HINDI CINEMA ACTOR CHANDER MOHAN WATTAL WAS A KASHMIRI

                                                             

                 

CHANDER MOHAN WATTAL (1904-1949)

THE GREAT ACTOR  OF HINDI CINEMA ..

This blue eyed man is none other than Chander Mohan Wattal (1904 - 1949) the great actor  of  Indian cinema during  1930s and 1940s . He was a star of that period . 

When  V Shantaram saw him for the first time ,    he is reported to have said ,

“ His looks are regal. I want to have him at any price .”

And V Shantaram offered him the key  role of Rajguru  in  "Amrit Manthan," a movie that was released in 1934. It was followed by "Dharmatma"and “ Amar Jyoti “ both produced by  V Shantaram. His acting in “ Amar Jyoti” won him all India fan following. His name became a  guarantee at the box office especially after he  worked  in Sohrab Modi's "Pukar" in 1939. His successful films at the  box office include  "Geeta" (1940) , "Roti" (1942 Singer, Begam Akhtar then Akhtari bai Faizabadi also acted in this movie) , "Taqdeer" (1943), "Shakuntala" (1943),’ Naukar “ (1943), “Raunaq “(1944 ) ,Panna Dai" (1945), "Humaayun" (1945), “Mumtaz Mahal” ( 1945 ), “Shalimar” ( 1946 ) “Shaheed" (1948)  followed by  Raambaan" and “Dukhiyaari",  etc . Chandra Mohan was fluent in Marathi and he acted in some  Marathi movies also .

Chander Mohan belonged to a well-off   Kashmiri Pandit family originally from Allahabad . His father , Pandit  Jagannath Sahai Wattal moved  to Gwalior around 1900, where he got employment with Maharaja Madhav Rao Scindia (first) . Pandit  Jagan Nath Sahai Wattal was a cousin of  Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru. He  was married to a girl from  Mushran, family of Gwalior and young Chander Mohan was brought up at his maternal grandmother’s house    as his mother died when he  was  a child . His maternal grandmother lived at  Narsingpur (MP).

In 1935, Babu Rao Patel , who published the only English film magazine in India before 1947 known as ,” FILM INDIA” ,  devoted one issue  of his popular  magazine  to this star . He also published his own  interview with this star . I quote from this  interview :-

“ My grandfather was Dewan of Kaurauli State and my father was a member  of Gwalior Darbaar .I did not marry because it meant losing my individuality . I never work for money but for satisfaction of the artist within me .I read a lot of poetry in Urdu and I love to read English literature . By the time I grew up, I had lost my parents . So only guardians were there to take interest in my life .I ran away from my home in 1930 , joined a Cinema  House in Delhi as its manager and then moved to a film distribution company. One day I got a chance to visit Poona for some job assigned by my employers and there I met  V Shantaram at his” Prabhat Films” office .I dislike men who try to be goody goody . Man is a mixture of good and bad . If he is not that way  , he is not a man . Horse racing is my passion. I would like to work with  Buster Keaton in any comedy.”

And Babu Rao Patel concludes the interview with his own comments as under ,

“ At a monthly salary of 3750 rupees ,  he is the highest paid actor in the industry today. Take it from me , this swash buckling black sheep of numerous films  , may not be exactly modest but  is a fine fellow and a wonderful actor. ”

                       

It is pertinent to mention that  in 1945, K Asif had originally signed  Wattal for  “MUGHAL E  AAZAM “ to play the role of Akbar .  But  due to partition of the country in 1947, Hakim Shiraz Ali , the producer of the movie   decided  to go to Pakistan. The movie remained unfinished. Later on, when the determined K Asif revived this project in 1951-52,  Chandra Mohan was no more.

A bachelor  , Chander Mohan’s close friends included Ulhaas , K N singh,   K L Saigal, Prithvi Raj Kapoor ,Rajan Haksar and Moti Lal. He was fond of buying race horses, betting and drank  best quality scotch .  His horse racing  friends included   Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir   and  Maharaja  Jeewajirao Scindia of Gwalior.

Ulhas and Rajan Haksar were  the Kashmiris in Hindi  cinema  whom he patronised . Ulhas (M N Kaul) was from Ajmer. It was Chander Mohan who got him a job in Prabhat Film Company and  a role in the movie "Wahan". Ulhaas  respected Chander Mohan like his elder brother. He would visit Chandra Mohan at his house (16 Bilkha House, Churchgate) even during his bad times. Chander Mohan also treated Rajan Haksar like his younger brother .

Mrs Shiela James ( a Christian lady who was his house keeper ) , Mohammed his life long  cook and Mr Patel his secretary remained obedient and attached to him till his death.

(Avtar  Mota )

PS

 Babu Rao Patel was the editor of a very popular and successful film magazine of  1930s, 1940s and 1950s of the last century. This magazine named FILM INDIA , was published in English from Mumbai. Urdu writer Saadat Hassan Manto also worked with Babu Rao Patel's" weekly Urdu Newspaper CARVAAN published from Mumbai during that period. Manto also edited Nazir Ludhianavi,s Urdu film Magazine MUSSAVIR published from Mumbai during those days.

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