Chandrashekhar was born in Hyderabad on July 7, 1922. He dropped out of college, and moved to Bombay in the early 1940s. He has a diploma in western dancing from the UK.
Film career
Chandrashekar, on recommendation from the singer Shamshad Begum, got his first job with Shalimar Studios in Pune in 1948. Then he got junior artiste role in 'Bebas' with Bharat Bhushan as the lead hero. He initially did junior artiste roles in films like Nirdoshi, Daag, Farmiash, Meenar. He has appeared in about 250 films since his appearance in the 1954 filmAurat Teri Yehi Kahani as an actor. His first film as hero was Surang, produced by V. Shantaram. Some of his characters, as the supporting actor which became popular came in films like Gateway of India, Fashion, Barsaat Ki Raat, Baat Ek Raat Ki, Angulimaal, Rustom-E-Baghdad, King Kong, Jahan Ara. He also produced, directed and acted in as the lead hero his hit musical filmCha Cha Cha, which was the first film of Helen as a lead heroine. Cha Cha Cha is one of the films featured in Avijit Ghosh's book; 40 Retakes: Bollywood Classics You May Have Missed. In 1966, he directed and produced his second film Street Singer. Chandrashekhar was the leading man in films like "Surang", "Kavi" and "Mastana", "Baradari", Kali Topi Lal Rumal, Street Singer, Rustem-e-Bughdaad and in a negative role in Basant Bahar. It was after 1968, that Chandrashekar, was not getting offers to act as the lead hero. So he moved into character roles. He was regular character actor in directorial ventures of Shakti Samanta and films with Rajesh Khanna as the lead hero, with films like Kati Patang, Ajnabee, Mehbooba, Alag Alag. From 1971 onwards until 1987, he acted as the character actor in films like Hum Tum Aur Woh, Dharma, Charitraheen, Vardaan, Ranga Khush, Shakti, Shankar Dada, Anpadh, Saajan Bina Suhagan, Karmyogi, The Burning Train, Namak Halal, Nikkah, Ayaash, Maan Gaye UstaadDisco Dancer, Sharaabi, Sansar, Hukumat. Rajesh Khanna helped him in getting character roles in the films with Khanna in lead role like Dhanwan, Insaaf Main Karoonga, Durgaa, Avam, Sitapur Ki Geeta and Begunaah. He was a close friend of actors Pran, Dara Singh, Rajesh Khanna, Jeevan, Devanand and directors B. R. Chopra, Pramod Chakravarthy, Shakti Samata and Ramanand Sagar. He decided to work as assistant director to Gulzar at the age of 50, when he felt, he needed to do more in film industry. He assisted Gulzar in films like Parichay, Koshish, Achanak, Aandhi, Khushboo and Mausam between 1972 to 1976. He also played character role of Arya Sumant as Dasharatha's prime minister in Ramanand Sagar's TV SeriesRamayana at the age of 65. In late 1988, post Ramayan, despite him being, above age of 66, he was offered roles as old man in character roles of Policeman or Father or Judge, in films like Tamacha, Elaan-E-Jung, Mera Pati Sirf Mera Hai, Jawani Zindabad, Gurudev, Humshakal, Waqt Ka Badshah.
Other work
He served as President of the Cine Artistes Association from 1985 to 1996. He served in different capacities as President of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees, All India Film Employees Confederation, trustee of Cine Artistes Welfare Fund of India and Cine Artiste Welfare Trust, Vice-President of Indian Film Directors Association, associated as Member with Film Writers Association, Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association. Chandrashekhar retired from the industry in 2000 after appearing in Khauff at the age of 78. Chandrashekhar's son Ashok Shekhar is a known television serial producer and also runs an events and celeb management company, and his grandson Shakti Arora, is an actor.
