Kolhapur’s film fraternity fondly remembers late ‘Sulochana Didi’

Kolhapur: Sulochana Latkar, fondly dubbed ‘Sulochana Didi’ by those close to her, passed away at the age of 94 on Sunday, with a repertoire spanning over 350 Hindi and Marathi movies. Veteran movie activists from Kolhapur fondly remembered working with the senior artist, who began her long career at a tender age in the same city. It is reported that at the age of 13, Sulochana — by then known by the name Rangutai — came to Kolhapur upon the invitation of Master Vinayak of Prafulla Studios. To Master Vinayak, she was a chance discovery when he was on visit to Chikodi to meet a friend. Sulochana and her family used to live in Khadaklat village, a few kilometres away, and had to leave due to the plague. Arjun Nalawade, a veteran film activist from Kolhapur, told TOI, “After Master Vinayak shifted his studio to Mumbai, Sulochana Didi started working under Bhalji Pendharkar, who gave her the name she was known by till her last breath. She acted as a supporting artist in Pendharkar’s films shot at Jayprabha Studio and when she moved to Pune, she got lead roles.” Nalawade said that a few months ago, he met Sulochana Didi at her home in Prabhadevi, Mumbai. “She welcomed anyone from Kolhapur with much warmth. Despite working with legendary actors and directors and in so many movies, she was always down to earth,” said Nalawade. Not many know that Sulochana Didi’s career ran parallel to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, with both being proteges of Pendharkar. In an interview, Sulochana Didi said that she and Lata Didi had an emotional bond, as both came from remote parts of the state, and suffered trauma in their early life. Sulochana Didi had also suggested to film artists from Kolhapur to set up a museum honouring Bhalji Pendharkar.
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