Who can forget David in Hrisikesh Mukherji’s films? Be it Chupke Chupke’s scheming Haripad Bhaiyya or Khoobsurat’s single father who talks in rhymes with his daughters, he brings a kind of positivity to his roles that is long gone from the cinema and society.
Indian cinema’s most “Loveable Uncle,” and “Cutest Father” David (David Abraham Cheulkar), was born in 1909 in Thane, Maharashtra. He was the youngest child of Abraham and Dinah Chewoolkar, members of India’s Marathi-speaking Jewish ( Bene Israel) community.
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Willum Skeener
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mumbai in 1930, he faced a challenging six-year period of unemployment. However, his passion for acting never waned, and he eventually earned a law degree from the Government Law College during this time. David took an interest in theatre since his days at St. Joseph’s School and Wilson College; curiously, he was doing plays in French.
He struggled for a long time to get a chance in films; finally, he was introduced to M. Bhavnani, a producer-director, through one of his friends who was a character actor, and it helped him land his first film, “Zambo: The Ape Man (1937).” However, it was the 1941 film “Naya Sansar” that marked the start of his prolific career in character roles. Over the years, David has appeared in over 110 films, showcasing his talent in a variety of genres and narratives.
David was one of the earliest actors to join the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA), which was established in 1943. David, with his deep-rooted convictions in social justice and equality, found a natural home in IPTA. His involvement with IPTA allowed him to explore roles that were not just entertaining but also thought-provoking and reflective of society’s zeitgeist.
He was actively involved with the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) and worked in several films by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, including Rahi (1953), Munna (1954), the Palme d’Or nominee “Pardesi” (1957), Char Dil Char Rahen (1959), the National Film Award-winning “Shehar Aur Sapna” (1963), Aasman Mahal (1965), and Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1967).
David got his first major break as a serious actor in Boot Polish (1954), where he played John Chacha, a bootlegger with a heart of gold. The song “Nanhe Munne Bachche Teri Mutthi Mein Kya Hai,” which was picturized on David, still remains popular after all these years.
Some notable films done by him are “Panna,” “Kismet” (this film had a record that it played for three years continuously at a theatre in Calcutta),” Draupadi,” “Nal-Damayanti”, “Apna Ghar,” “Shehnai,” “Shaan,” “Boot Polish,” “Do Dulhe,” “Bhagwat Mahima,” “Mahatma” (in Marathi), “Himalaya Ki God Mein,” “Amar Deep,” “Samaajh ko Badal Daalo,” “Ek phool do mali,” “Baton Baton Mein,” “Hathi meray sathi,” “Dus Nambri,” “Satyam Shivam Sundaram”, “Shatranj Ke Khiladi,” “Nanak Naam Jahaaz Hai,” and many more.
David Abraham Cheulkar’s collaboration with Hrishikesh Mukherjee is a notable aspect of his film career. They worked together in films like Musafir (1959), Anuradha (1960), Memdidi (1961), Anupama (1966), Satyakam (1969), Abhimaan (1973), Chupke Chupke (1975), Gol Maal (1979), and Khubsoorat (1980).
One of the most memorable collaborations between David and Mukherjee was the 1975 film “Chupke Chupke.” In this beloved comedy, David played the role of Haripad Bhaiyya, alongside an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila Tagore, and Jaya Bachchan.
David was president of the Maharashtra Weightlifting Federation and vice president of the Indian Weightlifting Federation, and he served on the Olympic Committee, representing India. He was a representative of the Indian Olympics Association, and he attended the Olympic games held in Helsinki in 1952, Rome in 1960, Tokyo in 1964, and Mexico City in 1968.
He died on January 2, 1982, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, of a heart attack at the age of 72.
