Rattan Bai
Encyclopedia
Rattan Bai (born c.1890) was a courtesan
and entertainer who is the ancestress of several Bollywood
film stars. She was the mother of actress Shobhna Samarth
and thus the grandmother of actresses Nutan
and Tanuja. Also, the actress Nalini Jaywant
was Rattan Bai's niece.
, Rattan Bai received lessons in music and dance from an early age. She became a professional entertainer while in her teens. In due course, her mother searched a suitable husband for Rattan Bai. This was a rich Mumbai
banker named P. S. Shilotri. The marriage lasted several years and Shilotri was the father of Rattan Bai's famous daughter, Saroj (who later took the screen name Shobhna Samarth
).
Rattan Bai was a fairly talented singer and had no such reservations about the profession, coming as she did from a family of entertainers. This placed her in a good position to avail of opportunities opening up in the film industry. She made her film debut with Yahudi ki ladki (1933; not to be confused with the bigger hit Yahudi ki beti of 1956). She played the female lead opposite singing star Kundan Lal Saigal
. Between 1933 and 1945, Rattan Bai featured in 12 films.
actor Shomu Mukherjee
. In the next generation, Nutan's son Mohnish and Tanuja's daughter Kajol became film stars, and Kajol is married to the film star Ajay Devgan.
Thus, while her own film career was hardly scintillating, Rattan Bai was to be known as the matriarch of a large and celebrated film family which includes Shobhna Samarth
, Nalini Jaywant
, Nutan
, Tanuja, Mohnish Behl
, Kajol
, as also Shomu Mukherjee
(husband of Tanuja) and Ajay Devgan
(husband of Kajol).
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
and entertainer who is the ancestress of several Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
film stars. She was the mother of actress Shobhna Samarth
Shobhna Samarth
Shobhna Samarth was a Marathi actress who began her career in the early days of talkie movies in the Indian film industry, and continued in lead roles into the 1950s. She started in Marathi cinema. Her first Hindi film, Nigahen Nafrat was released in 1935...
and thus the grandmother of actresses Nutan
Nutan
Nutan Behl , better known as Nutan , was an Indian actress. She appeared in more than 70 Hindi films in a career spanning over four decades...
and Tanuja. Also, the actress Nalini Jaywant
Nalini Jaywant
Nalini Jaywant was an Indian movie actress from Bollywood in the 1940s and 1950s.-Personal life and education:...
was Rattan Bai's niece.
Early life
Born into a family of professional entertainers hailing from the Deccan region of IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Rattan Bai received lessons in music and dance from an early age. She became a professional entertainer while in her teens. In due course, her mother searched a suitable husband for Rattan Bai. This was a rich Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
banker named P. S. Shilotri. The marriage lasted several years and Shilotri was the father of Rattan Bai's famous daughter, Saroj (who later took the screen name Shobhna Samarth
Shobhna Samarth
Shobhna Samarth was a Marathi actress who began her career in the early days of talkie movies in the Indian film industry, and continued in lead roles into the 1950s. She started in Marathi cinema. Her first Hindi film, Nigahen Nafrat was released in 1935...
).
Film career
After the first Indian "talkie" film was released in 1931, the ability to sing became a major qualification when selecting actors for movies. In this era, the women were apprehensive of appearing on stage or in films. Thus, women who were willing and able to work in films were a rarity.Rattan Bai was a fairly talented singer and had no such reservations about the profession, coming as she did from a family of entertainers. This placed her in a good position to avail of opportunities opening up in the film industry. She made her film debut with Yahudi ki ladki (1933; not to be confused with the bigger hit Yahudi ki beti of 1956). She played the female lead opposite singing star Kundan Lal Saigal
Kundan Lal Saigal
Kundan Lal Saigal was an Indian singer and actor who is considered the first superstar of the Hindi film industry, which was centered in Calcutta during Saigal's time, but is currently centered in Mumbai.-Early life:Saigal was born at Jammu where his father Amar Chand was a tehsildar at the...
. Between 1933 and 1945, Rattan Bai featured in 12 films.
Legacy
Rattan Bai was already in her forties when she made her film debut in 1933. Her teenage daughter Shobhna became interested in films and made her own debut in 1935. In 1941, Rattan Bai's brother's daughter Nalini Jaywant also made her film debut. Later, both of Shobhna's daughters, Nutan and Tanuja, became celebrated actresses, and Tanuja married the BengaliBengali people
The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...
actor Shomu Mukherjee
Shomu Mukherjee
Shomu Mukherjee was a Bengali Indian director, writer and producer.Born in 1943, he was the fourth son of Sashadhar Mukherjee, the owner of Filmalaya studios, and Sati Rani Devi. His mother was the only sister of the Ganguly brothers....
. In the next generation, Nutan's son Mohnish and Tanuja's daughter Kajol became film stars, and Kajol is married to the film star Ajay Devgan.
Thus, while her own film career was hardly scintillating, Rattan Bai was to be known as the matriarch of a large and celebrated film family which includes Shobhna Samarth
Shobhna Samarth
Shobhna Samarth was a Marathi actress who began her career in the early days of talkie movies in the Indian film industry, and continued in lead roles into the 1950s. She started in Marathi cinema. Her first Hindi film, Nigahen Nafrat was released in 1935...
, Nalini Jaywant
Nalini Jaywant
Nalini Jaywant was an Indian movie actress from Bollywood in the 1940s and 1950s.-Personal life and education:...
, Nutan
Nutan
Nutan Behl , better known as Nutan , was an Indian actress. She appeared in more than 70 Hindi films in a career spanning over four decades...
, Tanuja, Mohnish Behl
Mohnish Behl
Mohnish Bahl Mohnish Bahl Mohnish Bahl (Hindi: मोह्निश बहल,(born 14 February 1963) is an Indian actor working in the Bollywood film industry. He is currently playing the role of Dr. Ashutosh in the show Kuch Toh Log Kahenge-Personal life:...
, Kajol
Kajol
Kajol Devgn , better known as Kajol, is an Indian film actress appearing in Hindi films. She is regarded as one of India's most successful and talented female actors....
, as also Shomu Mukherjee
Shomu Mukherjee
Shomu Mukherjee was a Bengali Indian director, writer and producer.Born in 1943, he was the fourth son of Sashadhar Mukherjee, the owner of Filmalaya studios, and Sati Rani Devi. His mother was the only sister of the Ganguly brothers....
(husband of Tanuja) and Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan
Ajay Devgan , born Vishal Veeru Devgan on 2 April 1969, is an Indian film actor, director, and producer.He made his film debut with Phool Aur Kaante in 1991 and received a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut for his performance in the film and for which he won a Filmfare Best Debut Award...
(husband of Kajol).