Tribute to Dr. Sushila Rani Patel: Film Industry Pioneer and Renaissance woman

The renowned classical singer of India, Dr. Sushila Rani Patel (96) passed away due to heart attack.

  Excerpts of her life:

• Born: 1918.
• Death: July 24,2014.
• Honours: Dadasaheb Phalke Academy Award, Sangeet Natak Akademi, Maharashtra Rajya Sanskritik Puraskar, etc.
• She was not only a classical singer but also an actress, a vocalist, doctor, and journalist.
• India’s oldest Akasvani artist.
• Wife of late Baburao Patel, who was the renowned editor of ‘Film India’ and ‘Mother India’ magazines.
• Movies she did viz. Alam Ara, Khuda ki shaan, Draupadi, Yaad Rahe, Sandesha, etc.
  
• Trained several disciples viz. Alvira Khan (sister of actor Salman Khan), Kiran Rao (a former paying guest with her who later became wife of actor Aamir Khan), sitar maestro Ustad Alim Khan, etc.
• To encourage classical music among the masses and to discover new talent, the Shiv Sangeetanjali was founded by Baburao and Sushilarani Patel in 1961.
• Later,  Shiv Sangeetanjali became part of the Sushilarani Baburao Patel Trust that discovered new singers and musicians.
• The trust gave opportunities to talented personalities viz. Pradip Barot (sarod), Ronu Muzumdar, Nityanand Haldipur (flute), Sadanand Nayampilli (tabla), Dhanashree Pandit—Rai (singer), etc, over the years.
• Film India: India’s first and highly respected Bollywood trade journal.

To listen her voice ….click on the link–   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgcrVFUZLXE

( It’s a beautiful old Hindi film duet of Mukesh and Sushilarani Patel from the movie “Gwalan” (1946)).