Gurudas Kamat releases stamps on six legendary Indian Cinema actresses

New Delhi, Feb 14 (ANI): Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology Gurudas Kamat released a set of six stamps on six legendary actresses of Indian Cinema here last evening.

These legendary heroines of Indian cinema are Kanan Devi, Devika Rani, Savitri, Meena Kumari, Leela Naidu and Nutan.

Two legendary heroines of yesteryears Asha Parekh and Vaijayantimala Bali graced the occasion and remembered the actresses and work culture of those days.

Tajdar Amrohi, the family member of Meena Kumari and family members of Savithri were also present on the occasion.

Kamat also released a coffee table book 'Pigeon to Post' by Steve Borgia on Indian postal history on this occasion.

Devika Rani was the star and late manager of Bombay Talkies, from where she dominated the first decade of the Indian sound film and set the standard for the post 1950 Hindi film heroine.

Daughter of Col. Choudhury, surgeon of Madras, and grandniece of Tagore, she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Royal Academy of Music (London) and also held a degree in architecture and was a successful designer of Paisley textiles. She married Himanshu Rai in 1929.

Her first film produced by Rai and directed by Osten, was as costume designer (and probably as extra) for "Prapanch Pash"(1929). In Germany where the film was edited, Rani was able to see Fritzlang, G.W.Pabst and Sternberg at work and assisted Marlene DIetrich on the set of 'Deblau Engel' (1930).

Kanan Devi, actress and singer, started with the name Kananbala. Debuting as a child actress in Joydev, she worked under contract with Radha Films where she acted in Jyotish Bannerjee Films. P.C. Barua was unable to obtain her for his role of Paro in 'Devdas' (1935) but she played the lead in his next film, Mukti, which made her a star and launched her long association with New Theatres.

Meena Kumari was born in Bombay, one of the daughters of the Parsee theatre actor, singer and music teacher Ali Bux and dancer Iqbal Begum, Having hit upon hard time and living near the Rooptara Studios, Ali Bux sought to get his three daughters into films.

Her main persona was constructed through movies like Kamal Amrohi's 'Daera', Bimal Roy's 'Yahudi' and Guru Dutt's 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam', culminating in her most famous film, 'Pakeezah'.

She married Amrohi, who directed some of her best work. The couple eventually completed the film they jointly conceived, 'Pakeezah', in 1971 just before her death.

Nutan, top Hindi 60s star was introduced to films by her mother, Shobhana Samarth, in Hamari Beti. Her screen image was moulded by Bimal Roy (Sujata, Bandini) and by those who continued in the Roy tradition: Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Anari), Bimal Dutt (Kasturi) and Sudhendu Roy (Saudagar).

Savithri Telugu- Tamil actress and director, was born in Chirravuru, Guntur District, AP into a wealthy family. She learnt music and dance under Sista Purnayya Sastry and gave some public performances as a child in Vijayawada.

Leelu Naidu was an actress who starred in small number of Hindi and English films, including 'The Householder', Merchant Ivory Productions' first film.

Selected Femina Miss India in 1954, she was featured in the Vogue along with Maharani Gayatri Devi in the list of 'world's Ten Most Beautiful Women and is remembered for her classical beauty and subtle acting style.(ANI)