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P. L. Santoshi

Pyare Lal Srivastav (7 August 1916 – 1978), better known as Pyare Lal Santoshi or P. L. Santoshi, was an Indian film director, producer, lyricist and screenwriter. Santoshi rose to prominence as a director with Hum Ek Hain (1946) and Shehnai (1947). During the 1950s, he directed popular musical comedies such as Sargam (1950), Cham Chama Cham (1952) and Sabse Bada Rupaiya (1955). Film historian Sanjit Narwekar credits him alongside Roop K. Shorey and Satyen Bose for their "lasting contribution to the comic genre" during the post-Independence era.[2]

Pyare Lal Santoshi
Born
Pyare Lal Srivastav

(1916-08-07)7 August 1916
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, British India
Died1978(1978-00-00) (aged 61–62)
Bombay, India
Occupations
  • Director
  • film producer
  • lyricist
  • screenwriter
OrganisationSantoshi Productions[1]
ChildrenRajkumar Santoshi (son)

Santoshi also ventured into film production with Shin Shinaki Boobla Boo (1952), which failed commercially and was banned by the Government of India for its alleged "low moral tone". While his own productions were unsuccessful, Santoshi had a major box office success as a director and screenwriter in the Muslim social film Barsaat Ki Raat (1960). Later in his career, he also directed a few Bhojpuri-language films.

His son is the National Film Award-winning director, Rajkumar Santoshi.

Early life

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Santoshi was born on 7 August 1916, as Pyare Lal Srivastav.[3] He was a native of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. He adopted the pen name Santoshi on entering the film industry.[4]

Career

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Santoshi arrived in Bombay in mid-1930s.[4] He served as a lyricist on several Bombay Talkies productions, including Basant (1942) and Kismet (1943).

Santoshi then debuted as a director with Prabhat Film Company's social-themed Hum Ek Hain (1946), which also marked the debut of actor Dev Anand.[5] Among contemporary critics, Santoshi was praised by Baburao Patel for his "honest" and "praiseworthy" efforts, and that "Santoshi can easily make a good director, at least far sight better than several stupid fools we have now in the country."[6] Film critic Deepa Gahlot has included Hum Ek Hain in her book Take-2: 50 Films That Deserve A New Audience (2015).[7]

Santoshi later joined Filmistan Studio. Besides Subodh Mukherjee and Nasir Hussain, he emerged as one of the directors who often created "mid-budget genre productions [which sold] mainly on their star value and their music", according to BFI's The Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema (1998).[8]

Among his works at Filmistan was the marital drama Shehnai (1947)—released on the day India got its independence.[9] The film became a commercial success, particularly popular for its music composed by C. Ramachandra.[10][3]

In the 1950s, Santoshi began directing musical comedies such as Sargam (1950) and Cham Chama Cham (1952).[3] In 1952, Santoshi ventured into film production with the musical Shin Shinaki Boobla Boo, which he also directed. The film attracted controversy for its plot: the protagonist Shin Shinaki (Rehana) seduces the son of her father's killer to exact revenge. Although the film was passed by the Censor Board of India, it ended up banned by the Government of India for its "low moral tone" and perceived glorification of crime. The ban was eventually revoked but the film was not a box office success.[1][11]

One of the biggest successes of Santoshi as a director and screenwriter came in the 1960 Muslim social film Barsaat Ki Raat. Starring Madhubala and featuring a soundtrack composed by Roshan, the film became one of the highest-grossing Indian productions of the 1960s.[12] It has been noted for its portrayal of Indian religious diversity and its depiction of headstrong female characters.[13] Inspired by the success of Barsaat Ki Raat, Santoshi directed another film on similar themes, named Qawwali Ki Raat (1963).[14]

During the mid-1960s, Santoshi pivoted to Bhojpuri cinema, directing films such as Kab Hoihain Gavanava Hamaar (1964) and Saiyan Se Bhaile Milanwa (1965).

Personal life and death

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Santoshi was married twice. From his second marriage to a Tamil woman, he had a son, Rajkumar (born 1956), and two daughters.[4] Rajkumar later became a film director in the 1990s and is a recipient of multiple National Film Awards.[15]

According to Rajkumar, his father's career declined after his film production ventures failed, and the family experienced financial hardship throughout the 1960s and 1970s. Santoshi died of a kidney failure in Bombay in 1978.[4][16]

Selected filmography

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As a lyricist

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As a director

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As a writer

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References

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  1. 1 2 Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 329.
  2. ↑ Narwekar 2005, p. 157.
  3. 1 2 3 Narwekar 2005, p. 161.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "I was not able to give my father even one meal with my money: Rajkumar Santoshi". The Times of India. 21 September 2013. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 306.
  6. ↑ Patel, Baburao (1 September 1946). ""Hum-Ek-Hain" Purposeful Picture Worth Seeing! – Santoshi Makes An Impressive Start!". Filmindia: 61 – via Internet Archive.
  7. ↑ Gahlot, Deepa (1 October 2015). Take-2: 50 Films That Deserve a New Audience. Hay House, Inc. p. 60. ISBN 978-93-84544-85-0.
  8. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, pp. 95–96.
  9. ↑ Saxena, Poonam. "Magic In Greyscale: A New India Before The World". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 308.
  11. ↑ Narwekar 2005, pp. 161–162.
  12. ↑ "Box Office India (1960–1969)". 24 September 2011. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
  13. ↑ "Indian Cinema: Barsaat Ki Raat". University of IOWA. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  14. ↑ Ranade, Ashok Damodar (2006). Hindi Film Song: Music Beyond Boundaries. Bibliophile South Asia. p. 135. ISBN 978-81-85002-64-4.
  15. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 496.
  16. ↑ Premchand, Manek (30 October 2024). And The Music Lives On. Notion Press. p. 10. ISBN 979-8-89588-691-5.
  17. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 288.
  18. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 290.
  19. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 293.
  20. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 297.
  21. 1 2 3 Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 356.
  22. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 609.
  23. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 638.
  24. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 578.
  25. 1 2 Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 586.
  26. 1 2 Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 599.
  27. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 597.
  28. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 630.
  29. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 622.
  30. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 634.
  31. ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1998, p. 605.

Bibliography

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