Raja Thakur

Raja Thakur (1923–1975) was an Indian film director who primarily worked in the Marathi film industry. He is best known for his films Me Tulas Tujhya Angani, Rangalya Ratree Ashya (1962), Ektee (1968), Mumbaicha Jawai (1970), Gharkul (1971) and Jawai Vikat Ghene Aahe (1972); for which he won National and State-level awards.

Career Thakur was born in 1923 in Phonda near Kolhapur, Maharashtra. He started his film career as assistant to Master Vinayak and Raja Paranjape and directed various films in the 1960s based on storylines of middle-class Maharashtrian people. This genre was a repeated feature in directorial works of Thakur and Rajdutt, who dominated the industry before the comedies of Dada Kondke became popular in the 1970s. He also produced films under his banner "Nav Chitra".

The 1955 social film Me Tulas Tujhya Angani was produced under his banner Nav Chitra and had Hindustani classical music-based songs sung by Bhimsen Joshi. It won the President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film at the 3rd National Film Awards. The film earned him another President's Silver Medal at the 10th National Film Awards. Thakur achieved his third National Film Award for Ektee (1968) at the 16th National Film Awards. The film was also released in the Soviet Union and later adapted into a Hindi film by Basu Chatterjee as Piya Ka Ghar. The film won the fourth National Film Award presented at the 18th National Film Awards and also the "Best Film" award at the Maharashtra State Film Awards. In 1976 his Hindi film Raeeszada was released. Produced by V. L. Khare, the film starred Vikram, Zarina Wahab, Rakesh Roshan, Shriram Lagoo and Helen. In 1972 he also directed an English film Birbal My Brother.

Filmography Thakur directed the following films:

Awards and recognition Thakur's four directorial pursuits won the National Film Award in the Best Feature Film in Marathi category. He made a hat-trick by winning the Maharashtra State Film Awards in Best Film category from 1970 to 1972 and is the only director to do so. Shared with production house The Maharashtra Film Industrial Co-Operative Society Ltd.