Shriram Lagoo
Encyclopedia
Dr. Shreeram Lagoo is an India
n film and theatre
actor, in Hindi
and Marathi
. He is known for his character roles in films. He has acted in over 100 Hindi and Marathi
films, over 40 Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati plays, and has directed over 20 Marathi plays. He is considered one of the greatest actors of Marathi stage during the second half of twentieth century. He has also been very vocal and active in furthering progressive and rational social causes, for example in 1999, he and social activist G P Pradhan be undertook a fast in support of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare
. He won the 1978 Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
for Hindi film Gharaonda.
, Maharashtra
, India to Dr. Balakrishna Chintaman and Satyabhama Lagoo, the eldest of four children. He attended Bhave High School, Fergusson College
(University of Pune
), and B.J. Medical College in Pune
, India.
Meanwhile he trained as an ENT surgeon in Mumbai in the early fifties and practised in Pune for 6 years before going to Canada
and England
for additional training.
He practised medicine in Pune, India and Tabora
, Tanzania in the sixties but his theatre activity through Progressive Dramatic Association in Pune and "Rangaayan" in Mumbai continued when he was in India. Finally, in 1969 he became a full time actor on Marathi stage, debuting in the play "Ithe Oshalala Mrityu" written by Vasant Kanetkar.
He was the first protagonist of the famous Marathi play Natasamrat written by Kusumagraj (Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar)
and is best remembered for that role.
He has a legend status in Marathi cinema
, where he has done many memorable movies which include successful movies like Sinhasan, Pinjra
, Mukta And many more
His wife, Deepa Lagoo is also a noted theatre, television and film actress.
He has written an article titled "Time to Retire God" which provoked hot discussions in the print media and other public platforms in India. This article was written as an introduction to a book on Dr. Abraham Kovoor. In this article Dr. Lagoo logically came to the conclusion that the concept of God is defunct.
He is actively associated with the Anti-Superstition movement in Maharashtra.
He used to call god as another superstition and his lectures during the ANS programs used to go like this:
“I do not believe in God and I feel it is now time to retire God. Concept of God is a very beautiful product of poet’s imagination and was essential during the initial stages of civilization but the time has come when one should face the world with a completely rational attitude. For the past five thousand years, there has been no proof of the existence of God and faith in a phenomenon, which cannot be proved scientifically, is nothing short of superstition. Many inhuman practices, atrocities and wars have taken place in the name of ‘God’. It is not only necessary, but also our duty to abolish the concept of God to end these consequences because it is a great injustice committed against humanity.
Only rational thinking has the capacity which places person above all living beings but when he / she believes in God he/she gives up this ability and blindly accepts what has been told. He /she submits his/her intellect to passive conditioning and then there is no difference between him/her and an animal.
In the early stages of civilization, when human beings began to live in a society, the concept of superior being was necessary to maintain morality, which came out of fear. Also many of the natural phenomena which scared human beings and to which they could not attribute any reason, came to be regarded as manifestations of the divine power. But today when man has the mastery over nature and accepts any theory only after verifying it on a scientific basis, there is no need for the concept of a supreme being. What is needed is a broad based value system of humanity.”
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 film and theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
actor, in Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
. He is known for his character roles in films. He has acted in over 100 Hindi and Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
films, over 40 Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati plays, and has directed over 20 Marathi plays. He is considered one of the greatest actors of Marathi stage during the second half of twentieth century. He has also been very vocal and active in furthering progressive and rational social causes, for example in 1999, he and social activist G P Pradhan be undertook a fast in support of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare
Anna Hazare
Kisan Baburao Hazare , popularly known as Anna Hazare is an Indian social activist and a prominent leader in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi...
. He won the 1978 Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award
The Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
for Hindi film Gharaonda.
Early life
Shreeram Lagoo was born in Satara districtSatara district
Satara District is a district of Maharashtra state in western India with an area of 10,480 km² and a population of 2,808,994 of which 14.17% were urban . Satara is the capital of the district and other major towns include Wai, Karad, Koregaon, Koyananagar, Rahimatpur, Phaltan, Mahabaleshwar...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India to Dr. Balakrishna Chintaman and Satyabhama Lagoo, the eldest of four children. He attended Bhave High School, Fergusson College
Fergusson College
Fergusson College is a degree college in western India, situated in the city of Pune. It was founded in 1885 by the Deccan Education Society and at that time was the first privately governed college in India. It is named after Sir James Fergusson, the Governor of Bombay, who donated a then...
