Snehprabha Pradhan

Snehprabha Pradhan
Born(1915-10-28)28 October 1915
Died7 December 1993(1993-12-07) (aged 78)
OccupationActress
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1940; div. 1941)​

Snehprabha Pradhan (28 October 1915 – 7 December 1993) was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi and Marathi cinema, and later expanded to Marathi theatre. She made her film debut with Civil Marriage (1940) and gained recognition with Punar Milan (1940). Her notable films included Pyaas (1941), Khilona (1942), Naya Tarana (1943), Salgirah, Dharti Ke Lal (both 1946) and Birha Ki Raat (1950).

Pradhan later focused on Marathi theatre and published her autobiography, Snehankita, in the 1970s. She died on 7 December 1993, aged 78.

Life and career

Pradhan was born on 28 October 1915, in Nagpur.[1] Her parents, Tarabai and Vithalrao Pradhan, were of Marathi descent.[2] According to Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, she was one of "one of the first college girls (the others were Durga Khote, Enakshi Rama Rao and Leela Chitnis) from an emancipated Maharashtrian household".[3]: 208 

Pradhan began her career in the late 1930s by joining Bombay Talkies, where she was among the several young actors groomed by Devika Rani in a natural style of acting, alongside other newcomers such as Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor.[4] Her film debut came in Ramchandra Thakur's Civil Marriage (1940), in which she acted opposite Arun and Harish.[1] The same year, she gained recognition as a leading actress with Punar Milan (1940). She married co-star Kishore Sahu and divorced him a year later.[1] In 1942, Pradhan appeared in the Marathi-language film Pahili Mangalagaur; it marked the screen debut of Lata Mangeshkar, in a small role as the younger sister of Pradhan's character.[5]

Pradhan's other notable films included Pyaas (1941), Khilona (1942), Naya Tarana (1943), Salgirah (1946), and Birha Ki Raat (1950).[1] She also appeared as a part of an ensemble cast in Khwaja Ahmad Abbas' Dharti Ke Lal (1946).[6] Pradhan's later career shifted substantially toward Marathi theatre. She notably played Desdemona in a production of Othello, opposite Nanasaheb Phatak playing Othello.[7]

Parallel to her acting career, Pradhan was also engaged in off-screen social work. After Indian independence, she was selected by Cinevoice, alongside Nargis and Veera, to report on an All India Congress Committee session in Bombay.[8]: 112  In 1953, she participated in Constellation Night, a Hindi film industry charity show for scarcity-affected areas of Maharashtra, performing alongside actor Randhir Kapoor.[8]: 142 

In her private life, Pradhan had a relationship with Dr. Shirodkar for about 14 years, until his death.[1] Pradhan published an autobiography titled Snehankita in the 1970s.[9] She died on 7 December 1993.[1]

Filmography

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Khetan, Sheo (2024). Hindi Films: The Stars of the 1938–40 Films: Part 4. Michigan, USA: Toofaanii Publishers. pp. 61–62.
  2. ↑ Women Power in India. Kanishka Publishers. 1994. p. 34. ISBN 978-81-7391-014-2.
  3. ↑ Abbas, Khwaja Ahmad (1977). I Am Not An Island. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House.
  4. ↑ Garga, B. D. (1 December 2005). Art Of Cinema. Penguin UK. p. 52. ISBN 978-81-8475-431-5.
  5. ↑ Mishra, Yatindra (30 January 2023). Lata: A Life in Music. Penguin Random House India. p. 14. ISBN 978-93-5492-889-5.
  6. ↑ Banerjee, Shampa; Srivastava, Anil (1988). One Hundred Indian Feature Films: An Annotated Filmography. Taylor & Francis. p. 74. ISBN 978-0-8240-9483-6.
  7. ↑ A Tribute to Shakespeare. Theatre & Television Associates. 1989. p. 17.
  8. 1 2 Karanjia, B. K. (2005). Counting My Blessings. Penguin Books India. ISBN 978-0-670-05849-5.
  9. ↑ Kanadey, V. R. (1991). Contemporary Marathi literature. B. R. Publications. p. 85. ISBN 978-81-7018-628-1.
  10. ↑ "Snehprabha Stars In "Pyas"". The Times of India. 7 February 1942. p. 8. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "Snehprabha Stars In Amar's Coming Release "Khilauna"". The Times of India. 14 March 1942. p. 8. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  12. ↑ ""Ladai-ke-Bad" Draws Crowds". The Times of India. 10 July 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 18 August 2026.
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