Shriram Lagoo

Shriram Lagoo
Born (1927-11-16) 16 November 1927
Satara district, Maharashtra
Other names Shreeram Lagoo
Occupation Actor
Years active 1972
Spouse(s) Deepa Lagoo

Shreeram Lagoo is an Indian film and theatre actor, in Hindi and Marathi. He was born on November 16, 1927 at Satara District, in Maharashtra.[1][2] 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.[3] He won the 1978 Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Hindi film Gharaonda. His autobiography is titled Lamaan (लमाण), which means 'the carrier of goods'.[4][5]

Early life

Shreeram Lagoo was born in Satara district, Maharashtra, India to Balakrishna Chintaman Lagoo and Satyabhama Lagoo, the eldest of four children. He attended Bhave High School, Fergusson College (University of Pune)&B.J. Medical College(University of Pune)Pune, India& received MBBS & MS degrees;both being medical degrees.[6]

Career

Shreeram Lagoo started acting in plays while attending Medical College.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.[7] 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&surgery in Pune, India&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.[8] He has 3 children - 2 sons and 1 daughter. Dr. Lagoo had also instituted the prestigious Tanveer Sanman, given to the most promising stalwart in theatre industry of India, in the memory of his late son Tanveer Lagoo.

Religion

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 Lagoo had to stand before Lord Vitthal, "did you stand there as a devotee or only as per the demand of the script?" Lagoo replied "I stood there as if I was standing in front of a 'stone' that is known as Panduranga".[9]

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 Abraham Kovoor. In this article 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:[10]

“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.”

Filmography

Marathi movies

Marathi plays

Hindi movies

Awards and recognitions

References

  1. ↑ "Shriram Lagoo Biography, Shriram Lagoo Bio data, Profile, Videos, Photos". http://www.in.com/. Retrieved 2015-11-16. External link in |website= (help)
  2. ↑ "Shreeram Lagoo". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
  3. ↑ Support pours in for Hazare Indian Express, 13 August 1999.
  4. ↑ लमाण Popular Prakashan, 8 May 2013.
  5. ↑ 100 years of Cinema : Naseeruddin Shah, 2 May 2013.
  6. ↑ Aparna Dharwadker, "Lagoo, Shreeram" in Encyclopedia of Asian Theater v.1 p.364 Greenwood, 2007
  7. ↑ "Curtain goes up on a new act at PDA". Times Of India. 13 October 2001. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  8. ↑ Still Waters Indian Express, 20 April 1998.
  9. ↑ Hindus feel hurt by Dr. Shreeram Lagoo's frank opinion that the Idols were just "stones" for him
  10. ↑ As quoted by Vivek Jagar in his Article "Debates on Conscious Awakening" on Antisuperstition.Org
  11. ↑ "Aamir Khan to receive special Dinanath Mangeshkar award". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
  12. ↑ ‘Marathi theatres’ pristine glory will be restored’ Indian Express, 4 August 2007.
  13. ↑ "Declaration of Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the year 2009" (Press release). Ministry of Culture. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
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