Lalji Gokhale was the second child of
Kamlabai Gokhale, who was the first female child actress of Indian cinema; as she and her mother
Durga Bai (the first adult female actress of Indian cinema) both debut in
Mohini Bhasmasur (1913). Lalji joined the family business in the cinema as a child, but as adults he and his younger brother Suryakant became acclaimed Tabala maestros.