Nilu Bhau Phule
Phule in early films
Born	Nilkanth Krushnaji Phule 4 April 1930 (1930-04-04) Poona,Bombay Presidency,British India
Died	13 July 2009 (2009-07-14) (aged 79) Pune,Maharashtra, India
Other names	Nilu bhau
Occupation(s)	Stage and film actor
Years active	1968–2009
Spouse	Rajani Phule ​ (m. 1975)​ [1]
Children	3
Awards	Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1991)

Nilu Phule (Marathi pronunciation:[niɭuː pʰuleː]; 4 April 1930 – 13 July 2009) was an Indian actor known for his roles inMarathi movies andMarathi theatre. Nilu Phule acted in around 250 Marathi andHindi movies during his film career.^[2] He was most prominently seen playing the roles of notorious villains in the movies. He is recipient of numerous accolades includingFilmfare Award for Best Actor – Marathi,Maharashtra State Film Awards,Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Zee Chitra Gaurav Lifetime Achievement Award.

Phule was also asocial worker, and was associated with Rashtra Seva Dal.^[3]

Phule was born in 1930 in Pune asNilkanth Krushnaji Phule in aHindu family. He is great grand son of Indian social reformerMahatma Jyotiba Phule. He was involved in theindependence movement. According to his interview in a serial 'Vastraharan' on a Marathi channel, he was a freedom fighter from Pune.

Phule's first job was that of a gardener at theArmed Forces Medical College, Pune, aged 17. He used to get a salary of Rs. 80 per month, out of which, he used to donate Rs. 10 to the Rashtriya Seva Dal, a social organization he was involved with.^[4] He wanted to pursue his gardening career forward, but due to lack of financial support, he could not start his ownplant nursery.^[5] During this time, at the age of 20, Nilu was inspired byRabindranath Tagore's writings and went on to write a drama,Udyan. His composing for the dramaYedya Gabalache Kam Nahi during the 1957 Lok Sabha elections garnered him fame.^[5]

Nilu Phule began his theatrical career with the Marathi folk performances (Loknatya).^[4] His first professional drama wasKatha Akalecha Kandyachi, which went on to have over 2000 shows. It was based on this success that he was offered his first movieEk Gaav Baara Bhanagadi, byAnant Mane in 1968.

Nilu often played villains; most notably his portrayal ofSakharam Binder. Some of his notable film roles include: Hindurao Dhonde Patil, a zamindar and a sugar tycoon inSamna, a power-drunk politician inMahesh Bhatt'sSaaransh and a political journalist inJabbar Patel'sSinhasan.^[4]

He also played the role of 'Nathu Mama' in the 1983 hit Hindi movieCoolie where he worked withAmitabh Bachchan.

One of Phule's most notable theatrical performances include his role as the eponymous hero ofVijay Tendulkar'sSakharam Binder (first staged in 1972). Kamlakar Sarang, who directed the first production of the play in 1972, was apprehensive of Phule's reticence. However, he was convinced that Phule would be fit for the role, when Vijay Tendulkar reminded him of Phule's aggressive performance as a minister in another play,Katha Aklechya Kandyachi.^[4]

He was known for his legendary voice and dialogue delivery. His dialogues in his films remains one of the most popular dialogues across Marathi Film Industry. It is said that his acting in villainous roles in movies was so surreal that women in real life would despise him thinking that he was the same deviant person in real life too, and that was a great compliment to his works.

In May 2013, whenForbes India, the Indian edition of American Business MagazineForbes, declared 25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema, the list included Phule's performance asHindurao Dhonde Patil in the filmSamna.^[6]

Nilu Phule died on 13 July 2009, aged 79, fromesophageal cancer. His wife Rajani Phule died in 2011. They are survived by their daughter Gargi Phule Thatte.^[2]

• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1991), by thePresident of India
• Maharashtra State Film Award forHaat lavin tithe sone (1973)
• Maharashtra State Film Award forSamna (1974)
• Maharashtra State Film Award forChoricha Mamla (1975)^[5]
• Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Marathi for Sahkar samrat
• Jayantrao Tilak Memorial Life Time Achievement Award' given by Kesari Maratha Trust, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth and Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Parishad, Pune chapter.^[7]
• Zee Chitra Gaurav Lifetime Achievement Award

1. Katha Akalecha Kandyachi
2. Sakharam Binder

• Nilu Phule atIMDb
• Phule's interview withDD Sahyadri

• 1930s births
• 2009 deaths
• Deaths from cancer in India
• Deaths from esophageal cancer
• Indian male film actors
• Indian male stage actors
• Male actors in Marathi cinema
• Male actors in Marathi theatre
• Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award

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