Shreeram Lagoo

Biography

Dr. Shriram Lagoo (16 November 1927 – 17 December 2019) was an Indian film and theatre actor, in Hindi and Marathi, in addition to being an ENT Surgeon. He was known for his character roles in films. 

He acted in over 250 films including Hindi and Marathi films as well as Hindi, Marathi, and Gujarati plays, and directed over 20 Marathi plays. 

He was also very vocal and active in furthering progressive and rational social causes, for example in 1999, he and social activist G. P. Pradhan undertook a fast in support of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare. 

He won the 1978 Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for the Hindi film Gharaonda. His autobiography is titled Lamaan, which means "The Carrier of Goods".

Shreeram Lagoo started acting in plays while attending Medical College. Once bitten by the theatre bug, he continued his dramatic activity through a group "The Progressive Dramatic Association", which he started with like-minded senior friends like Bhalba Kelkar.

 Meanwhile, he received a degree in ENT Surgery from the University of Mumbai in the early fifties and practiced in Pune for six years before going to Canada and England for additional training.

He practiced medicine and surgery in Pune, India, and Tabora, Tanzania in the sixties, but his theatre activity through the Progressive Dramatic Association in Pune and "Rangaayan" in Mumbai continued when he was in India.

 Finally, in 1969 he became a full-time actor on the Marathi stage, debuting in the play Ithe Oshalala Mrityu, written by Vasant Kanetkar.

Lagoo finally started working as a full-time drama actor in the year 1969, from Vasant Kanetkar's play "Where Death Shied Away". He played a leading role in the play 'Natsamrat' written by Kusumagraj (Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar) and was best remembered for that role.

 He had a legendary status in Marathi cinema where he did many memorable movies which included successes like Sinhasan, Pinjra, and Mukta.

His wife, Deepa Lagoo, is also a noted theatre, TV, and film actress. He had two sons and a daughter. Lagoo also instituted the prestigious Tanveer Samman, given to the most promising stalwart in the theatre industry of India, in memory of his son Tanveer Lagoo.

Some of his best performances in Hindi films were when he was pitted with Rajesh Khanna in films like Thodisi Bewafai, Maqsad, Souten, Nasihat, and Awam.

 His other best performances came in films like Devata, Des Pardes, Lawaris, Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Inkaar, Sajan Bin Suhagan, Kinara, Lootmaar, Sau Crore, Jyoti Bane Jwala, Neeyat, Nishana, Swayamvar, Shriman Shrimati, and Sadma.