Suraiya

MAN MOR HUA MATWALA KIS NE JADOO DALA


By Mushtaq Abdullah

"Noorjehan was born great, Lata achieved greatness, I had singing greatness thrust on me"

Suraiya was born at Lahore in 1929. Her full name is Suraita Jamal Shaikh. She received formal education at the New (J.B,Petit) High School for Girls in Mumbai and studied Persian and Quran at home. Her maternal uncle M. Zahoor used to perform character roles in films. During school vacations in 1941, she accompanied him to the Mohan Studios where shooting of film "Taj Mehal" was being done. There was a role for a child in this film. The director Mr.Nanubhai Vakil suggested her to perform the role and she agreed to face the camera for the first time. The shot was considered OK.

During her school days she used to participate in "Children Program" on Radio along with Shammi and Rajkapoor. She could sing some popular songs of that time with melody and fidelity. Appreciating her singing talent, a song "Boot karun mein polish" was recorded in her voice by Naushad Sahib in 1942 for the film "Nai-Dunia". In the same year she performed a role in film "Station Master" Other films of her playback singing with music by Naushad Sahib were "Sharda" (Punchi Ja- pechey raha hae bachpan mera), "Qanoon" and "Sanjog".

"Aye Jawani Jae Jawani ja ke phir na aye"


"Mohe Mora Bachpana Lade Balma Jawani Bhae Na"

She also acted in film "Tammana" (1942) with music by K.C.Dey. In the next year (1943) she acted as heroin in film "Ishara" (Punghat pe muralia baje) with music by Kh. Khursheed Anwar and "Hamari Baat" (Ghar hum ne liya hae tere ghar ke samne) with music by Anil Biswas. Her other main films with Khursheed Anwar were "Parwana" (Papi Papihare pipi na bol), "Singhar" (Nea nenoon mein rang) and partly in "Yateem". Anil Biswas also directed songs for her in "Gajre" (Door papiha bola), "Do Sitare", "Waris" and partly in "Jeet". During the shooting of "Samrat Chandragupta" with music by C.Ramchandra, she met K.L.Saigal. He desired to act with her in film "Tadbir" (Rani khol de dawar milne ka din agea - music Lal Mohammed). The two other films in which they acted together were - "Omar Khayam" and "Parwana".



"PAPI PAPIHARE PIPI NA BOL BERI PIPI NA BOL"

It will be appreciated that she has paid due regards to most of the famous directors of that time, who groomed her in acting, singing and dancing. Other such actresses of that time were Noor Jahan and Khurshid. After independence they migrated to Pakistan. Most of Suraiya's melodious songs were composed by the mastereos like Naushad, Anil Biswas, Khurshid Anwar, Sajjad Husain (films"1857"- "Teri Nazar mein mein rahoon" and Rustom Sohrab- "Yeh kesi ajab dastan"), Ghulam Haider ("Phool" and "Jagbiti"-Hum ko bhool na jana o perdesia), Naresh Bhatacharia (Dak Bangla- "Pipal ki chaon mein"), Shayam Sunder (Chardin , Kamal ke phool - "Mita sake to mita de dunia" and partly Urvashi) and Pt. Gobind Ram (Do Dil - "Mati ka buut bha gea")

Naushad's Anmol Garhi, Dard (Naat - "Beech bhanwar mein"), Natak, Dillagi, Dastan and Diwana will remain classics for ever. Her other hit films were with music by Husnlal Bhagatram include Aaj ki Raat, Pyar ki Jeet ("Tere naino ne chori kia") , Bari Behen ("Who pass tahein ya door "), Balam ("Jo Bhole hein thuje aey dil"), Nach ("Jo tum badle"), Sanam ("Nea nea hae pear"), Shama Parwana ("Sar mehfil jo jale"), Kanchan and Trolley Driver. Ghulam Mohammed composed music for her Kajal, Shair ("Kia cheez hae mohhabat"), Mirza Ghalib ("Nukta cheen hae and "Rahey ab aesi jaga"), Malik and Shama. S.D.Verman's composition include Vidya, Afsar ("Man More hua matwala") and Lal Kunwar. Her songs in Hunsraj Behl's Khilari ("Chahat ka Bhulana Mushkil hae", "Dile nashad na ro"), Shan ("Tarap ae dil"), Rajput. Moti Mehal and Resham are still remembered by music lovers. She respects guidance of Jamal Sen in her singing for "Shokian" (Ratoon ki neend chen li) and Bilo C. Rani in "Bilwamangal" (Parwano se preet sekh le).

Other notable directors who composed music for her songs include K.Dutta (Rang Mehal and partly Yateem) Krishen Dayal (Lekh- "Dil ka qarar lut gea" - "Badra ki chaon tale"), S.Mohinder (Nilli), Sardul Kwatra (Goonj), Madan Mahan (Khobsoorat), Roshan (Mashuqa- "Mera bachpan wapas aya"), S.N.Tripahi (Inaam), O.P.Nayyar (Mr. Lambo) and N.Dutta (Miss 58). Music for her other films was composed - "Mein kia karoon" by Nino Mujamdar, "Chehre" by M.A. Mukhtar, "Hasrat" by N.Sagir /Arun Roy, "Do Naina" by Mohammed Shafi, "Shakti" by Ram Parshad /Azim Beg and "Amar Kahani" by Baij Sharma.

At early stage of her acting shooting was done at Andheri or Goregaon and for rehearsal of songs she had to go to Naushad Sahib at Kardar Studios at Parel. After picturization of songs she was required to visit Gramophone Co. at the "Fountain" where songs were edited by Naushad Sahib for three minutes of disc time. Her songs are estimated to be about 2000. She suggested Lata's name to C.Ramchander for playback singing of "Duniya" but Chitalker insisted and preferred her songs. She very much praises Lata's singing. "Husnlal" was considered by her as a patient teacher.

I met her more than twenty years back in 1980.She has a good collection of books, Actually reading books is her hobby. Her favourite authors are - Sumerset Maugham, Marie Corelli and Khalil Jibran.



"Mere dil mein koi na aey"



Surraiya and Dev Anand had remained in love for considerable time but she could not dare to face the family and public criticism to their wedding proposal. She never felt that way for anyone else although she continues to receive letters from many of her fans. She was also proposed for marriage by actor Rehman.

"Dour Papiha Bola Raat Adhi Reh Gai Meri Thumari Mulaqat Baqi Reh Gai"



Surraiya's idol was Gregory Peck and he visited her by surprise during a night of 1954 while in transit at Mumbai on his way to Srilanka for shooting. He was much impressed by her simplicity.

"Woh Paas Rahein Ya Door Rahein Nazroon Mein Samae Rehte Hein"

"Teri Nazar Mein Mein Rahoon Meri Nazar Mein Tou"

Dev Anand molded himself in postures of Gregory Peck but after long awaiting he married Kaplna Kartak.

"Tum Mujhko bhool jao aab hum na mil sakhein ge"

"Din Pe Din Beete Jaen Jane Waley Na Ayen Mein Kia Karoon"

Now she has no restrictions on her eating and as such gaining weight in natural way. She is very fond of "Biryani" dish. She has a craze for ornaments. Her selection and collection of jewelry is unique. Even while going to bed, she often continues to wear them.



About herself she humbly observes "I never considered myself a great artist - certainly not a good singer. With no training in music at all. I sang because in those days it was the vogue for heroines to sing their own songs. I do not know why people liked my voice." May god bless her with a long healthy life.

"Din Guzra Raat Aye - Dharkan Laga Ji" "Dharakte dil ki tammanao mera peyar ho tum"

Last edited by sur on 26 Jan 2007 00:06; edited 1 time in total




____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

REMEMBRANCE
Melodious Suraiya
The celebrated music-director remembers the small little girl he saw blossom into a talented playback singer and actress.


