Google Doodle today honoured Indian film maker V Shantaram on his 116th birth anniversary. The doodle depicts three of his most popular films - Amar Bhoopali (1951), Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje (1955), and Do Aankhen Baara Haath (1957). Mr Shantaram played a vital role in introducing sound and colour to the Indian cinema.
In 1985, he was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and seven years later was awarded Padma Vibhushan (in 1992). Shantaram died on 30 October 1990 in Mumbai. A postage stamp, bearing his likeness, was released by India Post to honour him on 17 November 2001.
Shantaram was born in Kolhapur to a Marathi Jain family and he married thrice. His first marriage was to Vimla, with whom he has three children, son Prabhat Kumar, daughters Saroj and Charusheela, mother of actor Sushant Ray a.k.a. Siddharth Ray. He then married actress Jayashree with whom he had three children - Marathi film director and producer Kiran, actress Rajshree and Tejashree. His third wife, actress Sandhya was his co-star in Do Aankhen Barah Haath as well as the heroine of his films such as Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje, Navrang, Jal Bin Machhli Nritya Bin Bijli and Sehra.