This actor, once India’s richest superstar, owned 7 cars, 25-room bungalow, then lost everything, lived in chawl, died in poverty due to..., name is..

Indian cinema has a rich history, continually giving rise to visionary filmmakers and talented stars who emerged to rule the industry and left an indelible mark on the industry. The early 1950s saw the rise of a new star, who became the richest superstar of that time, but before he could relish his stardom, he lost it all and found himself in a chawl in Dadar. Yes, he is none other than Bhagwan, fondly known as Bhagwan ‘Dada’. 

Born to a textile mill worker in Maharashtra, Bhagwan Dada used to work as a labourer before he was fascinated by cinema and began featuring as a junior artiste in silent films. He made his debut in the silent era with the film Criminal.  With hard work and dedication, he engrossed himself in filmmaking to create his own low-budget films. He ventured into production with Jagruti Pictures and later established Jagriti Studios, directing a string of low-budget stunt and action films that were popular with the working classes, where he usually played a naive simpleton. 

On Raj Kapoor's advice, Bhagwan Dada produced the social film Albela (1951), featuring himself alongside Geeta Bali. The classic movie became a huge hit with its song ‘Shola Jo bhadake’, even popular today. Albela’s success changed his life for the better, its success allowed him to buy a 25-room bungalow with a huge landscape in Mumbai’s posh area of Juhu. He also had seven cars for each day of the week. However, his success was short-lived, as his many produced films after Albela didn’t work. 

In a matter of few years, Bhagwan lost it all, even his business partners cheated on him. In an interview with The Illustrated Weekly of India, he revealed that the success of Albela made him a millionaire but his vices turned him into a pauper. “I became a lakhpati. I owned a studio, I bought seven imported cars for each day of the week. I had a 25-room bungalow at Juhu in my possession,” he said proudly, but immediately added that god punished him for his vices and took it all away. “I became a sharabi kababi, gambled at cards and the race course. Drinks and women were my weakness. I was unfaithful to my wife. The truth is, I had ignored my family. Maybe it was god’s way of punishing me. From a mazdoor millionaire, I became a pauper,” he said. 

In his last days, he lived in a single room in a chawl and struggled to make ends meet. But to survive, he did not stop working in films. He continued to accept smaller roles in films. “To keep this house going, I continue to accept every role, even if it’s one scene. My only request to the producers is to send me transport, a taxi will do. I’m exhausted at the end of the shooting. I return home, drink my navtaak (quart) and go to sleep. Whatever food is served at the studio, I have,” he had said.  In his later years, he received emotional support from industry friends like Raj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, and Dilip Kumar. He refused monetary help to protect his pride and self-respect. In 2002, he died of a massive heart attack at his residence in Dadar, leaving his short yet incredible legacy behind.