Sulochana Latkar

Sulochana Latkar (born Rangu Diwan; 30 July 1928 – 4 June 2023), better known by her screen name Sulochana, was an Indian actress of Marathi and Hindi cinema, who acted in 50 films in Marathi and around 250 films in Hindi. She received accolades and honor throughout her career. In 1997, the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed on her by the Government of Maharashtra. She has been honoured by the Government of India with Padma Shri for her contribution in the field of Arts. In 2009, she received the Maharashtra Bhushan, the highest civilian honour in the Indian state of Maharashtra. She epitomized the "mother" roles right from 1959 until the early 1990s.

She was most known for her performances in Marathi films such as Sasurvas (1946), Meeth Bhakar (1949), Vahinichya Bangdya (1953), Dhakti Jaoo (1958) and Sangtye Aika (1959) in the lead roles,

During her youth in Kolhapur, she developed a keen interest in cinema. Through a family acquaintance, she secured a position at Master Vinayak’s Prafulla Pictures with a monthly salary of thirty rupees. She made her entry into the film industry with the film Chimukla Sansar in 1943, appearing in a scene alongside actor Raja Gosavi. During this period, she built professional relationships with several prominent figures, including Lata Mangeshkar, G. D. Madgulkar, and Raja Gosavi. During her initial struggles with language and dialect, she received moral support from Lata Mangeshkar, with whom she maintained a long-standing friendship.

Latkar married Aabasaheb Chavan at a young age. Her husband, who was acquainted with filmmaker Bhalji Pendharkar, encouraged her acting career and facilitated her introduction to Pendharkar's Jayprabha Studio. She was appointed as a junior artist at the studio on a monthly salary of fifty rupees. Pendharkar cast her in the 1943 Hindi film Maharathi Karna, which featured Prithviraj Kapoor and Durga Khote in lead roles. It was during this phase of her career that Pendharkar renamed her "Sulochana," a name she subsequently adopted professionally. She regarded Pendharkar as her lifelong mentor, and following her performance in Maharathi Karna, he created a specific role for her in the film Sasurvas.

Career

She has worked in over 300 Hindi films and around 50 Marathi films and made her debut in films in 1946. She was lead actress in Marathi films from 1946 to 1961 with films like Sasurvas (1946), Vahinichya Bangdya (1953), Meeth Bhakar, Sangtye Aika (1959), Laxmi Ali Ghara, Mothi Manse, Jivacha Sakha, Pativrata, Sukhache Sobti, Bhaubeej, Akashganga and Dhakti Jau. She was often paired opposite Nazir Hussain, Trilok Kapoor and Ashok Kumar throughout her career in Hindi films. She quoted in an interview that she loved playing mother to three actors - Sunil Dutt, Dev Anand and Rajesh Khanna.

She often played mother or as close relative in Hindi films with Sunil Dutt as the leading man such as in Heera, Jhoola, Ek Phool Char Kante, Sujatha, Mehrbaan (1967), Chirag, Bhai Bahen (1969), Reshma Aur Shera, Umar Qaid, Muqabla, Jaani Dushman and Badle Ki Aag. She was a regular in films with Dev Anand in the lead roles, where either Dev Anand was her son or relative and some of their films together were Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai, Pyar Mohabbat, Duniya (1968), Johny Mera Naam, Amir Garib, Warrant and Joshila. Since 1969, she often played an on-screen close relative to the character played by Rajesh Khanna and some of their famous films included Dil Daulat Duniya, Bahraon Ke Sapne, Doli, Kati Patang, Mere Jeevan Saathi, Prem Nagar, Aakraman, Bhola Bhala, Tyaag, Aashiq Hoon Baharaon Ka and Adhikar (1986). Her other best known films include Nai Roshni (1967), Aaye Din Bahar Ke, Aaye Milan Ki Bela, Ab Dilli Dur Nahin, Majboor, Gora Aur Kala, Devar, Bandini, Kahani Kismat Ki, Talaash (1969) and Azaad (1978).

In 2003, she was awarded the Chitrabhushan Award instituted by the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Baburao Painter, one of the founders of the modern Marathi cinema.

Personal life and death Latkar was lived in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. She entered into marriage at the age of 14 to S.K. Chavan, who was commonly known as Aabasaheb Chavan. This early marriage was a central aspect of her life, occurring well before her rise to prominence in the film industry.

Her daughter, Kanchan Ghanekar, was married to the renowned theatre and film actor Kashinath Ghanekar. Additionally, Sulochana had an adopted son named Ram Kelkar. He was married to the actress Jeevankala, who was a well-known performer in both Marathi and Hindi cinema. Through this lineage, the family's involvement in the performing arts continued; her granddaughter, Manisha Kelkar—the daughter of Ram Kelkar and Jeevankala also established a career as an actress.

Latkar died from respiratory failure at Shushrusha Hospital in Dadar, Mumbai, on 4 June 2023. She was 94.

Selected filmography

Awards Latkar was a recipient of the civilian honour of Padma Shri (1999). She was awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. In 2009, she was awarded the Maharashtra Bhushan Award by the Government of Maharashtra. In 2021 she Received Filmfare Marathi Lifetime Achievement Award For Her Contribution in Marathi Cinema.