Ravindra Dave (16 April 1919 – 21 July 1992) was an Indian film director, producer, editor and screenwriter. He directed more than 30

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

films in the 1950s and 1960s including several hits like ''Nagina'' (1951), '' Agra Road'' (1957), ''Post Box 999'' (1958), ''Satta Bazaar'' (1959), ''Dulha Dulhan'' (1964) and '' Raaz'' (1967). He turned to

Gujarati cinema Gujarati cinema, also known as Dhollywood, is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema, dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Gujarati language widely spoken in the state of Gujarat. It is based in Ahmedabad. It is one ...

with his blockbuster ''Jesal Toral'' (1971) and directed more than 25 Gujarati films in the 1970s and 1980s.

Early life

Ravindra Dave was born on 16 April 1919 in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

(modern day

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

) in a

Brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

family. His family belonged to Halvad (modern day

Gujarat Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...

, India). At the age of 14, he joined his uncle Dalsukh M. Pancholi in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

as a production manager for his Punjabi films. He learned editing from producer and director

Shaukat Hussain Rizvi Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi (1914 – 19 August 1999) was a Pakistani actor, film producer and director. He is widely considered to be a pioneer of the Pakistani film industry. Early life and career Shaukat Hussain Rizvi was born in the city of ...

Career

Hindi cinema

Dave directed two songs for ''Shiri-Farhad'' in 1942, which was left incomplete by director Prahalad Dutt. His direction of songs impressed his uncle Dalsukh Pancholi who entrusted him with the job. In 1943, he co-directed ''

Poonji ''Poonji'' is a Bollywood film. It was released in 1943. The film was directed by Ravindra Dave and Vishnu R. Pancholi. It starred M. Esmail, Durga Mota, Ragini in lead roles. Plot The film revolves around three sisters trying to prevent the ...

'' with Vishnu R. Pancholi. The film revolves around three sisters trying to prevent their father from remarrying. His next

noir film Noir (or noire) is the French word for black. It may also refer to: Places * Noire River (Ottawa River tributary), in the Outaouais region of Quebec * Noire River, a tributary of the Yamaska River in Eastern Townships area, Quebec People * ...

, ''Dhamki,'' was a suspense thriller. After the

partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

, he left

and moved to

Bombay Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial centre, financial capital and the list of cities i ...

(now Mumbai),

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. He directed social dramas, comedies, mythological as well as patriotic films. He directed several murder mysteries and suspense thrillers. ''Sawan Bhado'' was his first film after moving to Bombay. In 1951, he directed ''Nagina'' starring

Nutan Nutan Samarth-Bahl ( Samarth; 4 June 1936 – 21 February 1991), known mononymously as Nutan was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, Nutan was noted for her natu ...

and Nasir Khan. The film introduced playback singer C. H. Atma and the music was composed by

Shankar Jaikishan Sankar or Shankar is a Sanskrit word meaning "beneficent" or "giver of bliss" and may refer to: People * Shankar (name) **Ravi Shankar, Indian sitarist and composer **Shankar (actor), Indian actor ** Shankar (Tamil militant), Tamil rebel ** Shan ...

. Following its success, Dave named his production company Nagina Films. He produced ''Satta Bazaar'', starring

Balraj Sahni Balraj Sahni (born Yudhishthir Sahni; 1 May 1913 – 13 April 1973) was an Indian film and stage actor, who is best known for (1946), '' Do Bigha Zameen'' (1953), '' Chhoti Bahen'' (1959), '' Kabuliwala'' (1961), Waqt (1965) and '' Garm Hava'' ...

and

Meena Kumari Meena Kumari (born Mahjabeen Bano; 1 August 1933 – 31 March 1972) was an Indian actress and poet, who worked in Hindi films. Known as "The Tragedy Queen", she is regarded among the finest and greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinem ...

, and ''

Dulha Dulhan ''Dulha Dulhan'' is a 1964 Indian Bollywood film produced and directed by Ravindra Dave. It stars Raj Kapoor and Sadhana Shivdasani Sadhana Shivdasani (2 September 1941 – 25 December 2015), known mononymously as Sadhana, was an Indian ac ...

'', starring

Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (; born as Shrishti Nath Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influen ...

and Sadhana under the banner of Nagina Films. ''Naina'' starred

Geeta Bali Geeta Bali (born Harkirtan Kaur; 15 November 1930 ‒ 21 January 1965) was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. Bali is regarded among the finest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, Bali acted in over 75 films in a career spanni ...

and

Abhi Bhattacharya Abhi Bhattacharya (20 November 1921 – 11 August 1993) was an Indian actor of Hindi and Bengali cinema, who is most remembered for his roles in films of the 1950s and the 1960s, such as '' Yatrik'' (1952), ''Jagriti'' (1954), '' Anuradha'' (1 ...

. His films ''Moti Mahal'' and ''Char Minar'' were thrillers. Actor Vijay Anand debuted with his film '' Agra Road''. ''Post Box 999'', starring

Sunil Dutt Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Raghunath Dutt; 6 June 1929 – 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director, and politician known for his work in Hindi Cinema. He acted in more than 80 films over a career spanning five decades and was t ...

and Shakila, was inspired by the Hollywood film ''

Call Northside 777 ''Call Northside 777'' is a 1948 American drama film directed by Henry Hathaway. The film parallels the true story of a Chicago newspaper reporter who proved that a man jailed for murder 11 years previously was wrongly convicted. James Stewart ...

''. '' Raaz'' starred

Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...

and

Babita Babita Shivdasani Kapoor (née Babita Hari Shivdasani; born 20 April 1947),

. His last Hindi film was ''Road to Sikkim'' starring Anju Mahendru and Dev Kumar. He worked with some of the leading composers of the time, including: Ghulam Haider,

Husnlal Bhagatram Husn Lal and Bhagat Ram were the first legendary music director duo in Bollywood. They are two brothers, Husn Lal (8 April 1920 – 28 December 1968) and Bhagat Ram (1914 – 29 November 1973). Husn Lal was also a renowned violinist, vocalist ...

