This legendary filmmaker married thrice with his third wedding to an actress 37 years his junior courting some controversy.
The 50s and 60s is sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of Hindi cinema. This was the time when the first innovators arrived in Indian filmmaking and Bollywood directors experimented with newer genres and techniques, pushing the boundaries of Hindi cinema. Among the most prominent names in this new-wave Indian filmmaking was V Shantaram, a man who gained as much notoriety for his personal life as he gained fame for his on screen work.
V Shantaram’s illustrious career
Known for his work in Marathi and Hindi cinema, V Shantaram made path-breaking films like the medical drama Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani (1946), the musical Jhanak Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), and Do Aankhen Baarah Haath (1957), widely regarded as one of the finest films on ethics and prison reforms. Shantaram himself starred in a few of his films but mostly gained fame as a visionary director, winning a Filmfare, a Golden Globe, one National Award, and even two prizes at the Berlin International Film Festival.
How V Shantaram’s personal life often overshadowed his work
Shantaram was born in 1901 in Kolhapur. When he was 20, he married his first wife Vimlabai in a match arranged by the two families. They had four children, including son Prabhas, on whom he named his famous film company. In the late-20s, Shantaram entered the film industry and eventually met actress Jayashree. In 1941, Shantaram married Jayashree while staying married to Vimblabai. He had three more kids with his second wife, including the actress Rajshree.
Shantaram’s marriage to actress 37 years his junior
In 1956, there were reports that the Indian government was mulling a change in the law about polygamy. Just before the proposed new law prohibiting polygamy was to come into effect, Shantaram – then aged 55 – married 18 year-old actress Sandhya, the star of his most recent film Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje. While polygamy was legally and socially acceptable at the time, this sudden wedding just days before the law change did create controversy with a section of people criticising the filmmaker. However, Shantaram’s family life stayed harmonious. He and Jayashree divorced the same year but Sandhya and Vimlabai lived in the same house for years. Shantaram passed away in 1990 at the age of 88.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "V Shantaram")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}