Category Archives: Artists

Rabindranath Tagore

By Notable Brahmins Posted in Artists

rabindranath tagore brahmin“What is Art? It is the response of man’s creative soul to the call of the Real.”

Rabindranath Tagore, son of Debendranath Tagore, was an accomplished writer, poet, teacher, painter, song composer, and social reformer; and the only Indian to win a Nobel in Literature in 1913. Born in British India in 1861 in a Brahmin family, he was schooled at home and was sent to England to complete his further education. He is a creative artist who was largely responsible for popularizing Bengali literature in India as well as the West.

After completion of his studies, he dedicated his time to writing proses and poetry, along with looking after his ancestral property. Many of his verses, which were originally written in Bengali, have been translated into English and other Indian languages. Most of his essays spoke about social reforms and displayed modern and rational thinking in an era that was quite orthodox. His short stories reflected the plight of women & their feelings and social status that needed revolutionary change. Through his writings, he communicated the ideas of giving equal status to women, reducing caste differentiation, and other social evils such as untouchability and illiteracy. His popular collections include:

·       Gitanjali: Song Offerings
·       The Fugitive
·       Muktadhara
·       Raktakaravi

“The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but makes our life in harmony with all existence.” 

In 1901, he even founded a school, Shantiniketan, which instilled both Indian and Western values, while imparting education from both school systems. He stayed with his family on the school premises while continuing to teach students across India. He was even awarded a knighthood in 1915, however, as a sign of protest for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, he returned it.Married to Mrinalini Devi, Tagore’s contribution towards encouraging youth to join the freedom struggle while fighting social evils is quite immense. A man of such stature, his writings spoke of the pain, happiness, social systems, and the good as well as bad of traditional Indian society. His poems and proses will be forever savored by patrons of world-class literature.

“We gain freedom when we have paid the full price.”

Birth Score – 4/5
Pride Score – 5/5
A super-impressive 9/10 Notable Brahmin Score.

Lata Mangeshkar

By Notable Brahmins Posted in Artists, Musicians & Singers

Lata Mangeshkar Brahmin

“As a singer, you have to bring the soul to the song.”
When it comes to female playback singing, Lata Mangeshkar’s name is on the tip of the tongue of every Indian, irrespective of their age. Recently, India lost a true gem of music industry as Lata Didi breathed her last on 6th February 2022 in Mumbai. Let’s take a sneak-peak into her life and illustrious achievements.
Born in 1929 in Indore in a Brahmin family, Lata Mangeshkar’s father was a theater artist. At a very young age of 5, she used to act and sing in her father’s plays. Eldest among the siblings, she had to don the role of the breadwinner of the family after her father’s untimely demise in 1942. Today, all her siblings are distinguished singers and musicians.
Her career began when she moved to Mumbai (then Bombay) to receive training from Ustad Aman Ali Khan. A lesser known fact was that she started out as an actor, but wasn’t very comfortable with it. Furthermore, her soft and thin voice was not accepted as the trend at that time required heavy nasal voices. Even the first song she recorded for a Marathi movie was never publicized as it was edited. Her initial hit Aayega Aanewaala paved the pathway to her grand success. Despite these initial hiccups, she went on to deliver the greatest hits of all times. Her songs such as Lag Jaa Gale, Aap ki Najaro ne Samajha and Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh still remain evergreen in the hearts of all. She has sung for leading ladies of Bollywood across multiple generations, right from Madhubala to Priyanka Chopra.
“I missed out on my childhood. I had to work hard, but I was immediately given a place in playback.”
When it comes to accomplishments, there is no doubt that she is a legendary playback singer with unparalleled competition. She was awarded the prestigious Bharat Ratna and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1989. She even has an entry in the 1974 and 2011 Guinness Book of Records as an artist with the highest number of music records. Another feather in her cap is that she has sung in more 36 local and foreign languages. For a long time, she enjoyed monopoly in the music industry, with many composers lining up to work with her. She was often compared with her sibling Asha Bhosale, who had an offbeat singing style, suitable for peppy and lively songs.
With a contribution of over seventy years to the music industry, Lata Didi continues to rule the throne of the best female playback singer. It is estimated that her net worth is a whopping USD 50 million. Despite her old age, she had continued contributing to the society through her philanthropy activities. Recently, she had donated one crore rupees to the Indian army in the honour of the soldiers martyred in the Pulwama attack. Besides, she had even contributed to relief funds for the corona virus pandemic.
Lata didi was cremated with full state honors and the Tricolor was lowered in respect. Maharashtra and many other states observed mourning period. Her death has certainly brought a big void in the Indian music industry, marking an end to a career spanning across seven decades. Yet, she leaves behind a legacy of innumerable melodious songs for us to cherish.
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“From my experience and understanding, I believe money follows name and fame, while recognition calls for a huge amount of sacrifice. To get something, you have to lose something. That’s the rule of life.”

