V. Shantaram

Shantaram Rajaram Vankudre (18 November 1901 – 30 October 1990), referred to as V. Shantaram or Shantaram Bapu, was an Indian filmmaker, film producer, and actor known for his work in Hindi and Marathi films. He is most known for films such as "Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani" (1946), "Amar Bhoopali" (1951), "Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje" (1955), "Do Aankhen Barah Haath" (1957), "Navrang" (1959), "Duniya Na Mane" (1937), "Pinjara" (1972), "Chani", "Iye Marathiche Nagari" and "Zunj".
Career.
V. Shantaram started his film career doing odd jobs in Maharashtra Film Co. owned by Baburao Painter at Kolhapur. He went on to debut as an actor in the silent film "Surekha Haran" in 1921.
Shantaram, fondly known as "Annasaheb", had an illustrious career as a filmmaker for almost seven decades. He was one of the early filmmakers to realize the efficacy of the film medium as an instrument of social change and used it successfully to advocate humanism on one hand and expose bigotry and injustice on the other. V. Shantaram had a very keen interest in music. It is said that he "ghost wrote" music for many of his music directors, and took a very active part in the creation of music. Some of his songs had to rehearsed several times before they were approved by V. Shantaram.
 He Was Also Praised By Charlie Chaplin for his Marathi film "Manoos". Chaplin reportedly liked the film to a great extent.
He directed his first film "Netaji Palkar", in 1927. In 1929, he founded the Prabhat Film Company along with Vishnupant Damle, K.R. Dhaiber, S. Fatelal and S.B. Kulkarni, which made "Ayodhyecha Raja", the first Marathi language film in 1932 under his direction. He left Prabhat co. in 1942 to form "Rajkamal Kalamandir" in Mumbai. In time, "Rajkamal" became one of the most sophisticated studios of the country.
Shantaram introduced his daughter Rajshree (his daughter by Jayashree) and Jeetendra in the 1964 film "Geet Gaya Patharon Ne". That was the debut film for both of them. He also introduced his second wife Sandhya's niece Ranjana Deshmukh into the Marathi film industry through "Chandanachi Choli Ang Ang Jaali", directed by his son Kiran Shantaram in 1975. Ranjana dominated the Marathi silver screen in the 70s and 80s.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was conferred on him in 1985. He was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1992.
His autobiography "Shantarama" was published in Hindi and Marathi.
The V. Shantaram Award was constituted by Central Government and Maharashtra State Government. The V. Shantaram Motion Picture Scientific Research and Cultural Foundation, established in 1993, offers various awards to film-makers. The award is presented annually on 18 November. A postage stamp dedicated to Shantaram was released by India Post on 17 November 2001.
Personal life.
Shantaram was born in 1901 at Kolhapur to a Marathi family with a Jain Kasar father and Hindu mother. He was married three times.
In 1921, aged 20, he married 12-year-old Vimalabai, a girl of his own community and similar background, in a match arranged by their families. They had four children, Prabhat Kumar (after whom Shantaram named his movie company) and daughters Saroj, Madhura and Charusheela. Shantaram's second daughter Madhura is the wife of Pandit Jasraj and mother of music director Shaarang Dev Pandit and of TV personality Durga Jasraj. Shantaram's third daughter, Charusheela, is the mother of Hindi and Marathi actor Sushant Ray a.k.a. Siddharth Ray.
In 1941, Shantaram married actress Jayashree (née Kamulkar).They had three children – one son, the Marathi film director and producer Kiran Shantaram, and two daughters, Rajshree (the actress) and Tejashree. Shantaram and Jayashree were divorced in 1956. 
In the early 1950s, Shantaram grew close to another of his leading ladies, Sandhya (née Vijaya Deshmukh). She acted in many of his films like "Do Aankhen Barah Haath," "Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje", "Navrang", "Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli" and "Sehra". 
Shantaram married Sandhya in 1956. They did not have any children.
Death.
Shantaram died on 30 October 1990 in Mumbai. Vimalabai and Sandhya continued to reside together until the former's death in 1996. Sandhya continues to live with her stepson Prabhat's family.
Shantaram used to live at Panhala near Kolhapur in Maharashtra state. His daughter Saroj has maintained his house and has converted it into a hotel named Valley View.
Filmography.
As director.
Rajkamal Kalamandir.
Source: IMDB