(University of Pune
University of Pune
The University of Pune , is a university located in northwestern Pune, India. It was founded in 1949. Spread over a campus, the university is home to 46 academic departments...
), and B.J. Medical College 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 ...
, India.
Career
Shreeram Lagoo started acting in plays while attending Medical School. Once bitten by the theatre bug, he continued his dramatic activity through the group "Progressive Dramatic Association" which he started with like-minded senior friends like Bhalba Kelkar.Meanwhile he trained as an ENT surgeon in Mumbai in the early fifties and practised in Pune for 6 years before going to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for additional training.
He practised medicine in Pune, India and Tabora
Tabora
Tabora is the capital city of Tanzania's Tabora Region with a population of 127,880 . Tabora region is one of the largest geographical regions of Tanzania.- History :...
, Tanzania in the sixties but his theatre activity through Progressive Dramatic Association in Pune and "Rangaayan" in Mumbai continued when he was in India. Finally, in 1969 he became a full time actor on Marathi stage, debuting in the play "Ithe Oshalala Mrityu" written by Vasant Kanetkar.
He was the first protagonist of the famous Marathi play Natasamrat written by Kusumagraj (Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar)
Kusumagraj
Vishnu Vāman Shirwādkar , popularly known by his pen name, Kusumāgraj , was an eminent Marathi poet, playwright, novelist, short story writer, apart from being a humanist, who wrote of freedom, justice and emancipation of the deprived, In a career spanning five decades starting in...
and is best remembered for that role.
He has a legend status in Marathi cinema
Marathi cinema
Marathi cinema refers to films produced in the Marathi language in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is the oldest and pioneer film industry in India...
, where he has done many memorable movies which include successful movies like Sinhasan, Pinjra
Pinjra (film)
Pinjra , is a Marathi film made in 1972. The film is directed by V. Shantaram. In 1973 this film was remade in Hindi.-Plot Summary:Pinjra is the tragic story of a school teacher and a dancer. The 'cage' here is a metaphor for life. The dancer dies as she falls for the teacher & is unable to save him...
, Mukta And many more
His wife, Deepa Lagoo is also a noted theatre, television and film actress.
Religious Affiliation
Shriram is a known non-religious rationalist. Once after being conferred with an award called 'Punyabhushan (Pride of Pune)' on behalf of the organization called 'Tridal', he was interviewed by Sudhir Gadgil. When asked about Jabbar Patel's play, wherein Dr. Lagoo had to stand before Lord Vitthal; "did you stand there as a devotee or only as per the demand of the script?", Dr. Lagoo replied "I stood there as if I was standing in front of a 'stone' that is known as Panduranga". -He has written an article titled "Time to Retire God" which provoked hot discussions in the print media and other public platforms in India. This article was written as an introduction to a book on Dr. Abraham Kovoor. In this article Dr. Lagoo logically came to the conclusion that the concept of God is defunct.
He is actively associated with the Anti-Superstition movement in Maharashtra.
He used to call god as another superstition and his lectures during the ANS programs used to go like this:
“I do not believe in God and I feel it is now time to retire God. Concept of God is a very beautiful product of poet’s imagination and was essential during the initial stages of civilization but the time has come when one should face the world with a completely rational attitude. For the past five thousand years, there has been no proof of the existence of God and faith in a phenomenon, which cannot be proved scientifically, is nothing short of superstition. Many inhuman practices, atrocities and wars have taken place in the name of ‘God’. It is not only necessary, but also our duty to abolish the concept of God to end these consequences because it is a great injustice committed against humanity.
Only rational thinking has the capacity which places person above all living beings but when he / she believes in God he/she gives up this ability and blindly accepts what has been told. He /she submits his/her intellect to passive conditioning and then there is no difference between him/her and an animal.
In the early stages of civilization, when human beings began to live in a society, the concept of superior being was necessary to maintain morality, which came out of fear. Also many of the natural phenomena which scared human beings and to which they could not attribute any reason, came to be regarded as manifestations of the divine power. But today when man has the mastery over nature and accepts any theory only after verifying it on a scientific basis, there is no need for the concept of a supreme being. What is needed is a broad based value system of humanity.”
