Ruby Myers
Encyclopedia
Sulochana
(सुलोचना) (1907–1983), real name Ruby Myers) was an India
n silent film star of Jewish ancestry, although it is unclear whether she descended from an Ashkenazi family, Bene Israel
i family, or both.
In her heyday she was one of the highest paid actresses of her time, when she was paired with Dinshaw Billimoria in Imperial Studios films. In mid-1930 she opened Rubi Pics, a film production house.
She was awarded the 1973 Dada Saheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema for lifetime achievement.
She was born Ruby Myers in Pune
and was working as a telephone operator when she was approached by Mohan Bhavnani of Kohinoor Films to work in films. Though excited by the offer, she turned him down as acting was regarded as quite a dubious profession for women those days. However Bhavnani persisted with his offer and she finally agreed, despite having no knowledge of acting whatsoever. She became a star under Bhavnani's direction at Kohinoor before moving on to the Imperial Film Company where she became the highest paid movie star in the country.
Among her popular films were Typist Girl (1926), Balidaan (1927) and Wildcat of Bombay (1927) where she essayed eight roles including a gardener, a policeman, a Hyderabadi gentleman, a street urchin, a banana seller and a European blonde.
Three romantic super hits in 1928 - 29 with director R.S. Chaudhari - Madhuri (1928), Anarkali (1928) and Indira B.A. (1929) saw her at her peak of fame in the silent film era. In fact so widespread was her fame that when a short film on Mahatma Gandhi
inaugurating a khadi exhibition was shown, alongside it was added a hugely popular dance of Sulochana's from Madhuri, synchronised with sound effects.
With the coming of sound, Sulochana suddenly found a lull in her career, as it now required an actor to be proficient in Hindustani
. Taking a year off to learn the language, she made a grand comeback with the talkie version of Madhuri (1932).
Further talkie versions of her silent hits followed and with Indira (now an) M.A. (1934), Anarkali (1935) and Bombay ki Billi (1936). Sulochana was back with a bang. She was drawing a salary of Rs 5000 per month, she had the sleekest of cars (Chevrolet 1935) and one of the biggest heroes of the silent era, D. Billimoria, as her lover with whom she worked exclusively between 1933 and 1939. They were an extremely popular pair - his John Barrymore
-style opposite her Oriental 'Queen of Romance' image.
But once their love story ended so did their careers. Sulochana left Imperial to find few offers forthcoming. Newer, younger and more proficient actresses had entered the scene. She tried making a comeback with character roles but even these were few.
However, she still had the power to excite controversy. In 1947, Morarji Desai
banned the Dilip Kumar
- Noor Jehan
starrer, Jugnu
, because it showed such a morally reprehensible act as an aging fellow professor falling for Sulochana's vintage charms.
In 1953, she acted in her third Anarkali, but this time in a supporting role as Salim's mother.
She finally died lonely and forgotten in 1983 in her flat in Mumbai
. A sad end for the woman who once became famous for drawing a larger salary than the Governor of Bombay and who even acted in a film named after her - Sulochana (1933).
Her films include Cinema Queen (1926), Typist Girl (1926), Balidaan (1927), Wild Cat of Bombay, in which she played eight different characters, which was remade as Bambai Ki Billi (1936); Madhuri (1928), which was re-released with sound in 1932; Anarkali (1928), remade in 1945; Indira BA (1929); Heer Ranjah (1929), and many others, such as Baaz (1953).
Sulochana established her own film studio, Rubi Pics, in the mid-1930s. She received the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1973 for her lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. Ismail Merchant
paid homage to her in Mahatma and the Bad Boy (1974).
Sulochana
-Indian Actresses:* Raja Sulochana, is an Indian actress.* Sulochana , real name Ruby Myers, an Indian silent film actress, sometimes mentioned as Sulchana Sr. , to avoid confusion, with a later character actress:...
(सुलोचना) (1907–1983), real name Ruby Myers) was an India
India
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...
n silent film star of Jewish ancestry, although it is unclear whether she descended from an Ashkenazi family, Bene Israel
Bene Israel
The Bene Israel are a group of Jews who migrated in the 19th century from villages in the Konkan area to the nearby Indian cities, primarily Mumbai, but also to Pune, and Ahmedabad. Prior to these waves of emigrations and to this day, the Bene Israel formed the largest sector of the subcontinent's...
i family, or both.
In her heyday she was one of the highest paid actresses of her time, when she was paired with Dinshaw Billimoria in Imperial Studios films. In mid-1930 she opened Rubi Pics, a film production house.
She was awarded the 1973 Dada Saheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema for lifetime achievement.
Film career
Chubby, petite and brown-eyed, the self-christened Sulochana was among the early Eurasian female stars of Indian Cinema.She was born Ruby Myers in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
and was working as a telephone operator when she was approached by Mohan Bhavnani of Kohinoor Films to work in films. Though excited by the offer, she turned him down as acting was regarded as quite a dubious profession for women those days. However Bhavnani persisted with his offer and she finally agreed, despite having no knowledge of acting whatsoever. She became a star under Bhavnani's direction at Kohinoor before moving on to the Imperial Film Company where she became the highest paid movie star in the country.
