Zubeida Begum Dhanrajgir,the first Indian Talkie film Actress
Zubeida Begum Dhanrajgir(1911-1990) was an Indian film actress, who was the First Talkie Actress
of India, as she acted in first Indian talkie Alam Ara (1931). Her
credits include early hits Devdas (1937), and played the lead in Sagar
Movietone''s first talkie, Meri Jaan.
Originally from Surat, she
is the daughter of Fatma Begum, she became a notable fim actress and
India''s first woman film director and was the sister of actressess
Shahzadi and Sultana. In the presence of seasoned actors like Prithviraj
Kapoor and Master Vithal, Zubeida blossomed and wowed everyone with her
singing, dancing and her speech.
Zubeida was one of Indian
cinema''s earliest superstars and among the few girls who entered films
at a time when it wasn''t considered an appropriate profession for girls
from respectable families let alone Royalty. Born in Surat, Zubeida was
a stunningly beautiful princess, the daughter of the Nawab of Sachin
and Fatima Begum. Zubeida and her two sisters, Sultana and Shehzadi,
egged on by their actress mother who was to become India''s first woman
director, entered films at a very young age.
Zubeida was only 12
when she made her debut in Kohinoor. Through the 20s she made infrequent
appearances on screen along with Sultana who by then had become one of
our cinema''s loveliest leading ladies. One of the films to star the two
sisters was ''Kalyan Khajina'' in 1924. They had also shared the screen
in Zubeida''s first blockbuster, ''Veer Abhimanyu'' released two years
earlier, that also had their mother, Fatima Begum playing an important
role.
In 1925 Zubeida had nine releases amongst them ''Kala
Chor'', ''Devdasi'' and ''Desh Ka Dushman''. A year later she starred in
her mother''s film, ''Bulbul-e-Parista''. 1927 was memorable for her
with ''Laila Majnu'', ''Nanand Bhojai'' and Naval Gandhi''s
''Sacrifice'' setting the cash counters jingling . The latter based on
Rabindranath Tagore''s ''Balidaan'' starred Zubeida, Sulochana, Master
Vithal and Jal Khambatta. It condemned the age-old custom of animal
sacrifice in certain Kali temples in Bengal. The Members of the Indian
Cinematograph Committee were wowed by this "excellent and truly Indian
film". Its European members recommended that it be sent abroad for
screening.
Zubeida starred in a string of silent films before
India''s first talkie ''Alam Ara'' proved to be the turning point in her
career and was her biggest hit. Along with ''Alam Ara'' came ''Meri
Jaan'' and ''Veer Abhimanyu'' and Zubeida was suddenly hot property and
one of the highest paid leading ladies around.
Through the 30s
and early 40s she made a hit team with Jal Merchant and starred in
several successful mythologicals playing characters like Subhadra,
Uttara and Draupadi. She also made heads turn and hearts flutters with
films like Ezra Mir''s Zarina which had her playing a vibrant, volatile
circus girl whose kisses steamed up the screen and sparked off heated
debate on censorship. Zubeida was one of the few actresses to make a
successful transition from the silent era to the talkies.
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