Marathi Movies
- Simhasan (1980) with Arun Sarnaik, Datta Bhat, Shrikant Moghe, Nilu Phule, Madhukar Sarpotdar, Rima Lagoo, Satish Dubashi, Raja Mayekar, Arun Joglekar, Lalan Sarang and others
- SamnaSamnaSamna was an Atlanta, Georgia, USA based computer software company that was bought by Lotus Development Corporation in November 1990 for $65 million USD.Samna Word was a competitor in the DOS market for word processors in the late 80s...
(1974) with Nilu Phule and others - Pinjra (1973) with Sandhya, Nilu Phule, Ganpat Patil and others
Hindi Movies
- Aurat Aurat AuratAurat Aurat AuratAurat Aurat Aurat is a 1996 Bollywood film starring Rekha, Rakesh Roshan, Sadashiv Amrapurkar, Aruna Irani, Vinod Mehra and Neeta Mehta. The film was originally filmed in 1990 but released in 1996.-Plot synopsis:...
(1996) Rekha, Rakesh Roshan, Aruna Irani - KhuddarKhuddarKhuddar is 1994 Hindi movie directed by Iqbal Durrani and starring Govinda, Karishma Kapoor, Kader Khan. Other cast include Shakti Kapoor, Shreeram Lagoo, Anjana Mumtaz, Raju Shrestha, Mahesh Anand, Vikas Anand, Anil Dhawan...
(1994) Govinda, Karisma Kapoor, Shakti Kapoor - Dushman DevtaDushman DevtaDushman Devta is a 1991 Bollywood film starring Dharmendra....
(1991) Dharmendra, Dimple Kapadia, Aditya Pancholi - Kala BazaarKala BazaarKala Bazaar is a 1989 Hindi film directed by Rakesh Roshan. This film deals with the socio-political issues of corruption, primarily in the form of bribery, in Indian society.-Plot:...
(1989) Anil Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Anjana Mumtaz - Majaal (1987) Jeetendra, Sridevi, Jaya Prada
- Mera RakshakMera RakshakMera Rakshak is a 1978 Bollywood film directed by R. Thyagaraajan. Mithun Chakraborty, Rameshwari, Rakesh Pandey and Gayatri play key roles in this film alongwith a 'Goat' who acts as the 'Rakshak' in the film...
(1987) Mithun Chakraborty, Abhi Bhattacharya - Avam (1987) Rajesh Khanna, Ashok Kumar, Smita Patil
- Insaf Ki Pukar (1987) Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Anita Raj
- Kala Dhandha Gorey Log (1986) Sunil Dutt, Sanjay Khan, Anita Raj
- Muddat (1986) Mithun Chakraborty, Jayaprada, Manik Irani
- Samay Ki Dhaara (1986) Shatrughan Sinha, Shabana Azmi, Vinod Mehra
- Saveray Wali GaadiSaveray Wali GaadiSaveray Wali Gaadi is an Indian film directed by Bharathi Rajaa and released in 1986. The movie stars Sunny Deol, Poonam Dhillon, Prem Chopra, Shreeram Lagoo.-Characters:* Sunny Deol ... Ravidas* Poonam Dhillon ... Jyoti* Prem Chopra ... Kishan Lal...
(1986) Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Poonam Dhillon - Singhasan (1986) Jeetendra, Jayaprada, Mandakini
- SitamgarSitamgarSitamgar is a 1985 Bollywood film starring Dharmendra, Rishi Kapoor, Poonam Dhillon and Dr.Sriram Lagoo in a negative role....
(1985) Dharmendra, Parveen Babi, Rishi Kapoor - AnkaheeAnkahee-External links:...
(1984) Amol Palekar, Deepti Naval - MaqsadMaqsadMaqsad is a 1984 Hindi film directed by K. Bapaiah and starring Rajesh Khanna and Jumping Jack Jeetendra in the lead roles. This was the third straight movie with Rajesh and Jeetendra together in the lead roles. The film is a remake of the Telugu movie Mundadugu directed by K. Bapaiah and...
(1984) Jeetendra, Rajesh Khanna, Jayaprada - TarangTarang-External links:*...
(1984) Amol Palekar, Smita Patil, - Bad Aur Badnaam (1984) Sanjeev Kumar, Anita Raj
- PukarPukarPukar is a word that means a "cry for help/ attention" or "to call out" in Hindi and Urdu and may refer to:* Pukar , Hindi film produced and directed by Sohrab Modi* Pukar , Hindi film produced and directed by Ramesh Behl...
