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Posted: 18 years ago
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From music to lead roles

Composer Himesh Reshammiya has just made his mark as an actor with box office hit Aap Ka Surroor: The Moviee: The Real Luv Story.

And Himesh isn't the first singer/composer to showcase his acting skills. Here's a look at Reshammiya's legendary predecessors.

KL Saigal
Saigal, a school drop-out, worked simultaneously as a railway timekeeper and typewriter salesman with the Remington Typewriter Company. However, his love for music bought him to Hindi cinema. He was Bollywood's first superstar. Though not conventionally good looking, he developed a great fan following. Reportedly, the balding star always wore wigs. Saigal's first three movies -- Mohabbat Ke Ansoo, Subah Ka Sitara and Zinda Laash -- were flops. His star status came after the success of Chandidas, followed by PC Barua's Devdas. Rumour mills claim Lata Mangeshkar wanted to marry him after seeing his performance in Chandidas. A fast learner, he learnt Bengali and acted in Bengali films as well. By 1938, playback singing had started but in Street Singer, Saigal sang Babul Mora live in front of the camera. He cajoled director Phani Majumdar, saying he would sing better live, in front of the camera. So an orchestra played in the background as the camera followed Saigal in the studio. In 1941, he came to Bombay and joined Ranjit Movie Tone, delivering hits like Bhakt Surdas and Tansen. But by then, Saigal had become an alcoholic. However, it was at the end of his career that he gave his biggest hits with Naushad -- including the immortal Jab dil hi toot gaya in Shahjahan.

He died in 1947 in his hometown Jalandhar, Punjab. After his death, B N Sircar made a documentary film, Amar Saigal, featuring 19 songs from Saigal's films, and had G Mungheri playing Saigal.

Ashok Kumar
Lovingly called Dadamuni, Ashok Kumar came into movies by sheer accident. He was a laboratory assistant in Bombay Talkies, when they were making Jeevan Naiya. The film's leading man Najam-ul-Hussain ran away with actress Devika Rani, the boss's wife. Obviously, he was dropped from the film -- the actress, however, was retained. They were in search of a hero when Himanshu Rai asked Ashok Kumar to play the lead role. Thus began Kumar's long journey. Ashok, a trained classical singer, was well suited to the prevalent trend of actors singing their own songs. Some of his hits include Main ban ki chidiya, Chal chal re naujawaan and Na jaane kidhar aaj meri nao chali re. Three of his films with Leela Chitnis -- Kangan, Jhoola and Bandhan -- established him as an actor. Kumar was known for playing romantic leads but in Kismet (1943), he played his first negative role, where he smoked a cigarette on screen. The movie was a huge hit, running for three years in a Calcutta theatre. In the 1950s, he acted in series of crime films (with the now-famous cigarette, of course) -- Sangram, Inspector, Howrah Bridge and Night Club, among others. He also did sensitive roles in films like Naubahar, Parineeta and Ek Hi Raasta, and of course unforgettable comedy with Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. He even tackled the horror thriller, Mahal. Ashok Kumar was tough competition to the big league stars of the period, like Dev Anand (with whom he acted in Badbaan), Dilip Kumar (with whom he did Deedar) and Raj Kapoor (with whom he did Bewafaa). Who can forget his flawless performance in Bandini alongside Nutan?

As time went by, he was seen in character roles. Kumar cut down his work drastically in the 1980s, appearing in television serials like Hum Log and Bahadur Shah Zafar, playing the title role in the latter.

Uma Devi aka Tuntun
Tuntun lost her parents at an early age, and was brought up by her uncle. At the age of 13, she left Uttar Pradesh -- where she often imitated famous singers -- and came to Bombay to pursue her own career. She got her first assignment as a singer in Wamag Azra. But she wanted to sing for Naushad only. She insisted Naushad listen to her, and sang a few of Noor Jehan's songs. Soon, she was on board with Kardar Studios, signing a contract with A R Kardar -- with whom Naushad too worked. Her song Afsana likh rahi hoon from Dard became a runaway hit. After Dard, Naushad ensured that he set aside at least a couple of songs for her in every film. Critics slammed her for not being a formally trained singer. In 1948, her songs like Kahin jiya dole and Dil ko lagake kuch bhi na paya from Anokhi Ada made critics eat their words. By singing for SS Vasan's Chandralekha, she breached the contract with Kardar Studios. This came as a heavy blow as she was jobless -- and with Lata Mangeshkar's then domination of the film industry, she had nowhere to go. Once again, Naushad came to her rescue and asked her to act. The filmmaker was confident she had a great sense of timing. Thus, she was bestowed with the title of Tuntun in her acting debut as a comedian in Babul, produced by Naushad.

She went on to act in over 180 movies, including Aar Paar, Pyaasa, Mr and Mrs 55 and Mom Ki Gudiya.

Noor Jehan
Noor Jehan, whose actual name was Allah Rakhi, was bestowed with the title of Malikah-e-Tarannum, meaning queen of melody. Ironically, she started out with silent films. Her first film was Hind Ke Tare, followed by 11 other silent movies. She went on to act in 69 talkies. Baby Noor Jehan got her recognition after Gul Bakvali. Ghulam Haider, seeing at her singing potential, had given her the role in the film. Then on, she started singing playback for other actresses too. Noor Jehan's first movie as a leading lady was Khandaan, opposite Pran. Debutant director Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi -- with whom Noor Jehan later eloped, marrying him against the wishes of her brothers -- directed it. After this success, she came to Bombay in 1943, and got a leading role in Nadan, followed by a second lead in Naukar the same year. The year 1945 was a turning point for Noor Jehan. She was cast with Master Vinayak for Badi Maa, where Lata and Asha Mangeshkar played child artists in supporting roles. The same year, she also gave a superhit, Zeenat. In 1946, she acted in films like Anmol Ghadi, Dil, Humjoli and Sofia. In Anmol Ghadi, she played a poetess named Lata. In Jugnu, which established Mohammed Rafi's struggling career, she starred opposite Dilip Kumar. Her last Indian film was Mirza Sahibaan alongside Trilok Kapoor, Prithviraj Kapoor's brother.

