Ashish Kumar (actor)

Ashish Kumar (actor) Biography

Ashish Kumar was an actor and director associated with Bollywood and Bengali cinema during the classic era. Mostly known for playing mythological roles on screen, he is best remembered for his leading roles in Raja Harishchandra (1979), Jai Santoshi Maa (1975) and Jai Dwarkadheesh (1977). Jai Santoshi Maa was a blockbuster hit of 1970s. He played both lead and supporting roles on screen and was a popular figure in both Bollywood and Bengali cinema. He was married to famous actress and dancer, Bela Bose with whom he shared screen for numerous Hindi movies, particularly in the 1960s.

Ashish Kumar was also known as Asis Kumar. He became a part of Bengali cinema before he moved to Bollywood. He was mostly associated with films belonging to mythological genre, and was at his career peak in the 1960s and 1970s, when mythological films were high in demand. Though the era of 1970s is best known for action packed films, his movies like Jai Santoshi Maa ran houseful in theatres for many weeks, almost at the same time when the iconic action film, Sholay also got released. The landmark film Jai Santoshi Maa (1975) emerged as a national craze.

Asish’s first Bengali film was Balaygras in 1954, followed by Asha, Sonar Kathi etc. He moved to Bombay in the early 1960s in search of better opportunities in Hindi films. Phool Bane Angaare in 1963 is his first credited Hindi film, followed by Bharat Milap, Bahu Beti, Biwi Aur Makan, Naag Panchami, Seetaram Radheshyam, Sampoorna Devi Darshan etc. Biwi Aur Makan is one of his rare works, when he became a part of a comedy drama, entirely different from his mythological roles. He played the role of Shekar in this 1966 film.

Published: February 26, 2019

Updated: February 26, 2019