HARI KASHMIRI IN BOLLYWOOD

                                                                                    

                                        

( Hari Kashmiri ..Photo Courtesy..Mrs.Neena Kher Mumbai) 

                                

         ( Poster of Choubey Ji produced by Hari Kashmiri Photo courtesy : Vijay Parimoo)

HARI KASHMIRI......

From the Bamzai family of Gurgari Mohalla, Ali Kadal , Srinagar , one Hriday Nath Bamzai ( younger brother of Kashi Nath Bamzai) had moved to Mumbai in his youth to try his luck in acting .He was handsome and smart but his Urdu/ Hindi pronunciation had a typical Kashmiri accent. Having failed to find work after doing some minor roles, he decided to set up his own business of supplying extras ( now known as junior artists ) to film companies. In Mumbai, he changed his name and was known as Hari Kashmiri. Hari Kashmiri would pay advance money to his junior artists and looked after them like his own family members. Very soon, he became quite popular and much sought after person by Mumbai film companies. He made good money from this business .He purchased a Bunglow and  shifted to live in this spacious house along with his family.

His artists looked at him as a trusted man who always carried a travel bag hanging around his shoulders . The bag was stuffed with currency. At the end of the shoot, Hari Kashmiri would call pack up and personally compensate his actors for their day’s work. 

His trade rivals turned envious of his popularity that became a reason for decline of their own business .Most of the contractors supplying extras would cheat poor extra artists by paying them less after negotiating hefty amounts with  the producers. 

Hari Kashmiri was finally murdered by some rivals in the business. He had a son who lived in Mumbai .

Yes he belonged to the Anand Koul Bamzai clan.His brother , Kashi Nath Bamzai served as Press Advisor to Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru and retired as Registrar Newspapers,GOI.

 Shri Vijay Parimoo from Mumbai informs me this :

 " His only daughter Neena Bamzai ( now Kher) lives at Khar in Mumbai. She is an active member of Kashmiri Pandit Association, Mumbai. His wife died some years back. She had sold her property 'Kashmir Hindu Restaurant 'at Parel in Mumbai. She  was living with her  daughter . He had also co- produced a movie " Hip Hip Hurray- Choubey  Ji "."

And Delhi based senior journalists, Sandeep Bamzai and Kaveri Bamzai are grand children of Kashi Nath Bamzai...

( Avtar Mota)

                                         

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