Among her popular films were Typist Girl (1926), Balidaan (1927) and Wildcat of Bombay (1927) where she essayed eight roles including a gardener, a policeman, a Hyderabadi gentleman, a street urchin, a banana seller and a European blonde.
Three romantic super hits in 1928 - 29 with director R.S. Chaudhari - Madhuri (1928), Anarkali (1928) and Indira B.A. (1929) saw her at her peak of fame in the silent film era. In fact so widespread was her fame that when a short film on Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
inaugurating a khadi exhibition was shown, alongside it was added a hugely popular dance of Sulochana's from Madhuri, synchronised with sound effects.
With the coming of sound, Sulochana suddenly found a lull in her career, as it now required an actor to be proficient in Hindustani
Hindustani language
Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...
. Taking a year off to learn the language, she made a grand comeback with the talkie version of Madhuri (1932).
Further talkie versions of her silent hits followed and with Indira (now an) M.A. (1934), Anarkali (1935) and Bombay ki Billi (1936). Sulochana was back with a bang. She was drawing a salary of Rs 5000 per month, she had the sleekest of cars (Chevrolet 1935) and one of the biggest heroes of the silent era, D. Billimoria, as her lover with whom she worked exclusively between 1933 and 1939. They were an extremely popular pair - his John Barrymore
John Barrymore
John Sidney Blyth , better known as John Barrymore, was an acclaimed American actor. He first gained fame as a handsome stage actor in light comedy, then high drama and culminating in groundbreaking portrayals in Shakespearean plays Hamlet and Richard III...
-style opposite her Oriental 'Queen of Romance' image.
But once their love story ended so did their careers. Sulochana left Imperial to find few offers forthcoming. Newer, younger and more proficient actresses had entered the scene. She tried making a comeback with character roles but even these were few.
However, she still had the power to excite controversy. In 1947, Morarji Desai
Morarji Desai
Morarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and the fourth Prime Minister of India from 1977–79. He was the first Indian Prime Minister who did not belong to the Indian National Congress...
banned the Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar , is an Indian actor and a former Member of Parliament.He lives in Pali Hill, Bandra in Mumbai, India. He is commonly known as "Tragedy King",and is described as "the ultimate method actor" by Satyajit Ray....
- Noor Jehan
Noor Jehan
Noorjehan or Noorjehan was the adopted stage name for Allah Wasai who was a legendary singer and actress in British India and Pakistan. Her career spanned seven decades...
starrer, Jugnu
Jugnu (1947 film)
Jugnu is a 1947 Indian film directed by Shaukat Hussain Rizvi. The film stars Noor Jehan, Dilip Kumar, Gulam Mohd., Sulochana , Latika, Zia, Jilloo, Agha, Shashikala and now famous playback singer Mohammed Rafi...
, because it showed such a morally reprehensible act as an aging fellow professor falling for Sulochana's vintage charms.
In 1953, she acted in her third Anarkali, but this time in a supporting role as Salim's mother.
She finally died lonely and forgotten in 1983 in her flat in 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...
. A sad end for the woman who once became famous for drawing a larger salary than the Governor of Bombay and who even acted in a film named after her - Sulochana (1933).
Her films include Cinema Queen (1926), Typist Girl (1926), Balidaan (1927), Wild Cat of Bombay, in which she played eight different characters, which was remade as Bambai Ki Billi (1936); Madhuri (1928), which was re-released with sound in 1932; Anarkali (1928), remade in 1945; Indira BA (1929); Heer Ranjah (1929), and many others, such as Baaz (1953).
Sulochana established her own film studio, Rubi Pics, in the mid-1930s. She received the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 1973 for her lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. Ismail Merchant
Ismail Merchant
Ismail Merchant was an Indian-born film producer, best known for the results of his famously long collaboration with Merchant Ivory Productions which included director James Ivory as well as screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala...
paid homage to her in Mahatma and the Bad Boy (1974).
Selected filmography
- Cinema Queen (1926 )
- Typist Girl (1926 )
- Wildcat of Bombay (1927 )
- Anarkali (1928 )
- Heer Ranjah (1929)
- Indira BA (1929)
- Sulochana (1933)
- Baaz (1953)
- Neel KamalNeel Kamal (1968 film)Neel Kamal is a 1968 Hindi film directed by Ram Maheshwari starring Waheeda Rehman in the title role.- Synopsis :Sita and her friends go for a trip, at night Sita sleepwalks and when she is about to be killed by a train walking on the railway track, Ram saves her and her father decides her...
(1968)
Further reading
- Great Masters of Indian Cinema: The Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winners, by D. P. Mishra, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India, 2006. ISBN 8123013612. page 16.
- Actress Sulochana Cinema at the End of Empire: A Politics of Transition in Britain And India, by Priya Jaikumar, Duke University Press, 2006. ISBN 0822337932. Page 73.
- The Hundred Luminaries of Hindi Cinema, by Dinesh Raheja, Jitendra Kothari. India Book House Publishers, 1996. ISBN 8175080078. page 1871
External links
- The Sirens of the Silent Era - Sulochana (Ruby Myers)(1907-1983) Hindustan TimesHindustan TimesHindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....
.