Remembering Superstar Suraiya 1929-2004

Born: 15 June 1929, Lahore, Pakistan
Died: 31 January 2004, Marine Drive, Mumbai
Suraiya in her hey days 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.

No formal training in singing. No certified acting classes. Yet she ruled the silver screen for over two decades. One of the most sensational actresses during the golden eras, Suraiya is remembered for her drop-dead beautiful looks and melodious voice.

Suraiya was born as Suraiya Jamaal Sheikh in Gujranwala, Punjab (now in Pakistan) as the only child of her parents. She was later taken to Bombay (present day Mumbai) by her mother, maternal uncle, and maternal grandmother. This transfer made her entry to Bollywood possible.

With the help of her maternal uncle, Zahoor (a popular villain of that epoch), Suraiya grabbed a role of a child artist in "Usne Kya Socha" in 1937. While accompanying her uncle to Mohan Studios one day in 1941 to watch the shooting of film "Taj Mahal" directed by Nanubhai Vakil, she was offered the role of young Mumtaz Mahal in the same movie. This proved to be another leap towards hitting the chartbusters. She used to sing for a children's program on All India Radio where she was once heard over by legendary music director Naushad. He instantly offered her to sing for Kardar's film "Sharda" in 1942. Suraiya was later launched in the 1943 "Hamari Baat" as a singing star.

After portraying a number of child artist roles, Suraiya was offered secondary roles as an adult. She starred in K. Asif's "Phool", Mehboob Khan's "Anmol Ghadi" (written by Aghajani Kashmeri), and "Dard". But it was "Tadbir" in 1945 that gave her a major break as the leading protagonist, at the recommendation of K.L. Saigal. Later, she starred in "Omar Khayyam" and "Parwana" with K.L. Saigal. But with the migration of ruling actresses Noor Jehan and Khursheed Bano to Pakistan post independence, Suraiya got an opportunity to flaunt her talent and rule the silver screen. With three hits in hand, "Pyar Ki Jeet", "Badi Behen", and "Dillagi", Suraiya became the highest paid actress of that time. Further, she even had an edge over Kamini Kaushal and Nargis simply because she could sing her own songs. Her reign at the top was from 1947 to 1952.  However, the success was short-lived as after a while, her movies starting bombing on the box office in the 1950s. With "Waaris" and "Mirza Ghalib", she made her comeback in 1954. After Mirza Ghalib (film), she acted in movies like Bilwamangal (1954),  Shama Parwana (1954), Kanchan (1955), Inam (1955), Mr. Lambu (1956), Trolly Driver (1958), Miss 1958 (1958), Maalik (1958) and Shama (1961). Rustom Sohrab (1963) was her last film. The song, 'Yeh kaisi ajab daastan ho gayi hai' from the film, which was one of her finest songs, was also her last song, as with this song Suraiya also said "adieu" to her singing career, along with her film career.

Suraiya has been renowned for being romantically involved with the heartthrob of yesteryears, Dev Anand. The couple starred in six films over a period of three years from 1948 to 1951, "Vidya", "Jeet", "Shayar", "Afsar", "Nili", and "Do Sitare". It so happened on the shoot of one such film that the boat carrying Suraiya capsized. Dev Anand rescued her. Bowled over by his brave act, Suraiya fell in love with him instantly. But due to religious controversies, her grandmother opposed their relationship. As a result, the affair and relationship broke off, and Suraiya chose not to marry. She remained unmarried throughout her life.

Suraiya's maternal grandmother, Badshah Begum, who played a major part in her career and even personal life, later, went to Pakistan to live with her brother, and she was left alone with her mother, Mumtaz Begum. The time with her mother was her happy years, when her mother took care of her daily needs and she would occasionally go to her film world friends. She had a few friends like old timer Jairaj, Nimmi, Nirupa Roy and Tabassum, whom she met once in awhile.

After her mother's death in 1987, Suraiya started feeling lonely in her rented apartment (owned by Aswin Shah) in Krishna Mahal, Marine Drive in Mumbai, where she lived from the early 1940s until her death in 2004 at the age of 74. She possessed several apartments in Worli and some orchards in Lonavala.

She died on 31 January 2004 aged 74, after being hospitalized for a few days.

In December, 1998, she was especially honored for perpetuating Mirza Ghalib's memory by her acting and songs by the then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee during Mirza Ghalib celebrations in New Delhi conducted by the Urdu Academy and Sahitya Academy.

 In 2003, she was honored by the Dadasaheb Phalke Academy and Screen World Publication at a special function on the 134th birth anniversary of Dada Phalke, the occasion was chaired by the Cultural Minister of Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan.

A postage stamp, bearing her face, was released by India Post owned by the Government of India to honor her on 3 May 2013, on the occasion of the "100 Years of Indian Cinema".

A building in which Suraiya owned flats in Worli, Mumbai is named 'Suraiya Apartments' and a road in Nagargaon, Lonavala, District Pune, where she had some property is named 'Suraiya Road' after her.

Suraiya in Jag Biti,1945