Remembering Shyam, first true super-star of Hindi films (1920-1951)

Sunder Shyam Chadda (20 February 1920–25 April 1951)  was a Hindi/Hindustani film actor of Indian origin. He began his career in 1942 and worked in various films until his death during the shoot of the 1951 film Shabistan.

He originally hailed from Sialkot but grew up in Rawalpindi. Shyam graduated from Gordon College in Rawalpindi. He was a close personal friend of Saadat Hasan Manto and was the inspiration of many of his stories. Even after partition, their bond of friendship endured.

Shyam first debut movie was Punjabi film Gawandi.He got his initial break in movies that were shot in Pune. He was very close to Rehman, Jairaj, Om Prakash his contemporaries.

One of his most famous movies was Bazaar, released in 1949, in which he starred with Nigar Sultana. He married a Muslim, Mumtaz Qureshi (nickname "Taji"}, with whom he had a daughter, Pakistani TV actress Sahira Kazmi, married to actor Rahat Kazmi, and a son named Shakir (born two months after his death), a psychiatrist based in UK. His wife migrated to Lahore, Pakistan, after his premature death in 1951, along with her elder sister, Zeb Qureshi, who was an actress in Bombay. Mumtaz later married a gentleman, Ansari after Shyam's death. His children were raised as Muslims.

Shyam acted in many memorable films: Man ki jeet (1944), Majboor (1948), Dillagi (1949), Patanga (1949), Chandni Raat (1949), Meena Bazaar (1950) and Samadhi (1950). Shyam died on the set of the film Shabistan (1951) in 1951 after he fell off a horse. The film was completed with a stand-in and body-double in his place.

Trivia
Actor Dharmendra idolised Shyam.
Balraj Sahni too was his huge admirer.
He also wrote articles on his favrouite costars in film magazine BLITZ.
He was fond of horses and took great interest in the Sport.
In Samadhi he costarred with Ashok Kumar and Nalini Jaywant.
The song Mere Piya Gaye Rangoon became an overnight Hit.
Tu Mera Chand Main Teri Chandani a duet with Costar Suraiya in Kardar film Dillagi got the cash register jingling.
He owned a palatial bunglow in Maitryi park, better known as Shyam Park much later in Chembur, Mumbai
With his best buddy Om Prakash he produced a film called Bhaiyji.
With Nargis he did two films.Choti Bhabhi & Meena Bazaar
Sadat Hasan Book-'Stars From Other Sky' - a Penguin book publication & Shirish Kanekar book- ' Yadoon Ki Baarat' has a mention on Shyam