Remembering Cuckoo (the queen of film dancing in 40's)1928-81

Born: 1928
Died: 30 September 1981
Cuckoo was the queen of film dancing in the 1940s. Though an unfamiliar name, she was known as the "rubber girl" of Hindi cinema and her talent made "cabaret' an almost crucial part of films made during 50s. Cuckoo made her screen debut in the year 1946 with the film Arab Ka Sitara. Very soon followed Stum Chandi, in which the mass audience and directors noticed her dancing abilities for the first time. The turning points in Cuckoo's career were Melibmih Khan's films. Her dance numbers in Anokhi Ada established her as the lead dancer of the era and Andaz, a romantic melodrama featuring Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Nargis, gave the dancer an opportunity to display her acting skills. Cuckoo remained the best dancer of Hindi films until dancers like Helen and Vyjayanthimala came in the scene.

She was also known for helping unknown actors get their break in Bollywood like Pran in Ziddi. Cukoo had introduced a 13-year-old Helen into films as a chorus dancer in the films like Shabistan and Awaara (both 1951). Cukoo and Helen most notably appeared in song and dance sequences together like in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) and Yahudi (1958). Her last film appearance was in Mujhe Jeene Do in 1963 after which she had disappeared from the film industry.

Cuckoo Moore, the legendary cabaret queen of the Bollywood was one of those film stars who lived ostentatiously, spent extravagantly and died broke and penniless. Her three cars (one for her use, one for taking her dogs for a drive, and the other often used to summon protégée Helen to play with her sister), her flats and whatever jewellery she had, were all taken away because the dancer had evaded income tax. She would charge Rs 6,000 for a dance number, an enviable fee in the ’50s.

There is no evidence that she got married ever or had a family. Cuckoo died of cancer at the age of 52. During her last days she could barely afford to buy painkillers. She was forgotten and unattended by the film industry at the time of her death. “She never thought of security, of tomorrow,” Helen recalls. “But what a tremendous lady she was! There wasn’t even a tear in her eye, even when the roles stopped, when the money disappeared. Instead she’d joke about her plight. Some actors did help but it was too late, much too late”

Cuckoo’s films:1946-Arab Ka Sitara, Sona Chandi,1947-Mirza Sahiban-1948-Anokhi Ada, Kajal,1949-Andaz, Bazaar, Dada, Namuna, Paras, Patanga,1950-Aankhen, Arzoo, Ahiiti, Banu/re Nain, Bhai Bahen, Hamari Beth Khiladi, Pardes, Rajrani, Shaan, Wafa,1951            Aivara, Afiana, Hidchid, Humlog, Kali Ghata, Naujaivan, Nazneen, Sagaai, Stage,1952       Aan, Hangama, Sapna, Sheesha,1953-Char Chand, Gohar, Rail Ka Dibba, Shahenshah,1954-Mayurpankh, Shahted-e-Aziim Bhagat Singh, Pensioner,1955-Mr and Mrs 55,1958-Chalti Ka Noam Gaadi, Yahudi,1961-Warrant