Durga Khote

Durga Khote the famous Indian actress was born on January 14, 1905. The actress started as one of the foremost leading ladies of her times, for over 50 years remained active in Hindi and Marathi cinema, as well as theatre. The actress starred in around 200 films and numerous theatre productions.

In 2000, in a millennium issue, India Today, a leading magazine, chose Durga Khote among 100 people Who Shaped India, as it noted that, "Durga Khote marks the pioneering phase for woman in Indian Cinema."

Durga Khote also ranks amongst top 10 actresses in mother roles in Hindi cinema. Most notable films among them were, Jodhabai in K. Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam (1960), as Kaikey in Vijay Bhatt’s classic, Bharat Milap (1942), her other memorable roles as mother were seen in Charnon Ki Dasi (1941), Mirza Ghalib , Bobby (1973) and Bidaai(1974).

Durga Khote was also awarded, the highest award in Indian cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema, in 1983. She debuted in a minor role in an obscure 1931 silent film, Farebi Jaal, by the Prabhat Film Company, followed by Maya Machhindra (1932), but was soon promoted to play heroine in the 1932 bi-lingual (Hindi and Marathi) film "Ayodhyecha Raja", another Prabhat film, which proved to be a hit film, where she portrayed the role of Rani Taramati.

In 1937, Durga Khote produced and directed a film titled Saathi. The 40s open for her in a big way, with award winning performances that she gave in films like in Charnon Ki Dasi (1941) and Vijay Bhatt's classic, Bharat Milap (1942), both of which won her the BFJA Best Actress Award consecutively for two years.

In 1963, Durga Khote acted in Merchant Ivory's debut film, The Householder (1963), and her final memorable role was in Hrishikesh Mukherjee's Bawarchi (1972). The actress died on September 22, 1991.