NAUSHAD on Suraiya


It was 1939. One day a small little girl came to meet me with her maternal grandmother. Her grandmother told me that this girl wanted to make me listen to her sing. I said, okay, sing. She hadn't trained to be a singer, but her voice was very melodious ('suriilii'). I told her: your voice is nature's gift, what's your name? She said, Suraiya. I immediately said, "But Suraiya, I shall call you Surili". She burst out in giggles.

This is how I first met Suraiya. She used to be in school then and her grandmother would take her to musicians. Then I met her again after a few days at Prakash Studio. A film called Station Master was being made which required a girl to play the role of a younger sister, so I called for her. She also sang two songs for this film, of which one of the songs for children became quite popular - yeh rail hamaare ghar kii dekho. This is where her film-career began.

Suraiya did not take any formal training in music. It ought to be remembered that when she stepped into the world of music, it was the 1940s - a revolutionary phase of Indian music. Decades hence, the songs of those days are still fresh in people's hearts and on their lips.

Anyway, after that came Sardar Sahib's film Nai Duniya. It required a child-artist to play the role of a shoe-shine kid. I told Sardar Sahib that instead of a boy, there was this young girl and if I should call her. He agreed, and so Suraiya was called. She also gave playback for the film and her song, "boot karun mai polish" was quite a hit. And then she was taken for Sharda with Mehtab and thus it continued from thereon. In those days, for a film -- or sometimes, even for a song -- Rs 200-300 were paid which was quite a sum then. I still remember, when I first used Lata Mangeshkar, and paid her Rs 60 for it, her hands trembled and there was wonder in her voice: "Sixty rupees..." Even Rs 60 was a large sum and more amazing than that is the fact that Suraiya said goodbye to film-industry at a time she could have earned lakhs.

Actually she was a very sophisticated and cultured person. She knew how to show respect to elders and even when she became a star, she continued to behave with the same dignity and decorum with which she had first met me. After her grandmother's demise, she stopped socialising, and gradually she became distant from everyone. And then her parents passed away, and after a while she suddenly stopped acting in films. She just stayed within her Marine Drive house and met very few people.

Every now and then she would visit me. In the beginning, I would always advise her to recommence acting and she would reply, "Naushad Sahib, thanks to giving up films, at least now I don't have to worry about my diet. Why do you want to snatch away this pleasure?" In a way, she had fully made up her mind not to act in films. Then once I suggested, "Okay, forget films, but at least do playback. Nature's bestowed such a great voice to you, at least let it reach people," but she had the same answer, "Now I don't feel like doing anything".

Whenever she would visit me, apart from talking about old experiences, I would give her my advice on lots of other subjects as well. Now she was the sole owner of her house, and in Lonawala, of course, she had a full village; so I would tell her to bequeath it to Anzuman Islam, an organisation which looks after child-education. She told me she would do something about it, but I don't know if something could be done or not. Today she's not with us, but I feel that her nature-gifted voice would forever stay alive and remind us of an extremely cultured and intelligent person.


Last edited by sur on 26 Jan 2007 00:07; edited 1 time in total




____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Suraiya was perhaps the last of the great singing stars.

Born in Lahore, she debuted as a child star with Taj Mahal (1941). She did playback as a 13 year old for Mehtaab in Sharda (1942) under Naushad's direction. The barely-in-her-teens Suraiya had to stand on a stool to reach the mike!

She was effectively launched as a singing star in Bombay Talkies Humaari Baat (1943). She made her presence felt in perhaps India's first multi-starrer K.Asif's Phool (1944) and played strong supporting second lead roles to Noorjehan in Mehboob Khan's Anmol Ghadi (1946) and Munawar Sultana in Dard (1947). Though Noorjehan had perhaps the best of Naushad's compositions in Anmol Ghadi (Jawaan Hai Mohabbat, Aawaaz De Kahaan Hai, Aa Jaa Meri Barbad Mohabbat ke Sahare, Mere Bachpan ke Saathi, Kya Mil Gaya Bhagwan), Suraiya too had her moments with Socha Tha Kya, Main Dil Mein Dard Basa La Aayee and Man Leta Hai.

She was fortunate to star opposite the legendary K.L. Saigal in three of his later films - Tadbir (1945), Omar Khaiyam (1946) and Parwana (1947), the last remembered for her haunting rendition of Jab Tumhi Nahin Apne.

The 1948-49 phase saw her rise to her peak. With Pyar ki Jeet (1948), Badi Bahen (1949) and Dillagi (1949) she became the highest paid female star of her time. At her peak, Suraiya generated hysteria comparable only to Rajesh Khanna in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Shop owners would down their shutters to see her starrers on the first day itself, crowds would throng outside her residence at Marine Drive in Bombay just to get a glimpse of her and actor Dharmendra recalls going to see Dillagi 40 times! Her songs from the above films Tere Nainon Ne Chori Kiya, O Door Jaanewaale (Pyar ki Jeet), Woh Paas Rahe Ya Door Rahe, O Likhnewaale Ne, Bigdi Bananewaale (Badi Bahen) and Tu Mera Chand, Murliwaale Murli Bajaa (Dillagi) were hummed in every nook and corner of the country.

But there was more to Suraiya than just her songs. Over the years she had more than picked up the finer rudiments of acting as well and she came up with more than capable performances in her films expertly integrating gesture, music and speech.

However Suraiya's reign at the top was brief. She suffered both professionally and personally. Her films started flopping one after another in the 1950s. She had got involved with Dev Anand and the two of them did six films together (1948-51) but her strict grandmother put her foot down and the affair and their partnership ended. (Suraiya remains unmarried to this day)

She made a short-lived comeback with Waaris (1954) and Mirza Ghalib (1954). The latter saw her finest dramatic performance as she made alive and vivid the role of the married Ghalib's lover, a courtesan. Ghalib also saw some of her finest singing - Aah ko Chaihiye Ek Umar, Nuktacheen Hai Gham-e-Dil, Dil-e-Nadaan Tujhe Hua Kya Hai, Yeh Na Thi Humari Kismet etc. Her singing is till date regarded as the definitive Ghalib. In fact India's then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru paid her the ultimate compliment by telling her she had brought Mirza Ghalib to life. (Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki Rooh ko Zinda Kar Diya).

  
Unfortunately her work thereafter mained largely undistinguished. Shama (1961) was a musical hit and her last film was Rustom Sohrab (1963), which also boasts of one of her finest ever songs - Yeh Kaisi Ajab Dastaan Ho Gayi.

After that Suraiya preferred to stay away from the limelight and was rarely seen except at select film functions leading her to be known as the Garbo of India. She passed away on January 31, 2004 following a brief illness.








____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Evolution of the hindi film song[b]

The release of Khazanchi in 1941 with its freewheeling musical score with Punjabi rhythms changed the face of Hindi film music forever. Music director Ghulam Haider followed up Khazanchi with an even bigger success the following year - Khandaan (1942). Khandaan brought to the fore a singing sensation who would completely dominate the Hindi Film scene for the next five years – Noorjehan.

Born in the Kasur area of Punjab in 1929, Noorjehan was fascinated by singing since the age of six. She idolized Akhtari Begum and Kajjanbai and the former advised her to first learn classical music. Thus she first perfected her classical singing under Ghulam Mohammed Khan. She entered films as a child artiste in small roles before being seen prominently in the Punjabi film Gul-e-Bakavali (1939). However she was first noticed in a big way in Khandaan (1942) where her song Tu Kaunsi Badli Mein Mere Chand Hai Aajaa became a huge hit. Following Khandaan's success Noorjehan shifted to Bombay. She soon conquered India's film capital with her vibrant voice. She had that unusual combination of a good voice, a style that could perhaps be compared to those of good classical thumri singers and the striking stage presence of a good performer. Fortunately for her, her timing was perfect. The uninhibited culture of the heroines of the 1930s was drawing to a close and a more conservative heroine was coming to the fore. In Zeenat (1945) she popularized the qawali as never before with Aahein Na Bhari Shikwein Na Kiye sung with another famous singer of those days, Zohra Ambala.

