Back ثريا (ممثلة) Arabic سورايا (ممثله) ARZ সুৰাইয়া Assamese सुरैया AWA ثریا (اویونچو) AZB সুরাইয়া Bengali/Bangla ثریا (بازیگر) Persian Suraiya Finnish Suraiya French सुरैया Hindi

Suraiya

For other uses, see Suraiya (disambiguation).

Suraiya
Suraiya on 2013 stamp of India
PronunciationSu-rai-yaa
Born
Suraiya Jamal Sheikh

(1929-06-15)15 June 1929
Lahore, Punjab, British India (present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Died31 January 2004(2004-01-31) (aged 74)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Resting placeBada Qabrastan, Marine Lines, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupations
  • Actress
  • playback singer
Years active1936–1964
WorksFull list
PartnerDev Anand (1948–1951)
Signature

Suraiya Jamal Sheikh (15 June 1929 – 31 January 2004), mononymously known as Suraiya, was an Indian actress and playback singer who worked in Hindi films.[1] In a career spanning from 1936 to 1964, Suraiya acted in over 70 films and sang 338 songs. Regarded among the finest and greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema,[2] she was known for her strong on-screen portrayals in a variety of genres.[3] Suraiya was the most celebrated actress between the mid- to late 1940s and early 1950s and was paid more than her male counterparts.[4][5]

Born in Lahore, Suraiya relocated to Bombay (now Mumbai) with her family when she was 1 year old. Apart from being a great actress, Suraiya was also a renowned playback singer, who mostly sang for herself.[6] She sang her first song for Nai Duniya (1942), when she was only 12 years old.[7] Suraiya made her first appearance as a child artist with the film Madame Fashion (1936), directed by Jaddanbai. She made her acting debut in 1941, with Taj Mahal in which she played the role of Mumtaz Mahal. Suraiya went onto establish herself as one of the leading actresses in Hindi cinema with films such as Ishaara (1943), Tadbir (1943), Phool (1945), Anmol Ghadi (1946), Omar Khaiyyam (1946), Parwana (1947), Dard (1947), Shair (1949), Dastan (1950), Afsar (1950), Diwana (1952), Bilwamangal (1954) and Mr. Lambu (1956).[8]

In her heyday, Suraiya was known as Malika-e-Husn (queen of beauty) and Malika-e-Adakari (queen of acting). Suraiya's career marked a significant turning point in 1948–1949 with the highest grossing releases of the year—Vidya (1948), Pyar Ki Jeet (1948), Dillagi (1949) and Badi Behen (1949). Her most notable portrayal was of a tawaif, Moti Begum in Mirza Ghalib (1954), which earned her critical acclaim and praises from two Prime Ministers of India.[9]

Suraiya's final film release was Rustam Sohrab (1963), after which she took retirement due to poor health.[10] Suraiya received the Screen Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, for her contribution to Indian cinema. She died on 31 January 2004, after suffering from various ailments, including hypoglycemia, ischaemia and insulinoma.[11]

  1. ^ Ekbal, Nikhar (2009). Great Muslims of Undivided India. Kalpaz. ISBN 9788178357560.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Suraiya superstar was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Top Actresses". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference SuraiyaExpress was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Suraiya: The magnificent diva with a golden voice". The Times of India. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  6. ^ Desai, Malay Ashokkumar. TREND SETTERS OF PLAYBACK SINGING. Sankalp Publication. ISBN 9789390636358.
  7. ^ Mahaan, Deepak (20 February 2014). "Suraiya – In her own orbit". The Hindu. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  8. ^ "The magic of Suraiya". The Statesman. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  9. ^ "Suraiya – An unsung journey". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2020. Mirza Ghalib was made memorable by some melodious numbers. Her work moved Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru so much that he complimented the singing star by saying, "Tumne to Mirza Ghalib ki rooh ko zinda kar diya"
  10. ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (2014). Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. Routledge. ISBN 9781135943257.
  11. ^ "Exclusive – Singing queen actress Suraiya battles for her life". Sify.com. Retrieved 28 November 2018.

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