Khursheed Bano

This is about the Indian performer. For people so surnamed, see Khurshid.

Khursheed Bano (Punjabi, ) (April 14, 1914 - April 18, 2001) was a pre-partition singer & actress, and a pioneer of the Indian cinema. Her career ran through the 1930s and 1940s.

Early life

She was born Irshad Begum in the village of Choonian, in Kasur District, Lahore (in British India, now Pakistan).

Career

Khursheed Bano started her film career as Shehla in the silent film Eye For An Eye (1931) the year when the first talkie film (Alamara) of the sub-continent was released. Some of the films that were released during these phase were Laila Majnu, and Shakuntla in 1931, Chatra Bakavli, Hatili Dulhan, Muflis Aashiq, Radheshyam in 1932, Naklee Doctor in 1933, Suarag ki Serhi, Bomb Shell, Chiragh-e-Husn, and Mirza Sahiban in 1935, Ailan-e-Jang, Kimiagar in 1936, Iman Farosh in 1937, Madhur Milan in 1938, Murad, Kaun kisi ka and Sitara in 1939.

But most of her films that were released between 1931 and 1942, a period during which she went unnoticed. Khursheed acted in a number of films for Ranjit Movietone and her leading men included K. L. Saigal, Motilal, Jairaj, and Isharilal.

Some of her films in 40s were Musafir and Holi (“Bhigoi Moree Saree Ray”), in 1940, Pardesi ("Pahley Jo Mohabbat Sey Inkaar Kia Hota","Mori Ateria Hai Sooni"), Beti, and Shaadi (“Ghir Ghir Aaye Baderia”), in 1942, Bhakta Surdas (Her famous song “Panchee Bawra” whose composer was Gyan Dutt...
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