Chandrakant Gokhale Biography 
Chandrakant Gokhale was a veteran stage actor belonging to Marathi theatre who dedicated long 71 years to this field. He was also a Marathi film actor and a singer. He is the son of actress Kamlabai Gokhale and grandson of Durgabai Kamat and both these ladies are credited to the first heroines of Indian screen. Both mother and daughter appeared in the roles of goddess Parvathy and Maya in Dada sahib Phalke’s second movie - Mohini Bhasmasur, which was a commercial hit too. Both his sons are very successful theater artists and film actors - Vikram Gokhale and Mohan Gokhale. Gokhale passed away in 2008. He was diagnosed with cancer. He was active in his field even during his last days and he shot for the movie ‘Ti’ at Nagpur a few days before his death.
He was born on 7 January 1921 in an artist family which launched theater 100 years ago in 1907. Miraj in western Maharashtra was his native place. His mother Kamlabai Gokhale was the first woman to act on modern Marathi stage. He lost his father Raghunathrao Gokhale at a younger age. He was associated with film and theater for more than 60 years and has worked with almost all leading banners and directors. He inherited the art of acting from his mother and he belonged to the third generation of his family associated with theatre. Gokhale was a trained classical vocalist too and has been associated with many vocalists and musicians like Ustad Ahmedjaan Thirakwa and Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. Many of his plays were very successful including critically-acclaimed play Purush, in Hindi and Marathi.
He began his acting career with the play, 'Punha Hindu' and was also associated with Deenanath Mangeshkar's Balwant Natak Mandali during his early days. In those days, he sang with Lata Mangeshkar for stage plays. S.N. Pendse's 'Rajemaster', V.V. Shirwadkar's 'Natsamrat', Jaywant Dalvi's 'Barrister' and 'Purush' are his noted plays as a stage actor. He has also appeared in over 100 films.
Published: N/A
Updated: June 27, 2014