1941 also saw a 12-year-old girl make her debut as a child star in the film Taj Mahal. The following year she did playback for a top film heroine of the day, Mehtab for the film Sharada. Because of her height she was given a stool to stand on since she couldn’t reach the mike! Mehtab was convinced her career would be ruined if this child were to sing for her. However, not only did the songs of Sharada prove extremely popular but this girl went on to become a singing star in her own right and at the height of her peak generated the kind of hysteria that Rajesh Khanna did in his heyday from 1969 - 1972. Shops closed on the opening day of her starrers as even shopkeepers forgot their duties and swarmed the cinema theatres to see her films first day, first show! Crowds would throng outside her house just to get a glimpse of her. Actor Dharmendra remembers seeing her film Dillagi 40 times! The girl was… Suraiya!

Noorjehan and Suraiya were but two singing stars who rose to great heights of fame in the 1940s as now with established singers having entered the Hindi Music scenario, the days of singing stars was coming to an end. After the first lot of trained singers like Parul Ghosh, Amirbai Karnataki, Zohrabai Ambalewali, Rajkumari, Arun Kumar, G.M. Durani and Shamshad Begum, the 1940s also saw the introduction of several singers who would go on to become legends themselves – Mohd Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Talat Mehmood, Geeta Dutt, Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar thus providing Indian cinema with its golden age in the 50s and 60s.



As newer and newer sounds pervaded Hindi Film Music the next big contribution after Ghulam Haider was that of C. Ramchandra. Ramchandra was a music sudent under Vinayakbua Patwardan at Gandharva Mahavidyala School. He began as a music director with Tamil films in 1937 before breaking through with Master Bhagwan’s Sukhi Jeevan in 1942. It was C. Ramchandra who gave a new definition to Hindi Film music with the song Sunday ki Sunday from Shehnai(1947). Heavily influenced by Benny Goodman he introduced the use of Western instruments in Hindi Cinema in a big way using the alto sax in combination with guitar and harmonica and also whistling. In fact throughout his career, Ramchandra continued working with Western Sounds using combinations of bongo, oboe, trumpet, clarinets and the saxaphone even assimilating scat singing and rock rhythms as he brought a freewheeling hip approach to the Hindi Film Song. But while remembering such light-hearted masterpieces like Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon (Patanga(1949)) and Main Hoon Ek Khalasi Mera Naam Bheem Palasi (Sargam (1950)), Ramchandra in no way was just restricted to juvenile frivolous songs. He was equally at home composing songs with a strong Indian base as well be it ghazals, geets and thumris. And let it not be forgotten that it is Ramchandra who composed Ae Mere Watan ke Logon which brought tears to Jawaharlal Nehru’s eyes! While Madan Mohan and Khayyam are the first names taken when the filmi ghazal comes to mind, it is forgotten that C. Ramchandra did some of the finest work in this genre.

Among others, Anil Biswas was among the first music directors to make his mark in the early 1940s. A talented tabla player himself, Anilda worked in amateur theatre as a child singer. He became a political activist as a student and was repeatedly jailed in the 1930s. After scoring music in several commercial Calcutta Theatre stage productions, he moved to Bombay in 1934. After an initial stint with Daryani Picture and Sagar Movietone, Anilda came to notice with his score in films like Aurat (1940) and Roti (1942) for director Mehboob Khan under the banner of National Pictures. He moved to Bombay talkies in 1942 and created musical history there with films like Jwar Bhata (1944), Milan (1946) and of course Kismet (1943) where he made splendid use of Amirbai Karnataki's full throated voice. Anild'’s best-known compositions are among the most effective film adaptations of theatrical music with 12 piece orchestras and full-blooded choral effects. But beyond all the musical masterpieces that Anilda composed, he was also responsible for being the man behind such voices as Surendranath, Parul Ghosh, Sitara Devi, Mukesh, Talat Mehmood and monitoring Lata Mangeshkar’s early career. It was Anilda who taught Lata and other singers the techniques of breath control while singing and putting emphasis on syllables that came on the beat of the song.

Even as India marched towards her freedom, January 1947 saw the death of India’s biggest musical icon - K.L. Saigal at Jullunder due to aftereffects of alcohol, which had fast overtaken his life. It was said he could only sing only when fortified with liquor. His health had begun failing. A last ditch effort at abstinence proved useless as he was too far-gone. But not before giving us such melodic gems like Mere Sapnon Ki Rani, Ae Dil-e-Bekaraar Jhoom, Jab Dil hi Toot Gaya - from Shah Jehan (1946). Such was the power and mystique of Saigal's singing that singers like Mukesh and Kishore Kumar started their careers singing in the 'Saigal style' before etching out their own identities.

Even as India gained Independence, the nation split into India, Pakistan and East Pakistan. If Saigal's death was a blow to the Hindi Film industry, partition was even more so. Like elsewhere the Film industry too witnessed mass migration between India and Pakistan. Major musical talent like singing stars Khurheed and Noorjehan, Music Directors Firoz Nizami and Master Ghulam Haider among a host of others chose to make Pakistan their home thus crippling the Hindi Film Industry. But as mentioned fortunately by then much of the talent that was to provide the Hindi Film with its golden age had begun to make its appearance. The best was still to come…




http://www.upperstall.com/hindisong3.html







____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Memorable Films

Anmol Ghadi
(1946)

Dard
(1947)

Parwana
(1947)

Pyar ki Jeet
(1948)

Badi Bahen
(1949)

Dillagi
(1949)

Dastaan
(1950)

Mirza Ghalib
(1954)

Shama Parwana
(1954)

Waaris
(1954)

Shama
(1961)





____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Suraiya


Save for her arresting, almond-shaped eyes, Suraiya was not a classic beauty; nor did she trained in classical music. She still became a superstar singer-actress in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Suraiya was born in 1929 as Suraiya Jamal Shaikh in Lahore. Suraiya`s tryst with showbiz began in 1941 when she accompanied uncle Zahoor (popular villain) to the sets of Prakash Pictures` Taj Mahal. Nanubhai Vakil took an instant liking to 12-year-old Suraiya and cast her as the young Mumtaz Mahal.

Her singing career found a mentor in music maestro Naushad. Suraiya had participated in a children`s programme on All India Radio after friend Raj Kapoor and neighbour Madan Mohan had cajoled her. Naushad heard Suraiya on the radio and chose her to sing as 13 year old for Mehtab in Kardar`s Sharda, 1942. Suraiya had to stand on a stool to reach the mike to croon Panchi ja, picturised on the much-older heroine, Mehtaab.

She was effectively launched as a singing star in Bombay Talkies Humaari Baat, 1943. She made her presence felt in perhaps India`s first multi-starrer K.Asif`s Phool, 1944. Mehboob Khan`s blockbuster Anmol Ghadi, 1946 made Suraiya a draw in her own right despite the fact that she was only the second lead in the film. If Noorjehan had four fabulous Naushad songs in the film including Jawaan Hai Mohabbat, Awaaz de kahan hain, Suraiya had a winner in Socha tha kya, kya ho gaya.

Singing superstar K. L. Saigal liked Suraiya`s voice at a rehearsal and recommended her as heroine in Tadbir, 1945. Suraiya costarred with Saigal in quick succession in Omar Khayyam, 1946 and Parwana, 1947.

When Noorjehan migrated to Pakistan, she inadvertently contributed to Suraiya’s success story. What gave Suraiya an edge over contemporaries like Kamini Kaushal and Nargis was her ability to sing her own songs.

