Description
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. In a career spanning from 1936 to 1963, Suraiya acted in over 67 films and sang 338 songs. Regarded among the finest and greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, Suraiya was the most celebrated actress between the mid- to late 1940s and early 1950s and was paid more than her male counterparts.
Apart from being a great actress, Suraiya was also a renowned playback singer, who mostly sang for herself. She sang her first song in 1942 for Nai Duniya , when she was only 12 years old. Suraiya made her first appearance as a child artist with the film Madame Fashion (1936), directed by Jaddan Bai. 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), Vidya (1948), Pyar Ki Jeet (1948), Dillagi (1949), Badi Behen (1949), Shair (1949), Dastan (1950), Afsar (1950), Diwana (1952), Mirza Ghalib (1954), Bilwamangal (1954) and Mr. Lambu (1956).
In her heydays, Suraiya was known as Malika-e-Husn (queen of beauty) and Malika-e-Adakari (queen of acting). Suraiya's final film release was Rustam Sohrab (1963), after which she took retirement due to poor health. Suraiya received the Screen Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, for her contribution to Indian cinema.
