When Filmfare was known as the Clare awards

When Filmfare was known as the Clare awards Image result for Clare Mendonca,


The first awards ceremony recognized only five winners and was a relatively small affair.




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The first Filmfare award function was held on 21 March 1954 at Bombay's landmark Metro cinema. Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zamin (1953) walked away with the Best Film and Best Director statuettes while Dilip Kumar was adjudged Best Actor for Amiya Chakrabarty's
 Image result for Amiya Chakrabarty
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Jun 8, 2011 - Usha Kiron with Dev Anand in her first Hindi hit Patita (1953). Usha Kiron – ... Amiya Chakraborty came into my life and changed everything.


 Daag (1952).Image result for Daag (1952) Meena Kumari was awarded the Best Actress honour for Baiju Bawra (1952) and Naushad's compositions in the same film were deemed the best of that year. This was to be Naushad's only win as Best Music Director at the Filmfare awards.


Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari
Now, the awards are referred to as 'the black lady' or just the Filmfare Awards. But formerly the awards were named the Clare awards in memory of The Times of India's film critic, Clare MendoncaImage result for Clare Mendonca,
Clare Mendonca (1910-1953)
Film critic with the Evening News of India (c. 1931) and the Times of India (c. 1933-1953). Daughter of Goan educationist, Isidore Mendonca. Graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Bombay University. Was elected Vice President of the Film Journalists Association when it was founded in Bombay in 1939. She shared the post with Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, while Baburao Patel was elected President. At the time of her premature death, Mendonca was writing weekend film reviews in TOI’s Sunday supplement and had a large readership base. To honor her memory, the Filmfare Award was briefly named the Clare Award when first instituted in 1954. 

, who passed away earlier that year. In her two decades as a film journalist, Mendonca was co-vice-president, with Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, of the Film Journalists Association from its inception in 1939.
 Image result for Clare Mendonca,

 Filmindia editor Baburao Patel Image result for Filmindia editor Baburao Patelwas the president.
The ceremony was short and sweet as only five awards were handed out. Back then, the awards were quite a democratic process. The winners were decided by the readers of the magazine, and no other competing names were announced. Five lucky readers even got to hand out the awards to the winners, under the supervision of George V Allen,Image result for George V Allen, the then US ambassador to India.
the then US ambassador to India. The awards were hosted by the actor David Image result for David Abraham Cheulkar
and comprised musical performances from Nalini JaywantImage result for Nalini Jaywant, Talat MehmoodImage result for Talat Mahmood, Mohammad Rafi   iRelated image and Geeta DuttRelated image. Actors VyjayanthimalaRelated image and Kamini KaushalRelated image gave beautiful dance performances on stage.
The awards ceremony was attended by actors like Raj Kapoor and NargisRelated image, along with filmmakers Sohrab Modi    Related imageand
 Mehboob KhanRelated image. Hollywood star Gregory PeckRelated image was due to make an appearance at the ceremony as a guest of honour. But his flight from Sri Lanka was delayed and he could only make it to the after-party at the Willingdon Club Image result for Willingdon Club bombaywhere he mingled with the stars from the Indian silver screen.
The year after, the Filmfare awards included more categories, honouring supporting performances and writers and adding technical categories for cinematography and sound recording.

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