PK Rosy, the first leading lady of Malayalam cinema

Illaiyaraja: a colossus in Indian, especially Tamil, popular music

Archana: a Kuchipudi and Kathak dancer, she won, back to back, National Awards for best actress, in two different languages – Veedu (Tamil, 1987) and Daasi (Telugu, 1988).

A cinéaste is a cinema enthusiast or a person involved in filmmaking. Here, the latter is meant. Indpaedia will attempt to record the contribution of scheduled caste actors and filmmakers (in all creative fields, including in the cinematography and music departments). This page awaits information from readers, which may kindly be sent to the Facebook community, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be gracefully acknowledged.

Scheduled caste cineastes in Hindi-Urdu cinema

This page is under construction and seeks information from readers.

Divya Bharti, a star in her brief lifetime and a legend in her untimely, mysterious death

Poonam Mehmi, Miss India UK and model

Superstar singer Daler Mehndi

Sonu Nigam: For several years Nigam dominated Hindi-Urdu film singing.

Sukhwinder Singh’s Filmfare award for singing recognises his predominant position in Filmistan

Chiragh Paswan in Tanveer Khan’s Miley Naa Miley Hum (2011)

Pinki Sonkar acted in Smile Pinki (2012), an Oscar-winning Documentary film, with her trophy. Caste: Khateek [1]

Usha Rajak: Nepalese, film actress, model, Miss University Nepal 2006

Jai, Tamil actor

Kailash Kher

Wadali Brothers

Madhavi

Vijaya Nirmala

The debate

Ethnicity tends to spark off bitter and vitriolic diatribes on the Internet. But Prime-Time Debate: 100 years of Bollywood but still no Dalit Representation in Indian Cinema | Your Take? (Babasaheb Ambedkar) is an almost-entirely sober examination of why there is ‘no Dalit Representation in Indian Cinema’ even a century after the first feature film was made.

Hemant Gedam wrote: ‘it is unfortunate though but thats the fact. Very little representation of dalits in bollywood. In last few generations it was difficult but atleast this or next generation people should consider this as a career option and make right efforts.’

It would indeed be disappointing if the scheduled castes were not represented in something as meritocratic (and audience- driven) as Filmistan (and its brother cinemas in non-Hindi languages, Cinema Nadu and Cinema Desam), especially in pop songs, which have been the miraasis’ domain for centuries. [Mirasi is a north Indian caste of folk-singers, with equivalents in every part of India.]

Sumedh Selkar suspected that ‘In indian cinema there are lot of people belongs to dalit community but they does not highlighted. In our industry their is lot of dalit actor but he changed his name. Pata nahi ki wo darte hai apni identity dikhane me kyuki woh be- shurm hai. [Why are they scared of revealing their identity? Are they shameless?]’

Indpaedia had a duty to investigate.

Happily, Indpaedia’s volunteers have found almost 70 SC cineastes and music stars in just the Hindi-Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi and Malayalam film industries. They discovered that the first Malayalam heroine was an SC, that a hugely respected SC actress had won National Best Actress awards in both Telugu and Tamil, and that a glamorous young, A-list Filmistan star whose mysterious death made her a near-icon was an SC.

And, above all, Ilayaraja, whom Indpaedia rates among the 5 greatest music directors of Indian cinema, seems to be an SC.

Most revealing was an assertion on the sober Ravidassia and Great Chamar websites respectively that Filmistan’s singing oligarchs, Sonu Nigam and Sukhwinder Singh, were Chamars.

The immensely successful Daler Mehndi is a mere superstar in comparison. Nigam and Sukhwinder’s share of the male singing pie in Hindi-Urdu has been so big that in the USA it could invite anti-trust proceedings!

No, seriously, that is how immensely popular these stars (and Mehndi) are.

The artistes

Abhijeet Sawant-Winner of First Indian Idol : Chamar [2]

Ajay Devgn: A plus leading man of Hindi-Urdu films: i) He is a Vishwakarma caste (not yet a scheduled caste, see Note) [3]. ii) He is a Tharkan (Tarkhaan?) /Lohar: [4]

Amar Arshi – Punjabi Singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [5].

Amarjeet Mahey -Artist and Painter From UK. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [6].

Amrita Virk – Punjabi singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [7].

Archana (actress), Actress in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, two times national award winner; Mala: [8]. ii) Mala: [9]. iii) SC: [10]

Arya - Tamil actor,Producer. Dhobi: [11]

Babu Mohan – Telugu film comedian and minister in TDP Government: i) Mala: [12]. ii) Mala: [13]

Balvir Boparai -Punjabi Singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [14].

Betha Sudhakar ("Pichha kottudu sudhakar") – Telugu comedian and character artiste. i) Mala: [15]. ii) Mala: [16]. iii) SC: [17]

Bhujangy Group & Anari Sangeet – First UK Bhangra band (70’s). Ravidassia/ Chamar: [18].

Bhulla Ram Chann- Punjabi Poet. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [19].

Boyi Bheemanna: Telugu writer: Mala: [20]

Brahmanandham: Telugu and Tamil cineaste, comedy superstar. Vishwakarma caste (not yet a scheduled caste, see Note) [21]

Chamkila - Punjabi Singer : Chamar [22]. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [23].

Charan Singh Safri – Punjabi Poet. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [24].

Chirag Paswan was launched in 2011 as the male lead of Miley naa miley hum, a lavishly produced commercial Filmistan film.

Daler Mehndi: National Punjabi/ Hindi-Urdu pop superstar. Mirasi: [25].

