
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India
Kanhaiyalal was born in Varanasi into a theatrical family. His father, Pandit Bhairodutt Choube, owned a drama company but disapproved of his son’s interest in acting. Undeterred, Kanhaiyalal began working backstage and gradually transitioned into small stage roles. After his father's death, he moved to Bombay to pursue a career in cinema—initially aspiring to become a writer and director. However, fate had other plans, and he made his screen debut as an extra in Sagar Ka Sher. He rose to national and international fame for his iconic portrayal of the scheming moneylender Sukhilala in Mehboob Khan’s Mother India (1957), one of Indian cinema’s most legendary villains. He had originally played the same role in Aurat (1940), making him the first Indian actor to reprise a character in a remake 17 years later. Mother India also earned the distinction of being India’s first official entry to the Academy Awards (Oscars) for Best International Feature Film—cementing Kanhaiyalal’s performance in global film history. Known for his mastery of negative and elderly roles, Kanhaiyalal acted in over 100 films including Ganga Jamuna, Upkar, Apna Desh, Dushman, and Grahasti. He also wrote dialogues and lyrics for films like Sadhana. His cinematic legacy lives on through the 2022 documentary Naam Tha Kanhaiyalal, produced by his daughter Hemaa Singh. TMDB mini biography by: Ashvin Borad

as Lala Nainsukh Prasad Srivastav

as Sevaram
1972

as Sukhilala
1957

as Lala Nainsukh Prasad Srivastav
1980

as Pandit Shyam Sunder
1978

1967

as Gadibabu
1974

as Station Master Ram Swarup
1963

as Rammurthy 'Dudhwala'
1966

as Hari
1954

as Raunaklal
1963

1964

as Seth Makhanlal Jhaverimull Gheewala
1952
1978

as Lala Nainsukh Prasad Srivastav
1980

1980

1978

as Pandit Shyam Sunder
1978

1977
as Mevalal Sahukar
1977

1977

as Gadibabu
1974

as Dhaniram
1973

as Sevaram
1972

as Muninji
1971

as Jagat Narayan
1970
as Kundanlal
1970

1969

1969

1969

1969

1969

1967

1967

as Kaka
1967

1967

1967
1967