(1983) Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Randir Kapoor - Kalaakaar (1983) Kunal Goswami, Sridevi, L V Prasad
- MawaaliMawaaliMawaali is a 1983 Bollywood film directed by K. Bapaiah. This film was the remake of Telugu film Chuttalunnaru Jagartha . The movie was also remade into Tamil as Pokkiri Raja and into Kannada as Antha , which was a record breaking Hit. It Kannada Hero Ambareesh's first success as a hero. Film was...
(1983) Jeetendra, Sridevi, Jayaprada - SadmaSadmaSadma is a 1983 Indian film directed by Balu Mahendra which stars Kamal Haasan and Sridevi with music composed by Ilayaraaja. The picture tells the story of Nehalata , a young woman who regresses to childhood after suffering a head injury in a car crash...
(1983) Kamal Hassan, Sridevi, Silk Smitha - SoutenSoutenSouten is a 1983 Hindi-language Indian feature film directed by Sawan Kumar Tak, starring Rajesh Khanna, Tina Munim, Padmini Kolhapure, Prem Chopra and Pran. The film is a family drama. It was written by Kamleshwar, with music by Usha Khanna...
(1983) Rajesh Khanna, Tina Munim, Padmini Kolhapure - Chorni (1982) Jeetendra, Neetu Singh, Jalal Agha
- Gandhi (1982) Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox
- GhazabGhazabGhazab is a 1982 Bollywood film starring Dharmendra....
(1982) Dharmendra, Seema Deo, Krishan Dhawan - KaamchorKaamchorKaamchor is a 1982 Hindi movie. Produced by Rakesh Roshan the film is directed by K. Viswanath, a remake of his Telugu film Subhodayam . The film stars Rakesh Roshan, Jaya Prada, Tanuja, Sujit Kumar, Suresh Oberoi, Shreeram Lagoo and Bhagwan Dada...
(1982) Rakesh Roshan, Jayaprada, Tanuja - Main Intequam LoongaMain Intequam LoongaMain Intequam Loonga is a 1982 Bollywood film starring Dharmendra....
(1982) Dharmendra, Reena Roy - Raaste Pyar Ke (1982) Jeetendra, Rekha, Shabana Azmi
- SamraatSamraat (film)Samraat is a 1982 Bollywood Hindi action thriller starring Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Hema Malini, Zeenat Aman and Amjad Khan. The story is about a sunken ship of gold and the quest to find it by all parties, good and bad....
(1982) Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Hema Malini - VidhaataVidhaataVidhaata is a 1982 Bollywood movie directed by Subhash Ghai and produced by Gulshan Rai's company Trimurti Films. It stars Dilip Kumar, Sanjay Dutt and Padmini Kolhapure in lead roles, and, Shammi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, Amrish Puri, Madan Puri, Suresh Oberoi and Sarika in supporting...
(1982) Sanjay Dutt, Dilip Kumar, Padmini Kolhapure - Ghungroo Ki AwaazGhungroo Ki AwaazGhungroo Ki Awaaz is a 1981 Bollywood horror film directed by the Ramsay Brothers. It featured Rekha and Vijay Anand in the lead. The movie was loosely inspired by the Hollywood thriller Vertigo....
(1981) Vijay Anand, Rekha - Laawaris (1981) Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Mumtaz Begum
- Chehre Pe Chehra (1981) Sanjeev Kumar, Rekha, Vinod mehra
- GehrayeeGehrayeeGehrayee is a 1980 Indian horror film directed by Vikas Desai and Aruna Raje based on a script by Vijay Tendulkar, Desai and Raje, and starring Padmini Kolhapure, Sriram Lagoo, Anant Nag and Indrani Mukherjee with Amrish Puri in a guest appearance. The film was produced by N. B...
(1980) Anant Nag, IndRani Mukherjee - Swayamvar (1980) Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, Moushumi Chatterjee
- Insaf Ka Tarazu (1980) Dharmendra, Zeenat Aman, Raj Babbar
- Sargam (1979) Rishi Kapoor, Jayaprada, Shashikala
- TaranaTaranaTarana is a type of composition in Hindustani classical vocal music in which certain words and syllables based on Persian and Arabic phenomes are used in a medium-paced or fast rendition...
