Chamiyan Bai
Chamiyan Bai | |
|---|---|
| Born | Chamiyan Bai 1898 |
| Died | 14 August 1998 (aged 99–100) |
| Other names | The Queen of Music Shamshad Begum Shamshad Begum of Delhi |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1916 – 1950 |
| Spouse | Nawab Abdul Waheed Khan (husband) |
| Children | Naseem Banu (daughter) |
| Relatives | Saira Banu (granddaughter) |
Chamiyan Bai, also known as Shamshad Begum (1898 – 14 August 1998), was a prominent Indian singer, actress and courtesan (tawaif) based in Old Delhi during the early 20th century.[1] She was known as The Queen of Music. She was a successful and well-earning artist in her time and is primarily known as the mother of pioneering Bollywood actress Naseem Banu and the maternal grandmother of actress Saira Banu.[1]
Early life
Chamiyan Bai was born in 1898 at Kashmir during British India into a community of performers and entertainers.[2] She was very young when she moved to Delhi.[2] She became a famous and highly successful classical singer and performer in elite circles in Delhi.[3][4] Her professional success was notable; she reportedly earned a substantial income, which was still more than her daughter Naseem Banu's.[5]
She had a daughter, Roshan Ara Begum (later known as Naseem Banu), with Nawab Abdul Waheed Khan, the head of a wealthy, aristocratic family from Hasanpur.[2] Chamiyan Bai was a modern parent for her time, sending her daughter to the prestigious Queen Mary's High School in Delhi, where she hoped Naseem would become a doctor.[2] Naseem, however, was drawn to films.[1] Chamiyan Bai initially opposed this career path due to the social stigma associated with acting at the time.[1] She only consented after her daughter went on a hunger strike.[1]
Career
Chamiyan Bai became a famous and highly successful classical singer and performer in elite circles in Delhi.[2][6] Her professional success was notable; she reportedly earned a substantial income, which was still more than her daughter Naseem Banu's salary during Naseem's prime acting career in the mid-20th century.
Chamiyan Bai also had an acting career then she appeared in Sohrab Modi's 1935 film Khoon Ka Khoon, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, which marked the debut of both herself and her daughter Naseem Banu, who played the role of Ophelia.[7][8]
She changed her name to Shamshad Begum and she also recorded songs for Columbia Records.[6] She was also trained in classical music and would performed on All India Radio (AIR).[6]
Personal life
She married Nawab Abdul Waheed Khan.[6] After the marriage she became known as Shamshad Abdul Waheed Khan. Chamiyan Bai had a daughter, Roshan Ara Begum (later known as Naseem Banu), with Nawab Abdul Waheed Khan, the head of a wealthy, aristocratic family from Hasanpur.[6] He was a patron of her and used to vist her music shows.[9]
Through her daughter Naseem Banu, Chamiyan Bai is the maternal grandmother of the successful actress Saira Banu, who married the legendary actor Dilip Kumar.[1]
Death
She died on August 14, 1998, at the age of 100.[10]
Filmoraphy
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | Khoon Ka Khoon | Gertrude | [11][12] |
Legacy
Her legacy was carried on by her daughter Naseem Banu.[13] She is remembered as a highly successful and influential classical singer and performer in Old Delhi, and high status as a tawaif during the early 20th century.[3] She was instrumental in educating her daughter, Naseem Banu, who became the "First Female Superstar" and "Beauty Queen" of Indian cinema, and subsequently the grandmother of the iconic actress Saira Banu.[13]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Amitabh Bachchan called her the most beautiful woman. But she had to go on hunger strike after family did not support her film career". The Economic Times. November 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Father sold her daughter to a brothel for money, three generations spent their lives in humiliation, it was not easy for this actress to enter films, her name is". India News. May 7, 2025.
- ^ a b Quarterly Journal - Volumes 15-16. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. p. 107.
- ^ "Saira Banu's ancestral home in Delhi's Ajmeri Gate is an echo from the past". The Hindu. July 6, 2025.
- ^ "Naseem Banu Stardust interview from 1971". Cineplot. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
- ^ a b c d e Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow. Hay House. p. 1872.
- ^ Doing Women's Film History: Reframing Cinemas, Past and Future. University of Illinois Press. p. 36.
- ^ Screen - Volume 43. Oxford University Press. p. 24.
- ^ "Hailed as Bollywood's first female superstar, this actor had to go on hunger strike to join cinema; Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar called her 'the most beautiful woman ever'". The Indian Express. October 30, 2025.
- ^ Yesterday's Melodies Today's Memories. Notion Press. p. 311.
- ^ "Sohrab Modi-The lion of Minerva". Film Ka Ilm. Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
- ^ 'Hamlet' and World Cinema. Cambridge University Press. p. 154.
- ^ a b "Saira Banu: She cried on the first day of film shoot, Dilip Kumar refused to work with her at her family's behest". The Indian Express. August 23, 2024.
External links
- Chamiyan Bai at IMDb