She also acted in many Pakistani films. Later, she gave up acting and took up singing full time.

Suraiya
Suraiya was trained in music, but her career flourished in acting as well. In 1937, she made her debut as a child artist with Usne Kya Socha. A trip with her uncle Zahoor, then a famous villain, bagged Suraiya the role of Mumtaz Mahal in Taj Mahal. She was barely 12 at the time. At the start of her career, she acted in supporting roles in movies like Phool, Anmol Ghadi and Dard but with Noor Jehan and Khursheed shifting their base to Pakistan, she started getting better roles than contemporaries Nargis and Kamini Kaushal. The reason: her ability to sing her own songs. Suraiya became the highest-paid actress of her time, after hits like Pyaar Ki Jeet, Badi Bahen and Dillagi. Dharmendra once said in an interview that he had watched Dillagi 40 times just for her -- this, during a period before videos. However, Suraiya's career was short-lived. In the 1950s, her films started flopping. She was in love with Dev Anand (they were paired together in six films). But she remained single all her life, after her strict grandmother did not allow her to marry Dev Anand. Suraiya had a fan following comparable to that of Hrithik Roshan today. It is said that shopkeepers used to shut their shops to see her movie -- obviously first day, first show. A huge crowd would gather outside her house at Marine Drive, just for a glimpse.

She made a comeback of sorts with Waaris and Mirza Ghalib. She put her soul in the role as a courtesan in the latter. Suraiya's songs in the film were so heart-rending that then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru complimented her by saying, 'Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki rooh ko zinda kar diya.' (You have brought alive the soul of Mirza Ghalib).

Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar started acting in musical plays, then called Sangeet Nataks, at the age of five. She sang for a Marathi film Kiti Hasaal in 1942, but the song was dropped the movie because her father Dinanath Mangeshkar thought it was bad for his daughter to sing in movies. But her father died the same year, and Lata was left with no choice than acting in Hindi and Marathi films. This, despite the fact that she did not particularly like acting. She acted in Marathi movies like Pahili Mangalagaur, Chimukla Sansaar and Maajhe Baal. Her work came in to public notice with Gajabhau. This Marathi film featured her first Hindi song, Maata ek sapoot ki duniya badal de tu.

Some of her other films were Badi Maa, Jeevan Yaatra, Subhadra, Mandir. In Chattrapati Shivaji, Kala Bazar and Pukar, she featured only for a song sequence.

Kishore Kumar
As a child, Kishore Kumar would imitate all singers, but his idol was KL Saigal. At home when he was asked to imitate elder brother Ashok Kumar, he would charge 25 paise but Saigal songs warranted a full Rupee. Like siblings Ashok and Anoop Kumar, he came to Mumbai to try his luck in movies. He wanted to be a singer, but with no training of any sort, he had to stick to acting. He acted in over 80 films and sang in over 575, clearly indicating where his interest lay.

A great comedian, he had an incredible sense of timing and did unforgettable slapstick comedies like Chalti Ka Naam Gadi, Dilli Ka Thug, Padosan and Pyaar Kiye Jaa.

RD Burman
R D Burman first composed music at the age of nine, for Ai meri topee palat ke aa in Funtoosh. A year later, he sang Sar jo tera chakraye for Pyaasa. Bhoot Bungla, which released in 1965, happened to be his debut as a music composer, though he started shooting for Chote Nawab first. It is said that comedian Mehmood gave him the break because he was fed up of RD beating on his car like a drum and denting it all the time. He also acted in Bhoot Bungla, with Mehmood, which the latter directed. The movie, also starring Tanuja, featured the foot-tapping song Aao twist karein -- a copy of Chubby Checker's Let's twist.

In 1969, Pancham acted in Pyaar Ka Mausam as Mr Popat Lal. It had Shashi Kapoor and Asha Parekh in the lead. These were the only two movies where Pancham acted. Mehmood later offered him a role in Padosan, but he refused because he wanted to concentrate on the film's soundtrack.

Sulakshana Pandit
Very few know that Sulakshana Pandit came from a musical background. Her uncle is none other than renowned vocalist Pandit Jasraj. Her brothers Jatin and Lalit Pandit are established music composers. Her sister Vijeyta Pandit has acted in few movies, and is married to composer Aadesh Srivastava. Sulakshana didn't have a great acting and singing career, but did act in over 50 movies -- mostly alongside Jeetendra and Sanjeev Kumar. She loved Sanjeev Kumar immensely but the actor did not return her affections. Sulakshana then chose to remain unmarried.

She bagged the lead role with Amitabh Bachchan and Vinod Khanna in Hera Pheri. She even recorded the song Mujhe pyar mein khat, but was rejected. The song picturised on her was later sung by Asha Bhosle.

Sonu Nigam
Did you know that Sonu acted as a child artist in movies like Kaamchor, Ustaadi Ustaad Ki, Hum Se Hai Zamana, Taqdeer and Betaab? In Betaab, he played the younger Sunny Deol. But he has acted in three films as a hero -- the multi-starrer Jani Dushman, Kash Aaap Mere Hote, and Love in Nepal -- but all the movies bombed at the box office.

This made him realise that he should concentrate on his singing career. Sonu has sung in over 200 movies and also has very successful pop albums. While the big screen might not have worked for him yet, the one-time Sa Re Ga Ma Pa host owes a lot of his success to smart moves on television.

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