Manmohan Desai
{{Short description|Indian film producer and director}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Manmohan Desai
| image =Man Mohan Desai.jpg
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date |df=yes|1937|2|26}}{{cite book|author=Connie Haham|title=Manmohan Desai's Enchantment of the Mind|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bnZsBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT20|date=1 December 2005|publisher=Roli Books Private Limited|isbn=978-93-5194-049-4|pages=20–}}
| birth_place = Bombay, Bombay Province, British India
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1994|3|1|1937|2|26}}
| death_place = Bombay, Maharashtra, India
| othername =
| alma_mater = St. Xavier's College
| occupation = Film director, producer
| yearsactive = 1960–1993
| spouse = Jeevanprabha Gandhi{{cite web|last1=Singh|first1=Kuldip|title=Obituary: Manmohan Desai|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-manmohan-desai-1426903.html|work=The Independent|date=4 March 1994 |access-date=8 August 2015}}
| children = Ketan Desai
| parents = {{unbulleted list| Kikubhai Desai |Kalavati}}{{cite web|last1=Raje|first1=Niilesh A|title=Anhonee Ko Honee Karde: A Tribute To Manmohan Desai|date=26 February 2015 |url=http://learningandcreativity.com/anhonee-ko-honee-karde-a-tribute-to-manmohan-desai/|publisher=Learning & Creativity|access-date=8 August 2015}}
| website =
}}
Manmohan Desai (26 February 1937 – 1 March 1994) was an Indian film producer and director. He was one of the most successful filmmakers of the 70s and 80s.{{cite web | url=https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2022/great-directors/desai-manmohan/ | title=Desai, Manmohan – Senses of Cinema | date=19 March 2014 }} Desai was an influential and sought-after film director of Bollywood and a pioneer of making Masala films along with Prakash Mehra and Nasir Hussain.{{cite web | url=https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/the-champion-of-masala-films-manmohan-desai-made-bollywood-what-it-is-today/370726/ | title=The champion of masala films, Manmohan Desai made Bollywood what it is today | website=ThePrint | date=26 February 2020 }}
Family background
Manmohan Desai was of Gujarati ancestry. His father, Kikubhai Desai,{{cite web | title=Kikubhai Desai | website=IMDb | url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1509216/ | access-date=2022-09-24}} was an Indian film producer and owner of Paramount Studios (later Filmalaya)Tejaswini Ganti 2004, "Bollywood: A Guide to Popular Hindi Cinema", Routeledge Guidebooks, New York and London. from 1931 to 1941. His productions, mainly stunt films, included Circus Queen, Golden Gang, and Sheikh Challi.Connie Haham (2006) Enchantment of the Mind: Manmohan Desai's Films, Roli Books, New Delhi, p 182. Manmohan Desai's elder brother, Subhash Desai, became a producer in the 1950s{{cite web | title=Subhash Desai | website=IMDb | url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1194304/ | access-date=2022-09-24}} and gave Manmohan his first break in the Hindi film Chhalia (1960). Subhash later went on to produce Bluff Master, Dharam Veer, and Desh Premee with Manmohan as the director.
His wife was Jeevanprabha Desai. She died in April 1979. He was engaged to actress Nanda from 1992 until the time of his death in 1994. He had one son Ketan Desai who is still involved in the film industry. Ketan is married to Kanchan Kapoor, daughter of actor Shammi Kapoor and actress Geeta Bali.[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/photo-features/know-less-popular-members-of-the-kapoor-khandaan/photostory/37246703.cms "Know less popular members of the Kapoor khandaan"], The Times of India
On 1 March 1994, as per news Manmohan Desai fell from the balcony in Girgaon and died.{{cite web|last1=Bawa|first1=Jyoti Sharma|title=With Nanda's death, I have lost a very good friend: Actor Mala Sinha|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/with-nanda-s-death-i-have-lost-a-very-good-friend-mala-sinha/article1-1200215.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216234146/http://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/with-nanda-s-death-i-have-lost-a-very-good-friend-mala-sinha/article1-1200215.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 February 2015|publisher=Hindustan Times|access-date=8 August 2015}} There are doubts that he jumped to his death due to health issues {{cite web|last1=Jha|first1=Subhash|title= Remembering The Incomparable Manmohan Desai|url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/special/remembering-the-incomparable-manmohan-desai/20220228.htm | url-status=live|publisher=Rediff.com|access-date=19 April 2025}}
Career
Manmohan Desai was known for his family-centered, action-song-and-dance films which catered to the tastes of the Indian masses and through which he achieved great success. His movies defined a new genre called masala films.{{cite web |title=When Manmohan Desai called Amar Akbar Anthony 'least favourite film' of his career, was sure 'it would flop': 'It was a fluke hit' |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/when-manmohan-desai-called-amar-akbar-anthony-least-favourite-film-of-his-career-thought-it-would-flop-fluke-hit-amitabh-bachchan-9177043/ |website=The Indian Express |language=en |date=26 February 2024}} A common theme in his films were the lost and found plot where family members would be separated and reunited.{{Cite web |last=Pothukuchi |first=Madhavi |date=2020-02-26 |title=The champion of masala films, Manmohan Desai made Bollywood what it is today |url=https://theprint.in/theprint-profile/the-champion-of-masala-films-manmohan-desai-made-bollywood-what-it-is-today/370726/ |access-date=2022-12-19 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}
Filmography
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0220828|name=Manmohan Desai}}
{{Manmohan Desai}}
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Category:Film producers from Mumbai
Category:20th-century Indian people