దుర్గా ఖోటే

దుర్గా ఖోటే (14 జనవరి 1905 − 22 సెప్టెంబర్ 1991) ఒక భారతీయ చలనచిత్ర నటి. ఈమె హిందీ, మరాఠీ సినిమాలలోను, నాటకాలలోను 50 సంవత్సరాల పాటు విరివిగా నటించింది. ఈమె దాదాపు 200 సినిమాలలో నటించింది. ఈమె తన జీవితకాల సాఫల్యతకు భారతీయ సినిమారంగంలో అత్యున్నత పురస్కారమైన దాదాసాహెబ్ ఫాల్కే పురస్కారాన్ని 1983లో అందుకుంది.

వృత్తి 

1931లో ప్రభాత్ ఫిలిం కంపెనీ తీసిన ఫరేబి జాల్  మూకీ చిత్రంలో ఒక చిన్న పాత్రలో నటించడం ద్వారా దుర్గా ఖోటే సినిమా రంగప్రవేశం చేసింది. తరువాత మాయా మశ్చీంద్ర  అనే హిందీ,మరాఠీ ద్విభాషా చిత్రంలో నటించింది. 1932లో అయోధ్యేచ రాజా చిత్రంతో కథా నాయికగా నటించడం ఆరంభించింది. ఈ చిత్రంలో తారామతి వేషం ధరించింది. Indeed, she ventured yet another pioneering trend: Despite working closely with the Prabhat Film Company, she broke away from the "studio system" (exclusive contract with a studio to work in its films on a monthly salary) then in vogue and became one of the first "freelance" artistes of that era by working occasionally with the New Theatres, East India Film Co. (both at Calcutta), and Prakash Pictures.

In 1936, she played Saudamini in Amar Jyoti, which is one of her most memorable roles.

In 1937, she produced and directed a film titled Saathi, making her one of the first women to step into this role in Indian cinema. The 40s opened for her in a big way, with award-winning performances in Aachary Atre's Payachi Dasi (Marathi) and Charnon Ki Dasi (Hindi) (1941) and Vijay Bhatt's classic Bharat Milap (1942), both of which got her the BFJA Best Actress Award for two consecutive years.

Durga Khote remained active in the theatre circuit for many years, especially the Marathi theatre in Mumbai. She was actively associated with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and worked in several plays for the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh. In 1954, she famously performed the role of Lady Macbeth in V.V. Shirwadkar's Marathi adaptations of Macbeth, as Rajmukut, The Royal Crown, along with Nanasaheb Phatak.

Durga Khote played a wide variety of roles over a career that was not only long, but also untouched by scandal. She was the inspiration for several generations of Indian actresses, including veterans such as the late Shobhna Samarth, who frequently spoke of how she had been inspired by Khote's example.

During later years, she played several important character roles, such as the mother of the protagonist. Her portrayal of Jodhabai, the queen of Akbar torn between duty towards her husband and love towards her son in Mughal-e-Azam (1960) was well received. In 1963, she acted in Merchant Ivory's debut film The Householder (1963).

She went on to play other widely appreciated character roles in later movies, such as the role of the grandmother of the heroine in Bobby (1973), the hero's aunt in Abhimaan (1973), and the very memorable Bidaai (1974), where she played a mother, a very sensitive role that can make one cry and received the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award.

Her final memorable role was in Subhash Ghai's Karz (1980), where she played the role of the mother of Raj Kiran and later, mother to Rishi Kapoor, who played the role of Raj Kiran's reincarnation after the screen death of Raj Kiran in the movie.

She acted in over 200 films in her career. By the 1980s she successfully diversified into production of short films, ad films and documentaries by setting up Fact Films and later, Durga Khote Productions, which produced the Doordarshan TV series Wagle Ki Duniya.

వ్యక్తిగత జీవితం 
Durga Khote was married when she was a teenager to Vishwanath Khote, a gentleman of her own caste and similar social background, in a match arranged by their parents in the usual Indian manner. It was a traditional marriage into an orthodox family, the couple lived a harmonious and happy life, and the marriage was blessed with two sons. Vishwanath was a mechanical engineer who had graduated from Banaras Hindu University. His family was upper middle class and professional, with modern English education and high social standing; his ancestors had been prominent bankers.

