Video clip of Madan Mohanji's appearance as an actor in Munimji (1954)
23 August 2011
Madan Mohan was the son of Rai Bahadur Chunnilal, a studio baron, and thus always had a desire to be a part of the entertainment world. Apart from wanting to be a singer, he also aspired to be an actor.
He made his acting debut in PARDA, a film that was later shelved and never released. This was followed by a small appearance as heroine Kamini Kaushal's brother in the 1948 Dilip Kumar starrer, SHAHEED. Then came AANSOO (53), and MUNIMJI (54), both released a few years after they were commenced.
MUNIMJI, the Dev Anand - Nalini Jaywant starrer was a Filmistan production, in which Madanji assisted composer S. D. Burman with the music, as well as made a small appearance. A part of his appearance in Munimji can be seen in this video clip.
MUNIMJI was many years in the making, and Madanji's stint in it was over before he debuted as a composer in 1950 with AANKHEN.
His unsuccessful foray into acting is sometimes looked on as good fortune by his fans, since he then found his real calling and went on to compose his magical melodies in the next 25 years.
