Lekh Tandon

Lekh Tandon Biography

Lekh Tandon is a famous film and serial director who has directed a few memorable Hindi movies of 1960’s. He has been one of the prominent television serial directors during 1980’s and 1990’s and has long term association with Doordarshan. He has also done character roles in a few movies most recently. He is brother of Urdu playwright Yograj Tandon. As a film director, his most famous movies are Jahan Pyar Mile (1969), Prince (1969), Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968), Amrapali (1966), Professor (1962), Doosri Dulhan (1983), Khuda Kasam (1981), Ek Baar Kaho (1980), Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaaye (1977)  and Agar tum na hote (1983). He has also done character roles in movies like Swades, Paheli, Rang De Basanti, Halla Bol, Chaarfutiya Chhokare and Chennai Express.

Lekh Tandon was born on 13 February 1929 at Lahore of British India. He and Prithviraj Kapoor were schoolmates at High School at Khalsa High School, Lyallpur. They studied together and have been friends. He came to Mumbai in 1944 on a holiday and happened to stay with Prithviraj Kapoor. It was Kapoor who inspired Tandon to enter Bollywood. During the same time Lekh's brother Yograj was working as assistant-director and secretary to Prithviraj Kapoor. Lekh too began his career as an assistant director to Prithviraj and with early 1960’s he moved to direction field.

His biopic project was ‘Amrapali’. Though he had full expectations in this expensive film, the film flopped at box office though its songs were noticed. It even prompted the lead heroine Vyjayanthimala to take a temporary break from films. But the movie was India's official entry to the 39th Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language Film. In 1978, he won Best screenplay award at Filmfare for Dulhan Wahi Jo Piya Man Bhaye. ‘Phir Wahi Talaash’ marked his small screen debut as a director.

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Updated: February 11, 2014