The years 1948-1949 were the best of her career. A trio of hits- Pyar ki Jeet, 1948, Badi Bahen, 1949 and Dillagi, 1949 she became the highest paid female star of her time. At her peak, Suraiya generated hysteria. Shop owners would down their shutters to see her starrers on the first day itself, crowds would throng outside her residence at Marine Drive in Bombay just to get a glimpse of her and actor Dharmendra remembers walking miles to see Suraiya`s Dillagi 40 times! Her songs from the above films Tere Nainon Ne Chori Kiya, O Door Jaanewaale, (Pyar ki Jeet), Woh Paas Rahe Ya Door Rahe, O Likhnewaale Ne, Bigdi Bananewaale (Badi Bahen) and Tu Mera Chand, Murliwaale Murli Bajaa (Dillagi) were hummed in every nook and corner of the country.

However Suraiya`s reign at the top was brief. She suffered both professionally and personally. Her films started flopping one after another in the 1950s. She had got involved with Dev Anand and the two of them did six films together- Vidya, 1948, Jeet, 1949, Shayar, 1949, Afsar, 1950, Nili, 1950 and Do Sitare, 1951. They may not have been hits but she had no regrets as their love flourished. During the shooting of a song, a boat capsized and Dev saved Suraiya from drowning. Suraiya fell in love with her hero. Lore has it that Suraiya`s grandmother threw Dev`s ring into the sea. Suraiya remains unmarried to this day.

She made a short-lived comeback with Waaris, 1954 and Mirza Ghalib, 1954. The latter saw her finest dramatic performance as she made alive and vivid the role of Chaudhvin, the married Ghalib`s lover, a courtesan. She adeptly conveyed pain and longing with eternal classics like- Aah ko Chaihiye Ek Umar, Dil-e-Nadaan Tujhe Hua Kya Hai, Yeh Na Thi Humari Kismet etc. Mirza Ghalib won the President`s gold medal. In fact India`s then PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru paid her the ultimate compliment by telling her she had brought Mirza Ghalib to life. (Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki Rooh ko Zinda Kar Diya).

Unfortunately her work thereafter remained largely undistinguished. A spate of indifferent films followed. Suraiya had grew bulkier but her songs were still exquisite. Shama, 1961 was a musical hit and her last film was Rustom Sohrab, 1963, which also boasts of one of her finest ever songs- Yeh Kaisi Ajab Dastaan Ho Gayi.

Today, the still unmarried Suraiya lives alone in her plush Marine Drive apartment. Rarely does one see a bejeweled Suraiya at a party. Even after her strict grandmother, who kept suitors at bay and producers at arm`s length, passed away, Suraiya continued to be inaccessible. Her decision to reside in an ivory tower has added to her mystique, while her resolve to shun character roles ensured that she is always remembered as a heroine. Most quaintly, Suraiya also chose not to sing any new film song in the last 40 years.






____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Dinesh Raheja

Save for her arresting, almond-shaped eyes, Suraiya was not a classic beauty; nor did she trained in classical music.

She still became a superstar singer-actress in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Suraiya Jamaal Sheikh's legend has endured for over four decades after her retirement post Rustom Sohrab (1963). It is fuelled by her one-time Dev Anand association, her repertoire of lilting songs and an air of mystique.

Famous songs picturised on and sung by Suraiya
Song Film
Socha tha kya, kya ho gaya  Anmol Ghadi
Tere nainon ne chori kiya  Pyar Ki Jeet
Likhnewale ne  Badi Behan
Tu mera chand main teri chandni  Dillagi
Manmor hua matwala  Afsar
Tara ri tara ri  Dastaan
Dil-e-nadaan tujhe  Mirza Ghalib
Nuktacheen hai gham-e-dil  Mirza Ghalib
Rahi matwale  Waris
Yeh kaisi ajab dastan  Rustom Sohrab

Today, the still unmarried Suraiya lives alone in her plush Marine Drive apartment. Rarely does one see a bejewelled Suraiya at a party. Even after her strict grandmother, who kept suitors at bay and producers at arm's length, passed away, Suraiya continued to be inaccessible to the hoi polloi.

Her decision to reside in an ivory tower has added to her mystique, while her resolve to shun character roles ensured that she is always remembered as a heroine. Most quaintly, Suraiya also chose not to sing any new film song in the last 40 years.

Baby Suraiya's tryst with showbiz began in 1941 when she accompanied uncle [popular villain] Zahoor to the sets of Prakash Pictures' Taj Mahal. [Filmmaker] Nanubhai Vakil took an instant liking to 12-year-old Suraiya and cast her as the young Mumtaz Mahal.

Her singing career found a mentor in music maestro Naushad. Suraiya had participated in a children's programme on All India Radio after friend Raj Kapoor and neighbour Madan Mohan had cajoled her. Naushad heard Suraiya on the radio and chose her to sing for Kardar's Sharda (1942). Suraiya had to stand on a stool to reach the mike to croon Panchi ja, picturised on the much-older heroine, Mehtaab.

In 1942-1943, Naushad also used Suraiya's voice in Station Master, Kanoon and Sanjog. Incidentally, Sharda, Kanoon and Sanjog were directed by Kardar. Later in her career, Suraiya and Kardar formed a long association of Ds: Dard (1947), Dillagi (1949), Daastaan (1950) and Deewana (1952).

Mehboob Khan's blockbuster Anmol Ghadi (1946) made Suraiya a draw in her own right despite the fact that she was only the second lead in the film. Suraiya played a rich girl who loves Surendra while he pines for Noorjehan. If Noorjehan had four fabulous Naushad songs in the film (including Awaaz de kahan hain), Suraiya had a winner in Socha tha kya, kya ho gaya.

Nadira, who later costarred with Suraiya in Waris, says, "My father went repeatedly to the theatre to watch Suraiya sing Socha tha kya. He would walk out the moment the song ended."

Singing superstar K L Saigal liked Suraiya's voice at a rehearsal and recommended her as heroine in Tadbir (1945). Suraiya costarred with Saigal in quick succession in Omar Khayyam (1946) and Parwana (1947).

When Noorjehan migrated to Pakistan, she inadvertently contributed to Suraiya’s success story. What gave Suraiya an edge over contemporaries like Kamini Kaushal and Nargis was her ability to sing her own songs.

The years 1948-1949 were the best of her career. A trio of hits --- Pyar Ki Jeet, Badi Behan and Dillagi --- made Suraiya the highest paid female star. Dharmendra remembers walking miles to see Suraiya's Dillagi 40 times!

In both Pyar Ki Jeet and Badi Bahen, she made a team with composers Husnlal Bhagatram. An exquisite collection of songs stand testimony to the honeyed sweetness of her voice: Woh paas rahe ya door rahe, O door jaanewale. Naushad composed Dillagi gems like Murliwale murli baja while for S D Burman she sang a rare classical number in Afsar: Manmor hua matwala.

Breaking hearts and records now, Suraiya could not even attend a premiere --- mobs would descend on her.

She appeared in one film, Dastaan (1950), with her childhood friend, Raj Kapoor. (She had an interesting role as an orphan who invokes the hero's love but his sister's hatred). While Raj teamed regularly with Nargis, Suraiya singled Dev Anand out for her affections. It helped that he was her favourite Gregory Peck's lookalike.

Suraiya and Dev worked in six films --- Vidya (1948), Jeet (1949), Shayar (1949), Afsar (1950), Nili (1950) and Do Sitare (1951). They may not have been hits but she had no regrets as their love flourished. During the shooting of a song, a boat capsized and Dev saved Suraiya from drowning. Suraiya fell in love with her hero. Lore has it that Suraiya's grandmother threw Dev's ring into the sea.

Professionally, Suraiya's Midas touch, despite her inimitable adaas, deserted her in the 1950s. She made a shortlived comeback in Sohrab Modi's Mirza Ghalib (1954), lending voice and heart to Chaudhvin, the married Ghalib's lover. She adeptly conveyed pain and longing with eternal classics like Yeh na thi hamari kismet and Dil-e-nadaan tujhe hua kya hai.

