Chamiyan Bai | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1898 |
| Died | 14 August 1998 (aged 99–100) |
| Other names | The Queen of Music [citation needed] Shamshad Begum Shamshad Begum of Delhi |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1916 – 1950 |
| Spouse(s) | Nawab Abdul Waheed Khan |
| Children | Naseem Banu (daughter) |
| Relatives | Saira Banu (granddaughter) |
Chamiyan Bai, also known as Shamshad Begum (1898 – 14 August 1998), was an Indian singer, actress and courtesan (tawaif) based in Old Delhi during the early 20th century. She was the mother of Bollywood actress Naseem Banu and the maternal grandmother of actress Saira Banu.[1]
Early life[edit | edit source]
Chamiyan was born in 1898 in Kashmir, British India.[citation needed] She moved to Delhi at a young age. She was born into a musical family. Her mother was tawaif Jumman Bai, her father was musician Ratan Singh.[2]
Career[edit | edit source]
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Chamiyan became a classical singer and performer in Delhi, and was also a tawaif during the early 20th century.[2][3][4] She was trained in classical music and performed frequently on All India Radio (AIR).[4] Chamiyan later adopted the name "Shamshad Begum", and recorded songs for Columbia Records.[4]
She also worked as an actress. Her debut (both for herself and her daughter) was an appearance in Sohrab Modi's 1935 film Khoon Ka Khoon, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet.[5][6] She played Gertrude and her daughter played Ophelia.
Personal life[edit | edit source]
Chamiyan married Nawab Abdul Waheed Khan, who was from Hasanpur.[4] After the marriage she became known as Shamshad Abdul Waheed Khan.[7] They had a daughter, Roshan Ara Begum, later known as Naseem Banu.[2][8]
Naseem Banu became an actress in Indian cinema, and her daughter, and Chamiyan's granddaughter, is actress Saira Banu.[8]
Death[edit | edit source]
Chamiyan Bai died on 14 August 1998, at the age of 100.[9]
Filmography[edit | edit source]
Film[edit | edit source]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Khoon Ka Khoon | Gertrude | [10][11] |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Amitabh Bachchan called her the most beautiful woman. But she had to go on hunger strike after family did not support her film career". The Economic Times. November 2, 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Father sold her daughter to a brothel for money, three generations spent their lives in humiliation, it was not easy for this actress to enter films, her name is…". India News. May 7, 2025.
- ↑ Quarterly Journal - Volumes 15-16. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. p. 107.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow. Hay House. p. 1872.
- ↑ Doing Women's Film History: Reframing Cinemas, Past and Future. University of Illinois Press. p. 36.
- ↑ Screen - Volume 43. Oxford University Press. p. 24.
- ↑ "Hailed as Bollywood's first female superstar, this actor had to go on hunger strike to join cinema; Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar called her 'the most beautiful woman ever'". The Indian Express. October 30, 2025.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Saira Banu: She cried on the first day of film shoot, Dilip Kumar refused to work with her at her family's behest". The Indian Express. August 23, 2024.
- ↑ Yesterday's Melodies Today's Memories. Notion Press. p. 311.
- ↑ "Sohrab Modi-The lion of Minerva". Film Ka Ilm. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ↑ 'Hamlet' and World Cinema. Cambridge University Press. p. 154.
External links[edit | edit source]
- Chamiyan Bai on IMDb