Leela Mishra

Leela Mishra
Born	1908 Jais, Uttar Pradesh
Died	17 January 1988 (age 80) Mumbai
Other names	Leela Misra
Occupation	actress
Years active	1936–1986
Known for	Mausi in Sholay (1975)
Spouse(s)	Ram Prasad Misra

Leela Mishra (1908 – 17 January 1988) was an Indian film actress. She worked as a character actor in over 200 Hindi films for five decades, is best remembered for playing like aunts (Chachi or Mausi). She is most known for her role of mausi in blockbuster Sholay (1975), Dil Se Mile Dil (1978), Baton Baton Mein (1979), Rajesh Khanna films like Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein, Aanchal, Mehbooba, Amar Prem and Rajshri Productions hits like Geet Gaata Chal (1975), Nadiya Ke Paar (1982) and Abodh (1984).Her career's best performance was in Naani Maa in 1981 for which she received Best Actress award at the age of 73.

Leela Mishra was married to Ram Prasad Mishra who was a character artist, then working in silent films. She got married at the very young age of 12. By the time she was 17 she had two daughters. She hailed from Jais, Raebareli, and she and her husband were from zamindar (landowners) families.

Leela Mishra was discovered by a man called Mama Shinde who was working for Dadasaheb Phalke’s Nasik Cinetone. He persuaded her husband to make her work in films. During those days there was a severe scarcity of women actors in films; this was evident in the paychecks that the Mishras received when they went to Nasik for the shooting. While Ram Prasad Mishra was hired on a salary of Rs. 150 per month, Leela Mishra was offered Rs. 500 per month. However, as they fared poorly in front of the camera, their contracts were cancelled.

The next opportunity that came their way was an offer to work in the movie Bhikarin which was being produced by a company owned by the Maharaja of Kolhapur. However, Leela Mishra lost out on this opportunity too as the role required her to put her arms round the actor (who was not her husband) while delivering a dialogue, which she point-blank refused to do.

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