Mirza Ghalib won the President's gold medal. [Then Prime Minister] Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru complimented Suraiya with: Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki rooh ko zinda kar diya.

In Nitin Bose's Waris (1954), Suraiya costarred with singing star Talat Mehmood (incidentally, she played heroine opposite another singer who tried to be an actor, Mukesh, in 1953's Mashuqa, too). With the sonorous melody, Rahi matwale, Anil Biswas and Suraiya proved their continuing relevance in a new age.

A spate of indifferent films followed. Suraiya had grew bulkier but her songs were still exquisite --- Aap se pyar hua jaata hai in Shama (1961), or the serene duet with Talat, Man dheere dheere gaye re in Maalik (1958).

In 1963, to the strains of Yeh kaisi ajab dastaan ho gayee hai, the Sajjad jewel from Rustom Sohrab, Suraiya bade farewell to the studios.

Suraiya's dastaan, ajeeb but fascinating, continues to thrive on lore, speculation and memories.

Suraiya's Landmark Films  
Year Film Hero
1946 Anmol Ghadi Surendra
1948 Vidya Dev Anand
1948 Pyar Ki Jeet Rehman
1949 Badi Behan Rehman
1949 Dillagi Shyam
1950 Dastaan Raj Kapoor
1954 Mirza Ghalib Bharat Bhushan





____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Birth: 1929
Birthplace: Lahore
Profession: Playback Singer, Bollywood.

Save for her arresting, almond-shaped eyes, Suraiya was not a classic beauty; nor did she trained in classical music. Suraiya , the lovely melody queen created aura with her popular numbers like 'tu mera chaand, main teri chandani' ,'dil-e-nadan, tujhe hua kya hai' and 'woh paas rahe ya door rahe' .

Suraiya was born in 1929 as Suraiya Jamal Shaikh in Lahore. She received formal education at the New (J.B,Petit) High School for Girls in Mumbai and studied Persian and Quran at home. Her maternal uncle M. Zahoor used to perform character roles in films. During school vacations in 1941, she accompanied him to the Mohan Studios where shooting of film "Taj Mehal" was being done. There was a role for a child in this film. The director Mr.Nanubhai Vakil suggested her to perform the role and she agreed to face the camera for the first time. The shot was considered OK.

During her school days she used to participate in "Children Program" on Radio along with Shammi and Rajkapoor. She could sing some popular songs of that time with melody and fidelity. Appreciating her singing talent, a song "Boot karun mein polish" was recorded in her voice by Naushad Sahib in 1942 for the film "Nai-Dunia". In the same year she performed a role in film "Station Master" Other films of her playback singing with music by Naushad Sahib were "Sharda" (Punchi Ja- pechey raha hae bachpan mera), "Qanoon" and "Sanjog".

Her singing career found a mentor in music maestro Naushad. Suraiya had participated in a children`s programme on All India Radio after friend Raj Kapoor and neighbour Madan Mohan had cajoled her. Naushad heard Suraiya on the radio and chose her to sing as 13 year old for Mehtab in Kardar`s Sharda, 1942. Suraiya had to stand on a stool to reach the mike to croon Panchi ja, picturised on the much-older heroine, Mehtaab.

She was effectively launched as a singing star in Bombay Talkies Humaari Baat (1943). She made her presence felt in perhaps India's first multi-starrer K.Asif's Phool (1944) and played strong supporting second lead roles to Noorjehan in Mehboob Khan's Anmol Ghadi (1946) and Munawar Sultana in Dard (1947).Suraiya had her moments with Socha Tha Kya, Main Dil Mein Dard Basa La Aayee and Man Leta Hai.

She was starred opposite the legendary K.L. Saigal in three of his later films - Tadbir (1945), Omar Khaiyam (1946) and Parwana (1947), the last remembered for her haunting rendition of Jab Tumhi Nahin Apne.Her pairing with the then superstar Dev Anand was a huge hit and the two went on to star in many successful movies together - Afsar, Shayar and Jeet etal. They were romantically linked and were all set to marry when her strict grandmother put her foot down and broke their relationship (Dev Anand is a Hindu while Suraiya is a Muslim). The heartbroken Suraiya never married though many leading men of her time were interested in her.Surraiya's idol was Gregory Peck and he visited her by surprise during a night of 1954 while in transit at Mumbai on his way to Srilanka for shooting. He was much impressed by her simplicity.Dev Anand molded himself in postures of Gregory Peck but after long awaiting he married Kaplna Kartak.

The 1948-49 phase saw her rise to her peak. With Pyar ki Jeet (1948), Badi Bahen (1949) and Dillagi (1949) she became the highest paid female star of her time. At her peak, Suraiya generated hysteria comparable only to Rajesh Khanna in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Shop owners would down their shutters to see her starrers on the first day itself, crowds would throng outside her residence at Marine Drive in Bombay just to get a glimpse of her and actor Dharmendra recalls going to see Dillagi 40 times! Her songs from the above films Tere Nainon Ne Chori Kiya, O Door Jaanewaale (Pyar ki Jeet), Woh Paas Rahe Ya Door Rahe, O Likhnewaale Ne, Bigdi Bananewaale (Badi Bahen) and Tu Mera Chand, Murliwaale Murli Bajaa (Dillagi) were hummed in every nook and corner of the country.

Most of her films in the 50's flopped till she made a short lived comeback with Sohrab Modi's 'Mirza Ghalib' in which she played the role of the married Ghalib's lover.She made a short-lived comeback with Waaris (1954) and Mirza Ghalib (1954). The latter saw her finest dramatic performance as she made alive and vivid the role of the married Ghalib's lover, a courtesan. Ghalib also saw some of her finest singing - Aah ko Chaihiye Ek Umar, Nuktacheen Hai Gham-e-Dil, Dil-e-Nadaan Tujhe Hua Kya Hai, Yeh Na Thi Humari Kismet etc. Her singing is till date regarded as the definitive Ghalib. In fact India's then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru paid her the ultimate compliment by telling her " Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki Rooh ko Zinda Kar Diya" (she had brought Mirza Ghalib to life).

Unfortunately her work thereafter remained largely undistinguished. Shama (1961) was a musical hit and her last film was Rustom Sohrab (1963), which also boasts of one of her finest ever songs - Yeh Kaisi Ajab Dastaan Ho Gayi.

Now she has no restrictions on her eating and as such gaining weight in natural way. She is very fond of "Biryani" dish. She has a craze for ornaments. Her selection and collection of jewelry is unique. Even while going to bed, she often continues to wear them.

Best Of Suraiya:
Song Movie
Dil-e-nadaan Mirza Ghalib
Phir mujhe Mirza Ghalib
Yeh na thi hamari kismat Mirza Ghalib
Man leta hai angdai Anmol Ghadi
Socha tha kya kya ho gaya Anmol Ghadi
Man mera huo matwale Afsar
Man mera huo matwale Afsar
Milne ka din aa gaya Tadbir
Milne ka din aa gaya Tadbir
Kuch phool khile armaan ki Jeet
O door janewale Jeet





____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Suraiya : A Voice From The Past
(Source: Interview by: Sheila Vesuna)

Meeting Suraiya was like taking a walk back in time.

There was a time when traffic jams at Marine Drive (Mumbai) were caused not due to a long line of cars, but because of a young charismatic actress whose melodious voice had cast a spell on thousands of young Indians. Entering her home at Krishna Mahal on Marine Drive today, instantly transports you into another age and time.

"I WAS 12 AND LOOKED LIKE MUMTAZ MAHAL!"

Suraiya's career as an actress began as a child artiste.

"One day, my 'mamoo' (maternal uncle) Zahoor, who was a popular villian in films, took me along to watch the shooting of Prakash Pictures' 'Taj Mahal'. There, I met the producer, Nanubhai Vakil, who felt that my face was ideally suited for the character of young Mumtaz Mahal and asked my uncle if I could do the film. My mother and grandmother agreed. So, I went off to Delhi to shoot at the Red Fort for 10 days.