Birth Score – 4/5

Pride Score – 5/5

An impressive 9/10 Notable Brahmin Score.

 

Pu La Deshpande

By Notable Brahmins Posted in Actors, Artists

PL DeshpandePL Deshpande

“Making Magic from the Mundane“

Born and brought up in Mumbai in a simple Goud Saraswat Brahmin (caste) household, P. L. Deshpande was a talented author, musician, singer, musicologist, stage performer, stage and film artist and director.
There are many who have mastered Marathi language, few who have made their mark in Marathi literature as true entertainers. Without mocking the mediocre, resorting to sleazy slapstick and conjuring up atrocious fantasies, P. L. consistently had his audience rolling in the aisles and readers smiling, including his critics. Like all sensitive artists, although his art was affected by the major politico-economic-social upheavals that India was going through during his lifetime, especially during the peak period of his career, it never stained his work. There are references to economic challenges, generation gaps and difficulty in coping with the changing times – all extremely poignant subjects – however all of his books, plays talk about happiness and have a very positive effect.
He himself describes the purpose of his life philosophically – a note to readers at the beginning of his book “Hasavnuk” loosely translated from Marathi -
Caught between birth and death, is the charade that we call life. So what better purpose can be there for this life then, other than to make people laugh?
Birth score – 4/5
Pride score – 5/5
Overall NB score – 9/10

 

Birth Score – 4/5

Pride Score – 5/5
A very impressive 9/10 Notable Brahmin Score.

 

Ravi Paranjape

By Notable Brahmins Posted in Artists
ravi paranjape

Ravi Paranjape

“A mediocre scene from everyday life becomes a magical masterpiece in his hands.”

Ravi Paranjape is a Koknastha Chitpavan Brahmin  (caste).

Born in Belgaum, Ravi Paranjape moved to Mumbai initially to study and then to work . In the early 1990’s, he chose to make Pune his home for good.

His contribution to the world of illustrations, architectural renderings and portraiture was appreciated by the CAG HALL OF FAME Award from the Communication Arts Guild in 1995. He also received the Dayavati Modi award in 1996.

Ravi Paranjape’s work has been admired and collected by art lovers around the globe.

Over the last forty years, Ravi Paranjape has built a wide reputation as a master artist.

See his work here - http://www.raviparanjape.com/docs/gallery.htm

Ravi Paranjape Foundation was established in early 1998 with a mission to recognize worthy yet unrecognized veteran artists whose contribution to the art and society has either been overlooked or has remained obscure. The foundation also awards Gunijan Kala Puraskar & The Ravi Paranjape Yuva Kalakaar Puraskaar every alternate year. For more information please visit the website.

He is on our list of Notable Brahmins as a very successful & talented Artist. You have to see his work on to believe it. Its that good!

Birth Score – 4/5
Pride Score – 4/5
An impressive 8/10 Notable Brahmin Score.