Suraiyya
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Mallika-e-Tarranum (Melody Queen) Suraiya |
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Suraiya in the film Shama Parwana in 1954.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Suraiya Jamaal Sheikh |
| Also known as | Baby Suraiya (early films) |
| Born |
15 June 1929 Gujranwala, Punjab, British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan) |
| Died | 31 January 2004 (aged 74) Krishna Mahal, Marine Drive, Mumbai, Maharashtra India |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, Hindi films singing star. |
| Years active | 1936–1963 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | J.B. Petit High School for Girls, Fort, Mumbai. |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
| Parents |
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| Awards | (1) Gold Medal for film 'Kajal'(1948), (2) Her film, 'Mirza Ghalib' got President's Gold Medal (1955) (3) Screen Videocon Lifetime Achievement Award(1996) (4) Urdu Academy (Delhi) and Sahitya Academy Award (1998) for perpetuating Mirza Ghalib's memory (5) Bimal Roy Memorial Trophy (1999) (6) Dada Saheb Phalke Academy Award (2003) (7) "Best on screen beauty with the most ethnic look in 100 years" awarded by Indian Film Academy (2013)(posthumously) (8) 'Suraiya' stamp of Rs. 5/- issued by India Post in her name (2013)(posthumously) |
| Template:Zodiac sign = Gemini | |
Suraiya Jamaal Sheikh (15 June 1929 – 31 January 2004), popularly known as Suraiya, was an Indian MuslimHindi / Hindustani film actress and playback singer in Bollywood in the 1940s to early 1960s, who remained unmarried throughout her life, after her love affair with actor Dev Anand was aborted by her maternal grandmother. She was the most popular singing star of the Indian sub-continent of her generation. Till 1943, as a child singer, Suraiya gave play-back for one actress, namely, Mehtab in three films and also in some of her own films for her roles as a child artiste. After this, she only sang for her own films as an actress, and as a heroine after 1946 till 1963. From 1948 to 1951, she became the singing superstar of Bollywood, earning the highest amount for her performances, over all the performing actors of the times, male or female, including Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Nargis and Madhubala. She received 1.5 - 2 lakhs rupees for her role per film, when top male actors were getting 50 thousand to 1 lakh rupees. For a song, she commanded rupees 1000, while Lata was getting rupees 100-200 per song. She was the only child of her parents. She had a natural talent for singing, acting and dancing from childhood. She received basic training in music, when her mother used to take her to Hindustani music teacher or 'masterji' for training. She first sang for a children's program for All India Radio in 1937. Later on Naushad gave her on the job 'training', while recording. She went on to become a most successful singing film star of Bollywood. She first sang for a children's program for All India Radio in 1937. She had received training in dancing from Mumtaz Ali, dancer-actor and father of famous comedian, Mehmood. She was also known for her North Indian Muslim feudal style acting or 'adakari' in many of her films (Mirza Ghalib (film), Phool, Afsar, Shayar, Jeet (1949 film), Anmol Ghadi, Dastan). This style 'endowed modernity with an aura of tradition' and brought nostalgic feudal tinge to the scenes. Her performance 'expertly integrated gestures, music and speech'. Suraiya in her heydays was known as 'Malika-e-Husn' (queen of beauty), 'Malika-e-Tarannum' (queen of melody) and 'Malika-e-Adakaari' (queen of acting), all rolled into one. In a career, spanning from 1936 till 1963, Suraiya sang 338 songs in films (which were mostly her own films) and 2 in adddition were non-film songs, namely, 'tum rahe kahan ko piya' and 'hum tum karenge pyar'. She acted in 67 movies, which do not include the incomplete films like 'Jaanwar' (with Dilip Kumar), 'Paagal Khaana' with Bharat Bhushan and an Indo-British film, on Wajid Ali Shah (1953) being directed by British director, Herbert Marshall with Ashok Kumar in lead role as Wajid Ali Shah .
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