"And that was followed by one offer after another.'' And a star was born.

SINGING WAS AN ACCIDENT

"I was never trained in singing. Madan Mohan, who lived close by and Raj Kapoor once dragged me to participate in the children's programme on the All India Radio. Naushad sa'ab, who heard my voice on the radio, got in touch with me to sing for Kardar sa'ab's film, 'Sharda'. And I sang 'Panchi ja peeche raha hain bachpan mera', which was picturised on Mehtab. I was 11 years old then."

"NARGIS ENVIED ME"

"Frankly, I hadn't planned a career in films. I was just lucky to have got good roles. Nargis would always tell me, 'Somehow you get the best roles'," says Suraiya, modestly.

"Most of my roles were simple, but the audiences loved them. And I was lucky to have got simple, melodious and easy to pick up songs to sing, and work with the best composers of the day like Naushad, Husnlal-Bhagatram and Anil Biswas. We didn't even dream of promo videos, ads and all the associated technical wizardry then. But we still caught the audience's imagination."

THE CROWDS WENT SURAIYA-MAD

And how! When 'Pyar Ki Jeet' was released, it drew crowds outside Suraiya's house that had to be controlled by posting an inspector and four constables outside her house.

"When I went for the premiere of the movie 'Badi Bahen', there was such a big crowd outside! As I walked into the theatre, they pulled at my clothes. There was a lathi charge and people were injured. I stopped going for premieres thereafter."

"DEV SAVED MY LIFE"

No Suraiya interview can be complete without a reference to the Dev Anand-Suraiya love story. While Dev Anand himself went on to marry Kalpana Kartik and, later, to romance several other women, for Suraiya, it seems that love began and ended with Dev Anand.

"We were picturising a song in a boat right in the middle of the river, when the boat overturned and we found ourselves floundering in the water. I didn't know how to swim. Dev brought me out of the water. I thanked him, saying, 'If you hadn't saved me, my life would have ended.' He retorted, 'If your life had ended, so would mine.' We were drawn to each other."

"MY GRANNY WAS DEAD AGAINST DEV"

"I worked with Dev in seven films. Inevitably, people started talking about our romance and my grandmother learnt of it. She was extremely angry because Dev was a Hindu and granny was very orthodox."

"WE DECIDED TO ELOPE"

The highlight of this romance was the plan the lovers made to elope. While shooting for 'Jeet', the director decided to film on location instead of erecting a set. Also part of the plan was the summoning of a real 'panditji' to get Dev and Suraiya married during the shot. They would then get into the car and drive away - all as part of the scene, but in reality escaping.

"I BACKED OUT"

Unfortunately, Suraiya's grandmother came to know of the plan.

"Eventually, my grandmother succeeded in separating us. Dev was deeply hurt and offended by my lack of courage. But I was afraid for him. In retrospect, I don't think anything would have happened if I'd been bold enough. But I was terrified of my grandmother. And was heartbroken. But time is the greatest healer."

A practical woman, Suraiya prefers not to be a prisoner of the past. She agrees that had she chosen one of the many marriage proposals that came her way, life would have been different. But, she says, "Who can say what may have happened had I married? I've seen so many friends' marriages crumbling. I've been single and happy, living and doing the things I like, with a circle of close friends. But I'll admit that after my mother expired some years ago, I felt some amount of loneliness creep in."

"PANDIT NEHRU COMMENDED ME"

"I'd been a fan of Mirza Ghalib since childhood. And so when Sohrab Modi sent for my grandmother and discussed the role and other terms with her, I was thrilled.

"It was a very simple film, made in three months. Yet, what an effect the film had! It was the first feature film to be awarded the President's Gold Medal. At a function in Delhi, Pandit Nehru, after watching the movie, said to me, 'Ladki, tumne kya unke (Mirza Ghalib) ghazalein gaayi. Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki rooh ko zinda kar diya.' For me, that was an award better than an Oscar."

"MY TIME HAD COME"

'Rustom Aur Sohrab' made in 1962 was Suraiya's swan song. Why?

"I hadn't been keeping well and had collapsed with weakness during the shooting of the movie. I was forced to take a break and recuperate. During that time, I really enjoyed resting and realised how tired I was with work. I completed the films I had on hand and decided to call it a day. And I've never looked back."

Incidentally, this legendary actress-singer still retains a lovely schoolgirlish lilt in her voice. Time, it seems, hasnt laid its hands on it.







____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

SURAIYA
A Tribute
O door jaane wale...
Devinder Bir Kaur


Suraiya was a traffic stopper in her heyday

THERE was a time when traffic jams at Marine Drive, Bombay, were caused not because of a long line of cars, but because of a young charismatic actress whose melodious voice had cast a spell on thousands of young Indians. This singing star didn’t have to reveal any flesh or croon sexy numbers the way pop stars do today. Seeing her on the big screen and hearing her clear melodious voice was enough to have them bewitched.

Indeed, the screen goddess and singing star, Suraiya Jamal Sheikh, had the world at her feet. From the early hours of the morning, fans and hopeful suitors would begin to queue up outside her bungalow, Krishna Mahal, on the Marine Drive. Most of them were obsessed with her. In fact, one of them even went on a fast outside the gates of her house, so that she would relent and marry him! Then, there was another crazy fan who actually came to her house with a baraat! Yet another who kept her photograph in the puja room and wouldn’t eat without worshipping Suraiya. Even street singers made their living singing the songs of her hit film Pyar ki Jeet. They would particularly come outside her house and sing O door jaane wale... and Suraiya’s mother and grandmother, pleased, would give them a lot of money.

Suraiya was introduced to the film industry as a child artiste. One day, in 1941, her mamoo (maternal uncle) Zahoor, a popular villain in films, took her along to watch the shooting of Prakash Pictures’ Taj Mahal. The producer, Nanubhai Vakil, looked at her and felt that her face was ideally suited for the character of young Mumtaz Mahal. He asked her uncle if she could do the film. Suraiya’s mother and nani were only too willing. So, she was sent off to Delhi to shoot at the Red Fort for 10 days. And that was followed by one offer and then another and another. Thus, by the age of 12, she was doing the heroine’s role in Ishara. She was so skinny that they had to pad her all over! And, what was more, she was opposite the ‘grand old man of the Indian screen’, namely Prithviraj Kapoor, who was in his mid-40s. Like everyone in the unit, she too called him ‘Papaji’! Prithviraj admitted that it was difficult romancing with a girl he would call ‘daughter’ when the camera wasn’t whirring.


Suraiya with Bharat Bhushan in a scene from Mirza Ghalib


The singing star is seen here with Tabassum

Once Suraiya started working as a heroine, she never sang for anyone but herself. In fact, it was an era of singing stars. She was never trained to sing. But she was bright and picked up tunes very well.

Music director Naushad, who heard her voice on the radio, got in touch with her to sing for A.R. Kardar’s film Sharda. She sang Panchhi ja, peechhe raha hai bachpan mera... which was picturised on Mehtab.

Naushad found Suraiya’s voice as the voice of the girl next door. "It was an unsophisticated and charming voice and very effortless," he once commented. For Naushad she sang in films like Dillagi, Dastaan, Dil-e-nadan, Anmol Ghadi etc.

In fact, the songs of Pyar ki Jeet were so popular that crowds would gather outside Suraiya’s house. This irked the Marine Drive residents and they complained to the Chief Minister about the traffic jams caused by the crowds. So, an inspector and four constables were posted outside her house.

Her movie Badi Bahen, in 1949, was such a success that when the song Woh paas rahen ya door rahen, nazron mein samai rehtein hain would unfold on the screen, the stage would be littered with change, as people would go crazy and throw coins.

Similarly, Shama had some of Suraiya’s most melodious numbers like Mast aankhon mein, shararat, kabhi aisi to na thi and Dhadakte dil ki tamanna ho mera pyar ho tum composed by Ghulam Mohammed.

