Leela Chitnis

[AUTHORITY: WIKIPEDIA]
Leela Chitnis (née Nagarkar; 9 September 1909 – 14 July 2003) was an Indian actress in the Indian film industry, active from the 1930s to the 1980s. In her early years she starred as a romantic lead, but she is best remembered for her later roles playing a virtuous and upright mother to leading stars.


Born Leela Nagarkar
9 September 1909
Dharwad, Bombay Presidency, British India (present-day Karnataka, India)
Died 14 July 2003 (aged 93)
Danbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupations Film actor, theatre actor
Years active 1930s-1980s
Spouse Gajanan Yashwant Chitnis
Contents
1 Early life
2 Career
3 Personal life
4 Filmography
4.1 Actress
4.2 Director
4.3 Producer
5 References
6 External links
Early life


She was born in a Marathi-speaking Brahmin family, in Dharwad, Karnataka. Her father was an English literature professor. With a B.A. degree, she was one of the first educated film actresses. After graduation she joined Natyamanwantar, a progressive theater group that produced plays in her native Marathi language. The group's works were greatly influenced by Ibsen, Shaw and Stanislavsky. With the theatre group, Leela played the lead role in a series of comedies and tragedies and even founded her own repertory.