February 12th, 2012

Yashodhara Katju

[  Selected Filmography ]

Real Name -  Yashodhara Katju

Profession – Actress (Heroine / Supporting/ Comedienne)

Most Active/Popular Decades – 1940s / 1950s

Religion – Hindu

Ethnicity – Kashmiri Brahmin

Date of Birth – 15th April, Year ?

Date of Death – N/A

Debut Film – Either Lalaji (1942) or Roti (1942)

Last Film – Perhaps Do Phool (1973)

Significant others in the Film Industry – N/A

Hobbies and Interests:- Reading and Dancing (Manipuri and Kathakali)

Miscellaneous Info - Yashodhara Katju was born on 15th April (Year ? ) in Lahore. Niece of Pandit Nehru, she belonged to a very famous Kashmiri Brahmin family. Her father K.L. Katju was a senior official of U.P Government and a distinguished and famous politician.

Her family was settled in Lucknow for quite a while and she completed her Junior Cambridge there. She was also trained in classical dance, but film industry never utilized her dancing talents.

She always wanted to be an actress and on 15th August 1941 she joined National Studios. She played heroine and side heroine parts in films like Mahatma Vidur (1943), Dulhan (1943), Vijay Laxmi (1943) etc. Later she was reduced to character roles and became a popular comedienne in the 1950s. Her short plump stature and mischievous eyes really aided her in transitioning from leading to comedy roles. In films like Naujawan (1951), Dholak (1951), Sindbad the Sailor (1952), Ek do Teen (1953), Baaz (1953) etc she was cast in happy-go-lucky roles and even paired with other popular comedians of her time e.g. Bhagwan in Sindbad the Sailor (1952). Her last few films as character actress were released in early 1970s including Seema (1971), Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1972), Do Phool (1973) etc -  (Some of the material has been taken from the Urdu book Filmi Titliyan – Courtesy of Surjit Singh - Click here to visit the Source)

Related Youtube Video – Shamshad Begum singing for Yashodhara Katju in Dholak (1951), music by Shyam Sunder.

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