Most of her roles were simple, but the audiences loved them. Thus, Dard dealt with the sacrifice two lovers want to make out of gratitude for their benefactor who has brought them up. In Badi Bahen, Suraiya stands out in a deglamorised role of an elder sister slogging as a maid-servant to educate her younger sister played by Geeta Bali. Dastan was the age-old tale of two brothers pining for the same woman. In Afsar, Suraiya is a rich girl who entertains an imposter played by a young and gawky Dev Anand. Shama Parwana was another tragic love story of a princess drawn to a commoner.

However, it was Mirza Ghalib which brought Suraiya accolades. She was all the more flattered that she had bagged the role for which other beautiful stars like Madhubala had been considered. Sohrab Modi discussed and finalised the matter with Suraiya’s grandmother and had the film ready within three months in 1954. It was the first feature film to be awarded the President’s Gold Medal. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru came for the awards nite and sat between Sohrab Modi and Suraiya. Not only did he sit through the entire movie, he turned to Suraiya and said she had sung the ghazals so well that ‘Mirza Ghalib ki rooh ko zinda kar diya’ (you have brought to life Mirza Ghalib’s soul). Suraiya considered the praise to be an award greater than an Oscar.

Indeed, Suraiya had immortalised Ghalib’s ghazals. Who can forget Dil-e-nadan tujhe hua kya hai, Nuktacheen hai gham-e-dil, Ye na thi hamari kismat in Suraiya’s mellifluous voice?

Her swan song was Rustom Sohrab in 1963 at the age of 34. Based on a Persian legend, the movie was about how a father and son are pitched against each other in a battle without their knowing their relationship. While Prithviraj Kapoor filled the screen, Suraiya’s song, Yeh kaisi ajab dastan ho gayi hai, chhupate chhupate bayan ho gayi hai, is still remembered.

Suraiya had decided to call it a day. And once she had made up her mind, she refused to change it even in the face of many tempting offers. Since she never sang for anybody else but herself, it was most natural to quit singing too. Thereafter, she never sang. She felt she had made the right decision to leave when she did, as she wanted people to remember her the way she was in her prime.

But no talk of Suraiya would be complete without a mention of Dev Anand and their love story. Suraiya met Dev during the filming of Vidya. She was then an established star and he a raw newcomer, but she found him ‘cultured and very handsome’. It was during the shooting of the song, Laayi khushi ki duniya, hasti hui jawaani, in which she had to rest her head on Dev’s shoulder, when she experienced ‘an electric shock go through her’ and realised that no one had made her feel this way before.

Suraiya had no existence outside her work, her grandmother made sure of that. So much so, even after one and a half years, Suraiya and Dev didn’t get to meet each other alone.

Dev Anand began writing passionate letters to her. Sometimes she would sneak out to the terrace and Dev would follow.

Dev proposed to her on the sets of Jeet and gave her a diamond ring. But hell broke loose at home as her grandmother discovered the ring and threw Dev’s ring into the sea.

Suraiya’s grandmother and uncle threatened to get Dev arrested or killed. People like Mehboob Khan, A.R. Kardar, Jaddan Bai and others, who made up the Muslim lobby of the film industry, insisted that if she got married to Dev Anand, Hindu-Muslim riots would break out. Being naive then, Suraiya got brainwashed into believing them. She feared for Dev’s safety and finally took the decision of telling him a final ‘no’. She was just 22.

Later, Suraiya was never short of proposals from other men. But she frankly admitted that Dev was the only man in her life and remained unmarried till the very end.

Gregory Peck-lookalike Dev Anand was no doubt the love of her life. But she once had an unusual midnight rendezvous with the original Hollywood actor himself. It so happened that Peck was in Bombay at a party at Ambassador Hotel, a stone’s throw from Suraiya’s house. Actor Al Nasir, who was a close family friend of Suraiya’s, was present at the party. He mentioned it to the actor that Suraiya, a top star in India, was a great fan of his. At midnight, he had Gregory Peck at her doorstep. He had also dragged a photographer with them. The next day pictures of Gregory Peck and Suraiya were splashed in all newspapers. It remained one of the most cherished moments of her life.

Suraiya died a lonely woman — her mother and grandmother having died several years ago, and the rest of the family having migrated to Pakistan. She had held her own among stalwarts like Noor Jahan, Khurshid, Zohrabai, Amirbai and others without any music training. Her career spanned a little over two decades but she left behind a vast repertoire of songs for audiences to delight in.





____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Singing Star

The 50's was the era of the Singing Star. America had Elvis Presley, England had Cliff Richard and India had Talat Mahmood ! Handsome, good looking men with fantastic voices and a distinguished style of singing that was all their own. The mere mention of their names on the silver screen was enough to pull in female crowds looking for gentle romantic fare, with clean cut story lines. Whether Elvis, Cliff or Talat, these singers were packaged and presented on the silver screen with the utmost of care. Nothing was left to chance. For them, it was nothing but the biggest producers, the biggest banners, the topmost heroines and of course, hand picked music composers to create those scintillating musical scores !

Producer Sohrab Modi, Suraiya, Nadira, Mrs Talat, Talat Mahmood and Director Nitin Bose at premiere of 'WARIS'

***   When producer Sohrab Modi (the Cecil B. DeMille of Indian Cinema) conceived the film 'WARIS' for the reigning singing superstar Talat Mahmood, he decided to bring in the highly respected Director Nitin Bose, renowned for introducing playback singing to Indian Cinema and later for directing the great Dilip Kumar's magnum opus 'Ganga Jamuna'. Not just one, but two top heroines were signed up to play the lead opposite Talat Mahmood - Suraiya, the highest paid heroine of her time and the beautiful Nadira ! Apart from being the top stars of the day, they were also great fans of this handsome singer and welcomed the chance to team up with the Ghazal King. 'WARIS' of course, was a hit!

***   Talat Mahmood starred with the actress par excellence, Nutan, in Sone Ki Chidiya. Nutan always referred to Seema and Sone Ki Chidiya as her careers two most memorable films !

***   Famous producer - director A.R. Kardar, who launched Raj Kapoor, signed up Talat Mahmood for his musical venture Dil e Nadaan. An all India beauty contest was then launched to find a heroine to star opposite mega star Talat Mahmood for this film ! The winner was lovely Peace Kanwal. After acting in Dil e Nadaan, she got married to a well known industrialist and gave up acting completely.

***   Talat Mahmood starred in the 1957 hit Ek Gaon Ki Kahani with the lovely Mala Sinha as heroine, directed by well known director Dulal Guha and produced by Satyen Bose ( who has also produced one of the biggest hits and highest box office grossers of all time - 'Dosti' )

***   Producer S.U. Sunny, who had earlier made the Dilip Kumar starrers Babul and Udan Khatola, cast the striking singer-duo of Talat Mahmood and Suraiya for his film Maalik.

***   Despite the presence of Dev Anand and Madhubala in Araam, the star appeal of Talat Mahmood was used to boost the box office ratings of the film !

***   Director Nitin Bose, whose credits include the great Dilip Kumar's magnum opus Ganga Jamuna, directed Talat Mahmood in Waris !

***   At a Suraiya retrospective in Bombay in 1994, a much-acclaimed film was the late Sohrab Modi's Waris. This film starred handsome Talat Mahmood as hero.





____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Bollywood 2004: Necrologies
By Gaurav Malani,
The year 2004 saw the departure of some great luminaries from the world of cinema. The sky of Indian cinema lost some wonderful stars whose sparkle can never be restored. IndiaFM enumerates some of the biggest losses in Bollywood in the year that just passed by and pays a tribute to the departed souls.

Suraiya (1929 - 2004)

Film profile: Singer-actress

Yesteryear singer-actress Suraiya passed away in her sleep on the morning of January 31 after a brief illness. She was 75.