(1979) Mithun Chakraborty, Ranjeeta Kaur, Bhagwan - Hum Tere Ashiq Hain (1979) Jeetendra, Hema Malini, Amjad Khan
- ManzilManzilManzil is the word for one of seven parts of roughly equal length into which the Qur'an is divided for the purpose of reciting the entire text in one week.They are:# Al-Fatihah through An-Nisa' # Al-Maida through At-Tawba...
(1979) Amitabh Bachchan, Moushumi Chatterjee, Rakesh Pandey - MeeraMeera (1979 film)-Awards and Nominations:* 1980 Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer - Won - Vani Jairam for "Mere To Giridhar Gopal"-Box office:1970's being the time of formula films in Indian Cinema and with "angry young man" Amitabh Bachchan overshadowing everything, this non-mainstream movie didn't...
(1979) Vinod Khanna, Hema Malini, Shammi Kapoor .... Raja Biramdev Rathod - Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978) Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Vinod Khanna
- Des PardesDes PardesDes Pardes is a 1978 Hindi film produced and directed by Dev Anand. This family drama stars Dev Anand and Tina Munim , with Ajit, Pran, Amjad Khan, Shreeram Lagoo, Tom Alter, Bindu, Prem Chopra, A. K. Hangal, Sujit Kumar, Mehmood and Paintal in supporting cast...
(1978) Dev Anand, Tina Munim, Mehmood .... Mr. Bond - InkaarInkaarInkaar is a 1978 Hindi movie produced by Romu N Sippy and directed by Raj N. Sippy. the film stars Vinod Khanna, Vidya Sinha, Shreeram Lagoo, Amjad Khan and Helen...
(1977) Vinod Khanna, Vidya Sinha, - KinaraKinaraThe kinara is the candle holder used in Kwanzaa celebrations in the United States. During the week-long celebration of Kwanzaa, seven candles are placed in the kinara - three red on the left, three green on the right, and a single black candle in the center...
(1977) Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Hema Malini - KitaabKitaabKitaab is a 1977 Hindi movie. Produced by Pranlal Mehta and Gulzar the film is directed by Gulzar. The film stars Uttam Kumar, Vidya Sinha, Shreeram Lagoo, Keshto Mukherjee and Asit Sen. Musical score is by R. D. Burman.-Plot:...
(1977) Uttam Kumar, Vidya Sinha, - Gharaonda (1977) Amol Palekar, Zarina Wahab
- Immaan DharamImmaan DharamImmaan Dharam is a 1977 Hindi film. Written by Javed Akhtar, produced by Premji, it is directed by Desh Mukherjee. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar and Rekha...
(1977) Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar .... Govind Anna (as Dr. Shreeram Lagoo) - Aaj Ka Ye GharAaj Ka Ye GharAaj Ka Ye Ghar is a 1976 Bollywood film directed by Surendra Shailaj. The film stars Helen.-Cast:*Shreeram Lagoo - Sajjan*Jaymala*Romesh Sharma - Vijay*Helen - Miss Ruhi*A. K. Hangal - Dinanath*Lalita Pawar - Mrs. Shanti Dinanath...
(1976) Helen, A. K. Hangal, Lalita Pawar, Madan Puri .... Sajjan - BulletBulletA bullet is a projectile propelled by a firearm, sling, or air gun. Bullets do not normally contain explosives, but damage the intended target by impact and penetration...
(1976) Dev Anand,Parveen Babby,Kabir Bedi,Sonia Sahani.
Awards and recognitions
- 1978, Filmfare Best Supporting Actor AwardFilmfare Best Supporting Actor AwardThe Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a male actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role...
for his work in Gharaonda. - 1997, Kalidas SammanKalidas sammanThe Kalidas Samman is a prestigious arts award presented annually by the government of Madhya Pradesh in India. The award is named after Kālidāsa, a renowned Classical Sanskrit writer of ancient India, widely regarded as the greatest poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language.The Kalidas Samman...
- 2006, Awarded the Master Dinanath MangeshkarDinanath MangeshkarDinanath Mangeshkar was a well-known Marathi theatre actor, a renowned Natya Sangeet musician and an exceptional Hindustani classical vocalist....
Smruti Pratisthan for his contribution to cinema and theater. - 2007, ‘Punyabhushan’ Puraskar
- 2010, Sangeet Natak Akademi FellowshipSangeet Natak Akademi FellowshipThe Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, also, Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Sadasya is an honour for the performing arts in India...