#GoldenFrames: Motilal Rajvansh, an actor with insight and nuance - Motilal was effortlessly natur- Navbharat Times Photodhamal

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Motilal was effortlessly natural. In his time, he was already the highest-paid male star in India. Motilal's acting chops were phenomenal for someone with no background in acting. He spoke like he was having a conversation with the audience. His naturalistic manner can seem contemporary even today. He was the darling of millions and climbed dizzying heights of stardom in a matter of years. Motilal starred in over sixty movies, with at least 30 in the lead.

In This Pic : Motilal Rajvansh

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Born in Shimla on 4 December 1910, in a distinguished family. Motilal's father was a renowned educationist who died when he was one year old. His uncle, a well-known civil surgeon in Uttar Pradesh, brought him up. At first, Moti was sent to an English school in Shimla and, later, to Uttar Pradesh. After that, he shifted to Delhi, where he continued with school and college.

In This Pic : Motilal Rajvansh

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After leaving college, Motilal came to Mumbai to join the Navy, but he fell ill and could not appear for the test. Fate had other choices charted out for him. One day, Motilal went to see a movie shoot at Sagar Studios, where director K. P. Ghosh was shooting. Motilal's charismatic personality caught Ghosh's eye, and he landed a lead role in 'Sheher Ka Jadoo' (1934).

In This Pic : Motilal Rajvansh

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Motilal later featured in several successful social dramas alongside Sabita Devi, including 'Dr. Madhurika' (1935) and 'Kulvadhu' (1937). He worked with Mehboob Khan in 'Jagirdar' (1937) and 'Hum Tum Aur Woh' (1938) under the Sagar Movietone banner, in 'Taqdeer' (1943) for Mehboob Productions, and Kidar Sharma's 'Armaan' (1942) and 'Kaliyan' (1944). He also acted in S. S. Vasan's movie 'Paigham' (1959) (Gemini Studios) and Raj Kapoor's 'Jagte Raho' (1956).

In This Pic : Motilal Rajvansh

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Motilal received the most critical appreciation of the gentleman crook in S. S. Vasan's adaptation of R K Narayan's book of the same name 'Mr Sampat' (1952).

In This Pic : Motilal Rajvansh