Unfortunately, Vishwanath Khote died young, when Durga was barely into her 20s. She and her sons continued to reside with her in-laws, as is traditional in India, but she was not comfortable with her dependent position, especially because her father-in-law was no more, and they were dependent on other family members for their expenses. Shs thus felt impelled to make a living any which way she could, and the opening in films happened entirely by chance. The fact that she came from a modern and English-educated family meant that, even as a widow, she was able to act in films, which was derided as a disreputable profession in those days.

Durgaji, thus raised her two sons, Bakul and Harin, single-handedly. Both of them went on to become well-settled in life. But she suffered the loss of her son Harin, who predeceased her and died in his 40s. Harin was married to Vijaya Jaywant, and they were the parents of two sons. After Harin's early death, his widow married a Parsi man named Farrokh Mehta and became famous as the film-maker Vijaya Mehta.

Durga Khote's grandchildren (children of Bakul and Harin) include her grandson Ravi, a filmmaker; granddaughter Anjali Khote, an actress; and grandson Deven Khote, a successful producer who is one of the co-founders of UTV, and who has also directed a film. Deven Khote is noted for producing films such as Jodhaa Akbar and Life in a Metro.

Durga Khote's brother-in-law, Nandu Khote (brother of Vishwanath), was a noted stage and silent movie actor. Two of Nandu's children are also active in the film industry. His son Viju Khote is an actor perhaps best known for his role of "Kalia" in Sholay (1975). Nandu's daughter is the actress Shubha Khote, who debuted in Seema (1955) and worked as a heroine in several films before moving to character roles. Still later, she moved to directing and producing Marathi films and also entered television in the 90s. Shubha's daughter, Bhavana Balsavar, is also an award-winning TV actress who appeared in sitcoms like Dekh Bhai Dekh and Zabaan Sambhalke before deciding to settle down and raise a family. Thus, the acting profession which was pioneered by Durga Khote in her family has been fully embraced by her late husband's family.

Durga Khote also had some rather improbable, distinguished relatives with no connection to films. The socialite and politician Sharda Mukherjee (nee Sharada Pandit), who herself served as governor of the states of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, and who was the wife of Subroto Mukherjee, India's first Chief of the Air Staff, was Durga Khote's first cousin (her mother's sister's daughter). Sharda Mukherjee's paternal uncle, Ranjit Sitaram Pandit, was the husband of Jawaharlal Nehru's sister Vijayalakshmi Pandit. In other words, Durga Khote's mausi (mother's sister) was the Devrani of Vijayalakshmi Pandit; their husbands were the Pandit brothers.

Later in life, Durga Khote wrote an autobiography in Marathi, entitled Mee, Durga Khote, which was translated into English as I, Durga Khote, and moved to Alibaug, near Mumbai. Durga Khote died on 22 September 1991.

ఫిల్మోగ్రఫీ

అవార్డులు 

|-
| 1942
| Charnon Ki Dasi
| BFJA Awards: Best Actress
| 
|-
| 1943
| Bharat Milap
| BFJA Awards: Best Actress
| 
|-
| 1968
| –
| Padma Shri, fourth highest civilian award by the Government of India.
| 
|-
| 1970
|  Dhartichi Lekre
| Maharashtra State Award
| 
|-
| 1974
| Bidaai
| Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award
| 
|-
| 1983
| –
| Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the lifetime recognition award for films from Government of India
| 
|}

గుర్తింపు 
A postage stamp, bearing her face, was released by India Post to honour her on 3 May 2013.

మూలాలు

ఇవి కూడా చదవండి 
I, Durga Khote: An autobiography, translated into English by Shanta Gokhale (2006);  &

బయటి లింకులు 

 
 Durga Khote filmography
 Film music history – First section titled Until 1935
 Mention of her role in theatre and ads

సంగీత నాటక అకాడమీ అవార్డు గ్రహీతలు
20వ శతాబ్ద భారతీయ నటీమణులు
మరాఠీ రంగస్థల కళాకారులు
హిందీ సినిమా నటీమణులు
మరాఠీ సినిమా నటీమణులు
1905 జననాలు
1991 మరణాలు
భారతీయ సినిమా మహిళా నిర్మాతలు
బెంగాల్ ఫిల్మ్ జర్నలిస్ట్స్ అసోసియేషన్ అవార్డులు గెలుపొందినవారు
పద్మశ్రీ పురస్కార గ్రహీతలు
దాదాసాహెబ్‌ ఫాల్కే అవార్డు గ్రహీతలు
భారతీయ మహిళా రచయితలు