New Delhi:
Dr. Shriram Lagoo, well known actor, thinker and social activist, died at the age of 92 years in Pune on Tuesday. According to reports, he was being treated at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital for the last few days. Dr. Shriram Lagoo made a huge contribution to Marathi and Hindi films. Many of the plays he performed on the theater were big succeses. He had acted in over 100 Hindi and Marathi films, over 40 Marathi, Hindi and Gujarati plays, and has directed over 20 Marathi plays. He was considered one of greatest actors of Marathi stage during the second half of twentieth century. He won the 1978 Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for the Hindi film Gharaonda.
Lagoo was also very vocal and active in furthering progressive and rational social causes. In 1999, he and social activist G. P. Pradhan undertook a fast in support of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare.
Born in Satara district of Maharashtra to Balakrishna Chintaman Lagoo and Satyabhama Lagoo, Shriram was the eldest of the four children. He attended Bhave High School, Fergusson College (University of Pune) and B.J. Medical College (University of Pune), India and received MBBS & MS degrees-both medical degrees.
While studying in medical college, Sriram Lagoo started acting in drama and later started a progressive drama organization with like-minded senior affectioners like Bhalba Kelkar.
In the 60s, he became an ENT surgeon and worked in Pune for two years and then underwent further training in Canada and England. He started his medical career in Pune and Tabora, Tanzania. While in India, work on the theater continued through progressive theater, Pune and Rangayan, Mumbai.
Lagoo finally started working as a full-time drama actor in the year 1969, from Vasant Kanetkar's play "Here Oshala to Death". He played a leading role in the play 'Natsamrat' written by Kusumagraj. He has legendary status in Marathi cinema, where he has done many iconic films which include Sinhasan, Pinjra and Mukta.