Dev Diwana- Punjabi film Writer/Director/Actor. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [26].

Dev Jassal – Punjabi Poet. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [27].

Dhanush: Important star in Tamil, had a nationwide superhit song in Indian English; starred in A list Hindi-Urdu film; married into Tamil cinema’s first family. Paraiyar: [28]

Divya Bharati- A list Filmistan Actress: i) Chamar [29]; ii) Ravidassia/ Chamar: [30].

Goreti Venkanna - Telangana Folk Singer, Balladeer and Lyricist: i) Mala: [31]. ii) Mala: [32].

Gunti Prasanth [pen name:Mala Palle]], Telugu poet: Mala: [33]

Gurmeet Kaur Bawa-Punjabi Singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [34].

Hans Raj Hans: A list popular singer. Mirasi: [35].

Illaiyaraja: Tamil composer, a towering figure in the world of Tamil popular music and some Western classical. Parayar/ Adidravidar [36]

Jai: Tamil cineaste: Parayar/ Adidravidar [37]

Jaladi Raja Rao (జాలాది ): Film Lyricist: Mala: [38]

Jassi Gill Punjabi singer and actor: Mazhabi [39]

Johnny Lever (Janumala John Prakasa Rao) – Filmistan comedian from Andhra Pradesh: i) Mala: [40]. ii) Mala: [41] iii) SC: [42]

Kadhal Bharath: Tamil cineaste, Vishwakarma caste (not yet a scheduled caste, see Note) [43]

Kailash Kher – A plus list mystic-pop Singer: Chamar [44]

Kaler Kanth – Punjabi Singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [45]. Mirasi: [46].

Kuldip Rasila – Punjabi singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [47].

Lakhwinder Lucky-Punjabi Singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [48].

Lal Chand Yamla Jatt - Punjabi Singer : Chamar [49]. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [50].

Lawrence Raghavendar: Tamil cineaste, Parayar/ Adidravidar [51]

Lembher Hussainpuri-Punjabi Singer : Chamar [52]

Madhavi (actress), A list actress in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Hindi; National Award Winner: i) Mala: [53]. ii) Mala: [54].

Manjeet Roopowalia- Punjabi Singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [55].

Manmohan Waris-Filmistan and Punjabi Singer: Chamar [56]

Master Saleem: Mirasi: [57].

Mika Singh: A list popstar. Mirasi: [58]. Chamar [59]

MK Thyagaraja Bhagavadhar- the first Tamil cinema Super Star, Vishwakarma caste (not yet a scheduled caste, see Note): [60]

MN Rajam: Tamil cineaste, Vishwakarma caste (not yet a scheduled caste, see Note) [61]

P. K. Rosy (Rosamma) of Thayycaud: the heroine of Vigathakumaran, the first Malayalam film, 1928: A scheduled caste labourer [62]

Pali Detwalia-Punjabi singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [63].

Pillelli Sunil: Telugu film producer: Mala: [64].

Pooja, Miss-: Punjabi singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [65].

Poonam Mehmi-Miss India UK also a well-known model in UK. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [66].

Premji Amaran: Tamil cineaste, Parayar/ Adidravidar [67]

R Parthiban: Tamil cineaste, Vishwakarma caste (not yet a scheduled caste, see Note) [68]

Ranjit Mani-Punjabi Singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [69].

Sahotas Group: A list music group of UK Run by Mukhtar Sahota and his Brothers. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [70].

Sant Ram Udassi – Punjabi Poet. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [71].

Santhanam: Tamil cineaste, Vishwakarma caste (not yet a scheduled caste, see Note) [72]

Shankar -Malayalam actor. Dhobi: [73]

Sonu Nigam - Filmistan singing superstar. Together with Sukhwinder Singh, he dominates male playback singing in Filmistan. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [74].

Sudesh Kumari – Punjabi singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [75].

Sukanya: Tamil cineaste, Vishwakarma caste (not yet a scheduled caste, see Note) [76]

Sukhwinder Singh- Filmistan singing superstar. Together with Sonu Nigam, he dominates male playback singing in Filmistan. Chamar [77]

Surinder Heera – Punjabi Singer. Ravidassia/ Chamar: [78].

SV Subbiah: Tamil cineaste, Vishwakarma caste (not yet a scheduled caste, see Note) [79]

Usha Rajak -Nepal film actress. Dhobi: [80]

Vijaya Nirmala - Telugu actress, married to actor Krishna. Dhobi: [81]

Wadali brothers: Mirasi: [82].

Yuvraj Hans Punjabi singer and actor: Mazhabi [83]

Notes

Note1: Vishwakarma is NOT yet a scheduled caste though a substantial section of the community has periodically sought and/ or been promised SC status (Indian Express)

Note 2: Filmistan is Indpaedia’s substitute for the slavish (but better known) expression, Bollywood.

Note 3: Indpaedia’s volunteers know nothing about the caste of any cineaste mentioned in this article—except that Chirag Paswan’s father is a leading SC politician. While researching, the volunteers learned that Mr Ram Vilas Paswan married ‘Reena Sharma a Punjabi Hindu from Amritsar.’ [84].

Similarly, every assertion about the caste of any cineaste made in this article is on the basis of the site(s) cited immediately after the assertion.

Indpaedia’s volunteers realise how notoriously inaccurate a lot of online information can be. Therefore, they have tried to cite only responsible sites and, wherever possible, more than one site for the same cineaste.

If despite all this caution anything written on this page is inaccurate, this may please be reported as a message to the Facebook community, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be gratefully acknowledged.