.

• She took some time off after her daughter’s birth only to make a comeback after a few years with Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Bawarchi. After her marriage, she made a clear distinction between her personal and professional life as focusing on her family was equally important to her.

• Usha also had a humble personality despite her long and prominent career in films. In the early days of her career, she attended a theatre conference in Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia. The organizers and delegates of the conference wanted to honor her with the crown of Beauty Queen, which she respectfully refused.

• She died in Nashik at the age of 70

• Family sources at Nashik said the veteran actress was suffering from cancer of the intestine. She was undergoing treatment at Hinduja Hospital and Bombay Hospital in Bombay and had shifted to her Nashik farmhouse only in January.