Suraiya Jamaal Sheikh was first seen as the young Mumtaz Mahal in Taj Mahal (1941). She started her singing career with Sharda (1942) and went on to sing many songs for composer and mentor Naushad. She turned the singing sensation of the 40's and 50's.

Singer-actor K L Saigal who took a great liking for her voice, recommended her as a heroine in Tabdir (1945). She subsequently worked with the biggest stars of the time, including Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand. Her offscreen relationship with Dev Anand was widely known. It is said that the duo came close when Dev Anand saved her from drowning during one shooting sequence. However her family opposed to their marriage and Suraiya vowed to remain a spinster for the rest of her life. Last Seen: She was last seen as Shehzadi Tehmina in Rustom Sohrab (1963). After that she quit acting.





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"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Suraiya's death anniversary



Jan 31 marks the first death anniversary of the legendary singer-actor Suraiya. There has been no one like her and I am reminded of what your paper said about her while reporting her death: "Moving fans to frenzy, breaking hearts and box-office records at her peak, Suraiya generated hysteria comparable to any living legend."

Everything about her was extraordinary. There was an air of mystique abut her voice and her appearance. The voice was lilting and honey-soaked and her eyes, indeed the most striking features of her charming face, were mesmerising.

K.L. Saigal, whose place as the un crowned king in the world of film music remains unchallenged, was so impressed with her voice that he recommended that film makers teamed them up, and so they did.

Like Saigal, Suraiya also excelled in singing Ghalib. Who can forget her three songs from Sohrab Modi's classic Mirza Ghalib - Nukta cheen hai gham-i-dil, Ye na thi hamari qismet and Dil-i-nadaan tujhe huwa kiya hai (a dulcet duet with Talat Mahmood)? Then, of course, there was her great naat from Dard, tuned by Naushad Beech bhunwar mein aan phansa hai dil ka safeena, Shah-i-Madina.

SANAULLAH NOOR

Karachi





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"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

That evening, that voice



WHEN NAWAB F.K. Sherwani's eldest daughter got married, his friend, the Chawalwala Nawab, invited Suraiya to sing, but she couldn't make it to the wedding of Farhana Begum, much to the disappointment of her admirers. That was in the 1940s. Later one was fortunate to hear the legendary singer. That function is a fading memory now but not the screening of "Anmol Ghadi", two years later by Daniel Sahib.

He put up the screen against the convent wall, and it being a summer evening, people spread their cots to hear and see Suraiya, along with Noor Jahan, the senior of the two reigning screen beauties. Suraiya had become a magical name by then and everybody in Delhi was talking about her golden voice that could sway not only the music-loving rajas and nawabs but also the hoi polloi. "Iski zaban mein mithas hai," commented 80-year-old Keti Ba, the ex-gardener of the church compound. Jajja Bua agreed. Each scene of the film drew remarks galore and sometimes when the scenes got hectic, Master Sahib tried to interpret them to those who kept getting puzzled by the sequence of events. Jummi Bua found it difficult to control her son Puttan who, like any mischievous schoolboy, kept fidgeting with his mother's sari or tried to pull his sister's hair. He, however, began to concentrate on the film when the fighting scene commenced.

In those day films did not have "Dhishum, Dhishum" stuff. Here was a fight with a knife until the Pehalwan sprang up and wrested it from the villain's hand. When the film ended people picked up their cots and went home, but they kept talking about Suraiya and Noor Jahan for a week after that. More than 50 years later one had the chance to see the legendary actress again, when she came to receive the Sahitya Akademi award in 1998. That was a glimpse of a much-mellowed Suraiya. But she still looked pretty though approaching 70. The wrinkles were hidden under a lavishly rouged face, the hair had been dyed, except for a straying grey one here and there, but the almond eyes were still sparkling and full of life. She conversed in a low voice and declined to sing, saying she had left "mosiqui years ago". What an evening of old memories it was! Nawab Faiyaz Khan was long dead, so also his eldest daughter and her husband, S.K. Sherwani. The Chawalwala Nawab did not die a natural death: he had shot his begum in a fit of anger in the 1950s and was hanged on the clinching evidence of his only son. Suraiya did not speak much about Noor Jahan (nor of Lata Mangeshkar) but from the little she said it was evident she held her in high esteem.

They were both from undivided Punjab - Noor Jahan from Kasur (which was to become such an issue during the Indo-Pak war of 1971) and Suraiya from Lahore, where her uncle Zahoor, the ace villain of the silver screen in the 1930s and `40s was able to win her parents' approval to become a child actor. Though Suraiya did not speak about Dev Anand that December day, one still remembers the limerick, "Chhai bahar hai/Jiya beqarar hai/Aa ja mere Dev Anand, Suraiya bemar hai".

And when one remembers Suraiya can Noor Jahan be forgotten? When she came to Delhi in the 1980s, 35 years after leaving for Pakistan along with her husband, Shauqat Hussain, one had a chance to see her at close quarters. The glamour girl of yesteryears, despite her many engagements in Delhi, found time to visit the Dargah of Hazrat Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki and the shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia. Tradition has it that one should visit Hazrat Qutubuddin's mazar first and other shrines afterwards. Even Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti had ordained that the devotee must first pay homage to Qutub Sahib and then come to his dargah.

So, Noor Jahan, accompanied by her pretty daughter, Hina, and her husband, Haroon Butt, went to this mazar first. At Nizamuddin's Dargah Noor Jahan offered a chadar and stood praying with palms open for blessings. As per tradition, the actress left for Ajmer on a Friday to seek the blessings of the greatest Muslim saint of the East, without a visit to whose shrine no trip to India is complete for the true devotee. Noor Jahan's golden voice still resounds in the mind - "Awaz de kahan hai", interspersed with Suraiya's "Nuqta chin hain gham-e-dil", which brought out the very soul of Ghalib on her honeyed tongue.

When one hears those strains, it appears as though it's Suraiya's tresses and not the tree leaves that are swaying in the evening breeze. So close she seems - and yet so far!





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"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

About Dev Anand ...



Dev Anand (born September 26, 1923) is an Indian actor and film producer.

He was born in Gurdaspur in Punjab to a well-to-do advocate, Devdutt Pishorimal Anand. He graduated in English literature from the Government College, Lahore (now in Pakistan). His love for acting made him leave his hometown. After a flop debut with Hum Ek Hain in 1946, Dev Anand met Guru Dutt at Prabhat Studio and struck a rapport with him. His first success came with Ziddi (1948).

In 1949, he turned producer and launched his own "banner" Navketan, which continues to churn out movies year after year. Though his maiden attempt at direction, Prem Pujari, flopped, his second directorial effort Hare Rama Hare Krishna with Zeenat Aman created a record of sorts.

Dev invited Guru Dutt to direct the crime thriller Baazi in 1951. Lyricist Sahir's song Tadbeer se bigdi huyee proved to be prophetic and Dev went on to become a "star". His style was lapped up by the audience and imitated. Some of his hit films were Munimji, CID, Paying Guest, Gambler and Tere Ghar ke Saamne.

He was romantically involved with singer-actress Suraiya and the two of them paired in six films together. During the shooting of a song, a boat capsized and Dev Anand saved Suraiya from drowning. She fell in love with him but her grandmother opposed the relationship. Suraiya remained unmarried all her life.

Dev Anand married film actress Kalpana Kartik in 1954. His first film in colour, Guide with Waheeda Rehman was an Indo-US collaboration released in 1965.

Dev Anand's films are best known for their great music. Some of the most popular Bollywood songs were picturized on him. His association with music composers - Sachin Dev Burman, his son Rahul Dev Burman, lyricists - Majrooh Sultanpuri, Neeraj, Shailendra, and playback singer Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar produced some of the best songs in the Bollywood history.

In 2001, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, an honour by the Government of India. He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, 2002, for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema





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"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.