, Vijaysinghraje Patwardhan,

, C. Ramchandra,

Chitragupta Chitragupta (, 'rich in secrets' or 'hidden picture') is a Hindu deity who serves as the registrar of the dead. He is assigned with the task of maintaining the records of the actions of human beings in a register called the ''Agrasandhanī''. Upo ...

, O. P. Nayyar,

Manna Dey Prabodh Chandra Dey (; 1 May 1919 − 24 October 2013), known by his stage name Manna Dey, was an Indian playback singer, music director, and musician. He had a classical music background, being part of the Bhendibazaar gharana, Bhendibazaar Gh ...

, S. D. Burman, Roshan, Kalyanji-Anandji and

Ravi Ravi may refer to: People * Ravi (name), including a list of people and characters with the name * Ravi (composer) (1926–2012), Indian music director * Ravi (Ivar Johansen) (born 1976), Norwegian musical artist * Ravi (rapper) (born 1993), a Sou ...

Gujarati cinema

Dave had planned to remake his blockbuster ''Nagina'' with

Leena Chandavarkar Leena Chandavarkar (born 29 August 1950) is an Indian actress who appeared in Hindi films as a leading actress and now appears in reality shows. She was active during the late 1960s and early 1970s. She played the leading heroine opposite almos ...

and

Sanjay Khan Sanjay Khan (born as Shah Abbas Ali Khan, 3 January 1940) is an Indian actor, producer and director known for his works in Hindi films and television. Sanjay Khan made his debut in Rajshri Productions, Rajshri film ''Dosti (1964 film), Dosti'' ...

, but the project was delayed. As a result, he turned his production crew to

to keep them employed. He directed ''Jesal Toral'' based on the local legend of Gujarat launching the careers of

Upendra Trivedi Upendra Jethalal Trivedi (14 July 1936 4 January 2015) was an Indian film and stage actor, director and producer who was one of the most prolific actors of Gujarati cinema. As an actor films like '' Mehndi Rang Lagyo'' (1960), ''Jogidas Khuman' ...

and Ramesh Mehta. The film proved to be one of the biggest hits of Gujarati cinema and ran for 25 weeks in theatres. It won 17 awards from the

Government of Gujarat The Government of Gujarat, also known as Gujarat Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Gujarat and its 33 districts. It consists of an executive of the legislators appointed by the Governor of Gujarat, a judiciar ...

. The film is considered to have revived the Gujarati cinema. His other blockbuster Gujarati films include: ''Raja Bharathari'', ''Hothal Padmani'', ''Kunwarbai nu Mameru'', ''Shetal Ne Kanthe'', '' Malavpati Munj'', ''Bhadar Tara Vehta Pani'', ''Son Kansari,'' and ''Patali Parmar''. His last Gujarati film was ''Malo Nagde'' starring Upendra Trivedi,

Aruna Irani Aruna Irani (born 18 August 1946) is an Indian actress, who has acted in over 500 films throughout Hindi, Kannada, Marathi and Gujarati cinema, playing mostly supporting and character roles. She received two Filmfare Awards for Best Support ...

and

Mulraj Rajda Mulraj Rajda (13 November 1931 – 23 September 2012) was an Indian people, Indian writer, actor and director who predominantly worked in Hindi and Gujarati language, Gujarati films, television shows and theatre. He is regarded as one of the mo ...

. He directed 26 Gujarati films in total. Upendra Trivedi starred in 16 of them and he collaborated with music composer

Avinash Vyas Avinash Vyas was an Indian music composer, lyricist and singer of Gujarati films who composed music for over 190 Gujarati films. He was a winner of Gujarat State Film award for the best lyricist and best music 25 times. He was honoured by the ...

on 20 of them.

Last years

In the 1980s, he undertook a crime thriller titled ''Mera Pati Mera Qatil'' with the hope of returning to Hindi films, but the film never went into production due to his ill health and financial constraints. Years later,

Rakesh Roshan Rakesh Roshan (born 6 September 1949) is an Indian film producer, director, screenwriter and actor who works in Bollywood, Hindi films. He appeared in 84 films in the 1970s and 1980s. As an actor, he is mostly known for his supporting roles in ...

produced '' Khoon Bhari Maang'' with a similar plot which was declared a hit. Ravindra Dave died on 21 July 1992 in Mumbai.

Legacy

Film historian Subhash Chheda said, "Dave brought the diminishing

Gujarati culture The culture of Gujarat is ancient, new, and modern. Gujarati engagement ceremony Gol Dhana () is a Gujarati tradition during which jaggery and Coriander, coriander seeds are eaten to celebrate a couple's engagement. They are distributed to the ...

in front of the people. The films were mostly produced for an urban audience then. He made films for a rural audience which were also well received by the urban audience. His biggest contribution o Gujarati cinemais bringing a new audience to Gujarati films." Due to his expertise in thriller and mystery films, Chheda called him India's

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

Personal life

Dave was married to Jashumatiben. He enjoyed driving and owned several vintage cars. He was an amateur painter, carpenter, and sculptor. Dave was fondly known as Ravinbhai in the Hindi film industry and Bapa in the Gujarati film industry.

Filmography

He directed, produced or wrote the following films:

Director

Hindi films

Gujarati films

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dave, Ravindra Gujarati-language film directors Film directors from Gujarat 1919 births 1992 deaths Hindi-language film directors 20th-century Indian screenwriters Indian silent film directors Mass media people from Karachi Film people from Mumbai