Kumudlal Ganguly, popularly known as Ashok Kumar, was one of the most iconic actors of Indian cinema. He was fondly called Dadamoni and he was an important member of the cinematic Ganguly family. He started his acting career with the 1936 film Jeevan Naiya. In the career span of over 60 years, he appeared in over 300 films. Some important movies of his career include Savitri (1937), Jhoola (1941), Kismet (1943), Sajan (1947), Mahal (1949), Howrah Bridge (1958), Jewel Thief (1967), Pakeezah (1972) and many more. He was honoured with Padma Shri (1962), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1988) and Padma Bhushan (1999) for his contributions in Indian cinema. At the age of 90, he died in 2001, and became an inspiration for many generations of actors.