Veteran comic actor and director Bhagwan Dada passed away in Mumbai recently on February 4, 2002 leaving behind his memorable stamp on several films like Sinbad the Sailor (1952), Jhamela (1953), Rangila (1953), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), Bhagambhag (1956), Mr. Lambu (1956), Chori Chori (1956) and the film which was to make him immortal, Albela (1951). Though never as big a star as Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand or Dilip Kumar, fellow actor Balraj Sahni had commented that while Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar were much popular than he is , they did not enjoy the popularity among the poorer classes that Bhagwan Dada did. The working class saw in him their own image and what endeared him to them is that he, a fellow member of the proletariat should make a beauty like Geeta Bali fall in love with him in Albela and Jhamela.

Born Bhagwan Abhaji Palav in Mumbai, his family hailed from the Konkan and his father was a textile mill worker. Even as Bhagwan had his origins in Mumbai the labour-dominated areas of Parel and Dadar and even though he did not know where his next meal was coming from, he always managed to scrounge around for the seven annas that he needed to watch a film and eat some channa. Little Bhagwan adored Master Vittal, one of the more popular heroes of the silent era. Though his movies were mainly stunt-oriented, Bhagwan was transported into a world of his own, into a world that was far away from his poverty-infested real world. Forced to give up studies after the fourth standard, Bhagwan did a lot of odd jobs. In between, he would work out at the local gym in order to improve his physique. His aim was clear - he wanted to join the film industry. His father however wanted him to work in a mill and when Bhagwan told him he wanted to act he was met with a resounding slap!

Finally, he got his chance in 1930. After years of haunting the studios in the hope that he would some day be discovered, producer Siraj Ali Hakim gave him a small role in the silent film, Bewafa Aashiq. Bhagwan was so thrilled, he refused to leave the studio even after his work was completed. Nor was he ready to leave the studio even when it was time to shut down the sets for the day!

As he became a part and parcel of the film industry, Bhagwan quickly learnt all the aspects of filmmaking, even as he continued to act in a series of stunt film like Himmat-e-Mard (1935), and Chevrolet (1936). Meanwhile, more and more people started expressing an interest in financing films. There was a demand for directors and Bhagwan was more than willing to try his hand. Soon, he was wielding the megaphone for limited-budget films. I made films for less than Rs 65,000, Bhagwan Dada recalled. These were the kind of films where the director had to design costumes and even arrange meals for the unit. But it was worth it. His film could not be acclaimed as great, but they were profitable ventures. The first feature he co-direcected with long time partner Chandrarao Kadam was Bahadur Kisan (1938). The period saw a spate of action films, including Bhagwan Dada's Criminal (1939), Badla (1943), Dosti (1946), Jalan (1948), Lalach (1948), Matlabi (1948), Jigar (1949) and Bhedi Bungala (1949). Bhagwan was as popular a star as Fearless Nadia, and the crowds thronged the theatres for their films. he starred as a dancer and naive simpleton in many of these films and evolved an acting style associated mainly with the elaboration of a minimalist dance movemnt. He had also turned producer in 1942 with Jagriti Pics and Bhagwan Arts Production, owning Jagriti Studios, Chembur. But the trend was changing, a fact that was pointed out to him by Raj Kapoor. Dada, he urged Bhagwan, times had changed. Make a social picture. The result was Albela.

Albela was without doubt his best known film. A smash musical hit, the film was Bhagwan's most successful film as producer and director. Albela was a simple, uncomplicated movie. A poor man (Bhagwan) from an orthodox family dreams of becoming a kalakar. His family is indifferent to his ambitions, the people who know him poke fun at his aspirations. Until the day he comes in contact with a well known female singer, portrayed by the popular Geeta Bali. The singer recognises the tremendous talent and never-say-die spirit of the hero and encourages him. Very soon, they become a famous singing pair. Romance blossoms between the pair and the film ends on an all's-well-that-ends-well note. With no well known actress willing to work opposite him, it was Geeta Bali who came forward and willingly acted in the film. The film remains one of her career best. The highlight of the film besides the duo's dancing (It is well known that Bhagwan's jhatkas inspired Amitabh Bachchan's dancing style besides finding an echo in any tapori dance in Hindi films) was its stupendous musical score by C. Ramachandra, a close friend. Ramachandra, who was already a famous figure in the film world, was also a very outspoken person. I will help you, he promised Bhagwan. The world will never be able to forget the music I will provide for your film, boasted Ramchandra but he was right and how! Seated in a restaurant at Churchgate, they discussed the plot of the film. And decided that the film would contain at least a dozen memorable songs. Shyam Dhale Khidki Tale, Balma Bada Nadaan, Bholi Surat Dil ke Khote, Shola jo Bhadke, Dheerese Aajaa, O Betaji - every song proved to be a raging hit. It was C. Ramchandra who gave a new definition to Hindi Film music. Heavily influenced by Benny Goodman, he introduced the use of Western instruments in Hindi Cinema in a big way for example using the alto sax in combination with guitar and harmonica and also whistling. Through his career, Ramchandra continued working with Western Sounds using combinations of bongo, oboe, trumpet, clarinets and the saxaphone even assimilating scat singing and rock rhythms as he brought a freewheeling hip approach to the Hindi Film Song. Albela's musical score saw him make extremely innovative use of sounds. The splendid use of percussive instruments imitating the click of a clock in the duet Mere Dil ki Ghadi Kare Tik Tik Tik or the phenomenal O Betaji where the song is alive with sounds of china and silverware are classic examples of this... But then credit must go to director Bhagwan also for getting the best out of Ramchandra. It's music and songs aside, what also marks Albela out is its masterful use of dialogues as transition points.

However post Albela, Bhagwan Dada's career nosedived. Jhamela reunitinging the Albela trio of Bhagwan - Geeta Bali - C. Ramchandra flopped dismally as did most of the later films that Bhagwan directed. He did make his mark as an actor with important roles in films like Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Bhagambhag, Mr. Lamboo and Chori Chori but clearly his hero days were over. Soon even the roles offered to him got smaller and smaller. His large circle of friends, who lived at his expense, deserted him. He was forced to to sell his cars and bungalow, living in a chawl in Dadar. The last film he directed was Labela in 1966. Since the 1970s sadly he had been relegated to small cameo roles and insignificant comedy routines often made to parody himself. Towards the end of his life, he was awarded the Chitrapati Award in 1998 for his invaluable contribution to Indian Cinema. Instituted in memory of V. Shantaram, the award was conferred on him by the Usha Prabha Prathisthan, formed by Shantaram's son Prabhat Kumar Shantaram in 1991.