Manju Singh was a veteran Indian actress, producer, showbiz personality and one of the pioneers of television content in India, popularly known as Didi, she was also the founder and chairperson of WorldKids.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Manju Singh was born on Monday, 20 December 1948 (age 73 years; at the time of death). His zodiac sign was Sagittarius.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 4″
Hair Colour: Brown
Eye colour: brown
Manju Singh in her younger days
Family
Children
Manju had three children. They had two daughters, Suparna and Shalini. He also had a son Gautam.
livelihood
Television
Manju Singh started her career on the small screen in 1983 with the first sponsored program ‘Show Time’. He produced various TV shows ranging from serials to children’s shows and tackled various topics ranging from spiritual concepts to activism. The early era of color broadcasting. He highlighted national, social and cultural issues in his show. She produced the docu-drama series Adhikar, which was based on women’s legal rights. His show Ek Kahaani was based on literary short stories from several regional languages. He also produced the impeccably researched historical serial Swaraj to commemorate fifty years of Indian independence. He hosted the children’s show ‘Khel Khilone’ which ran for about 7 years.
film
Famous filmmaker Hrishikesh Mukherjee introduced Manju Singh to acting. He offered her the role of Ratna Sharma, sister of the lead character Ramprasad D. Sharma (Amol Palekar) in his film Golmaal in 1979. He played many roles in films like ‘Hanky Panky’ (1979), ‘Ladies’. Taylor’ (1981), and ‘Screen Two’ (1985). She started with the role of a sister and gradually progressed to playing the role of a grandmother. He also produced the film, Samyaktva: True Insight, based on spirituality and the relevance of ancient Indian wisdom in the 21st century.
Founder of WorldKids Foundation
In 2007, Manju Singh founded the WorldKids Foundation with the motto of ‘Entertainment with a Purpose’, a non-profit organization that seeks to encourage children to form healthy opinions on important issues through films.
The Foundation organizes global children’s film festivals to help bring educational films into classrooms. It shows children’s films at the NCPA on the first Saturday of every month. According to Manju, children’s films should not be unnecessarily preachy or trivial. In an interview he said,
As mothers, we have the power to positively influence our children. We are hoping that our efforts will create awareness about important topics and encourage women to play a more constructive role in shaping the values of the younger generation.
Manju was also the chairperson of the WorldKids Foundation, which collaborated with Women Without Borders, an Austrian organization that works for world peace and communal harmony by involving local women in its projects globally. He advocated the use of media to encourage a better social environment. In an interview he said,
It aims to encourage women to fight against violent extremism by inculcating the idea of a peaceful and non-violent world in their families. We believe that if mothers themselves will follow values like tolerance and understanding of world cultures, we will be able to create a fair, just and prejudice-free world.
Death
Manju Singh left for her heavenly abode on Thursday, 14 April 2022. Reportedly, he died in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest. In a media announcement, his family said,
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the demise of our Manju Singh. He lived a beautiful and inspiring life, dedicated to his family and his art. From ‘Manju Didi’ to ‘Manju Nani’, she will truly be missed by all.
In an interview, Manju Singh’s elder daughter clarified the reason for her demise. He said,
He died due to stroke at his residence around 10 am on Thursday morning.
His funeral was held on Saturday, 16 April 2022 as his family awaited the arrival of their granddaughter from New York. Various personalities from the industry including lyricist-singer-writer Swanand Kirkire expressed their condolences.
Manzil Singh ji is no more! Manzil ji brought me from Delhi to Mumbai for her show Swaraj Padam for Doordarshan! He had created many lovely shows for DD like Ek Kahaani, Showtime etc. The gem of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s film Golmaal, our beloved Manzil ji, how can we forget your love… the last one! pic.twitter.com/aKFvMJeFYF
– Swanand Kirkire (@swanandkirkire) 15 April 2022
Facts/General Knowledge
- In 2012, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) invited Manju Singh as a resource person at the Sahodaya Conference, which deals with innovative ideas on development and assessment of life skills and values among students.
- In 2015, he was nominated as a member of the Central Advisory Board of Education (CABE) due to his contributions to TV, films, creative arts and academics.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn