Suraiya is recognised in Bollywood as a singer-actress who captivated audiences with her magical acting and wonderful playback singing for nearly four decades. She was one of the actresses and singers who began their careers in the pre-independence era and continued to rise in fame. In this post, we will discuss her life, career, biography, and personal life.
Suraiya Early Life and Career
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Suraiya Jamal Sheikh |
| Screen Name | Suraiya |
| Date of Birth | June 15, 1929 |
| Place of Birth | Gujranwala, Punjab, British India (now in Pakistan) |
| Date of Death | January 31, 2004 |
| Place of Death | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Cause of Death | Hypoglycemia, ischemia, and insulinoma (chronic health ailments) |
| Age at Death | 74 years |
| Nationality | Indian (born in British India, stayed in India post-Partition) |
| Ethnicity | Muslim (Pathan descent) |
| Family | Father: Aziz Jamal Sheikh (furniture shop owner); Mother: Mumtaz Sheikh; no siblings (only child) |
| Guardians | Maternal uncle: M. Zahoor (actor); Grandmother: Badshah Begum |
| Education | J.B. Petit High School for Girls, Fort, Mumbai; learned Persian, Urdu, and English from a maulvi at home |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Key Relationships | Dev Anand (romantic, 1948–1951, ended due to family opposition over religion and career) |
| Children | None |
| Height | Approximately 5’3″ (1.60 m) |
| Nicknames | “Malika-e-Husn” (Queen of Beauty), “Malika-e-Adakari” (Queen of Acting), “Singing Star” |
| Career Span | 1936–1963 (last film Rustom Sohrab released 1963; retired at 34) |
| Debut Film (Child) | 338 (mostly for herself; last major singing actress before the playback era) |
| Debut Song | Nai Duniya (1942), “Boot Karoon Main Polish” at age 12; Composer: Naushad |
| Debut Film (Lead) | Tadbir (1945) as heroine; Opposite: K.L. Saigal; Director: Jayant Desai; Producer: Unknown |
| Breakthrough Film | Anmol Ghadi (1946) as Basanti; Opposite: Noor Jehan, Surendra; Director: Mehboob Khan; Producer: Mehboob |
| Total Films | Over 70 (including child roles); 67 as lead actress |
| Total Songs | Met Gregory Peck (fan) via Frank Capra at the 1952 International Film Festival; declined Hollywood offers |
| Notable Films | Anmol Ghadi (1946), Pyar Ki Jeet (1948), Badi Behen (1949), Dillagi (1949), Mirza Ghalib (1954) |
| Iconic Songs | “Socha Tha Kya” (Anmol Ghadi), “Woh Paas Rahe” (Badi Behen), “Tu Mera Chand” (Dillagi), “Nain Deewane” (Afsar) |
| Music Collaborators | Naushad, Husnlal-Bhagatram, Anil Biswas, Khawaja Khurshid Anwar |
| Opposite Actors | K.L. Saigal, Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Surendra, Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar |
| Highest Paid Actress | 1940s–1950s; earned ₹1-2 lakh per film (more than male stars like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand) |
| Awards | Honored by PM Jawaharlal Nehru for Mirza Ghalib (1954); postage stamp (2013); Dadasaheb Phalke Academy tribute |
| Health Issues | Chronic ailments in later life; hospitalized at Harkishandas Hospital, Mumbai |
| Professional Traits | Punctual, respectful, no tantrums; sang and acted without formal training |
| Hollywood Connection | Met Gregory Peck (fan) via Frank Capra at 1952 International Film Festival; declined Hollywood offers |
| Net Worth (Estimated) | No exact figure; earned ₹50-100 crore (today’s value) over career; owned Krishna Mahal, limousines (Buick, Lincoln) |
| Box Office Hits | Anmol Ghadi (Silver Jubilee, 1946), Pyar Ki Jeet (1 crore est., 1948), Dillagi (1.2 crore est., 1949) |
| Personal Struggles | Family pressure (father, grandmother controlled career); heartbreak with Dev Anand; mob incidents at premieres |
| Residence | Krishna Mahal, Marine Drive, Mumbai (moved there at age 1) |
| Retirement | 1963 after Rustom Sohrab; declined playback offers, lived reclusively |
| Death and Burial | Died at 74; buried at Badakabarastan cemetery, Marine Lines, Mumbai |
| Legacy | First superstar singer-actress; topped Box Office India’s “Top Actresses” (1948–1950); “Best Actress” (1940s) |
Suraiya was born on June 15, 1929, in Lahore, Punjab, which is now in Pakistan. She was born into a Muslim family. Her full name was Suraiya Jamal Shaikh.
She once went with her maternal uncle, Zahoor, to a film set. Zahoor was an actor. They were visiting the set of Tajmahal, which was released in 1941. During this visit, film producer Nanubhai Vakil noticed her. He liked her appearance and chose her to play the role of young Mumtaz in the film.
Suraiya played the lead opposite Prithviraj Kapoor in the film Ishaara, released in 1943. At the time of shooting, she was only about 13 years old.
She gained wider recognition when the legendary actor and singer K. L. Saigal acted with her in films like Tadbir, Parwana, and Omar Khayyam. Suraiya also sang in these films. The songs became very popular and were loved by audiences across the country.
After the release of Pyar Ki Jeet in 1948, her popularity grew even more. She built a large fan base. Many fans would gather outside her sea facing bungalow on Marine Drive just to see her. At times, the crowd became so big that the police had to step in to manage traffic. Some residents of Marine Drive even complained to the Chief Minister of the Bombay Province because of the large gatherings outside her home.
In the mid 1940s, the Hindi film industry had three major singing stars. All three were Muslims. Suraiya, Noor Jehan, and Khursheed Bano were the leading singing stars of that time. Noor Jehan was already at the top when Suraiya was beginning to establish her place in the industry.
Noor Jahan and Khursheed Bano left for Pakistan after the partition but Suraiya stayed back. Noor Jehan was titled as Malika-e-Tarannum in Pakistan.
She rose to success more rapidly after the departure of other singing stars. Her three movies “Pyar ki Jeet” (1948), “Badi Behan” (1949), and “Dillagi” (1949) got huge success back to back, making her a superstar in the 1950s.
Dev Anand and Suraiya
Dev Anand and Suraiya first met on the set of Vidya. It was their first film together. At that time, Dev Anand was new to the film industry, while Suraiya was already a well known star.
In an interview, Dev Anand said that Suraiya was a very big star then, but she had no pride. He said she spoke to everyone in a simple and respectful way. That quality impressed him the most.
Suraiya also shared her thoughts in an interview. She said she was working with a young and handsome actor for the first time. Before that, most of her co stars were much older than her. Dev Anand was the first actor who was close to her age.
Dev Anand’s cinematic career began in 1946 with the film ‘Hum Ek Hain.’ He appeared on screen as a hero in this film, but it did not work.
It is said that during the shooting of a song on a boat in a river, the boat suddenly lost balance. Suraiya was about to fall into the water. Dev Anand quickly stepped in and saved her from drowning. After this incident, their bond grew stronger, and their love story began.
A similar incident once happened between Nargis and Sunil Dutt, when Sunil Dutt saved Nargis during a film shoot. They later married. But the story of Dev Anand and Suraiya ended differently. Even though they loved each other deeply, they could not marry and spent the rest of their lives apart.
Over the next five years, Dev Anand and Suraiya acted together in seven films. Many of these films were successful. Their on-screen chemistry was loved by audiences. However, their real-life relationship was kept private. In 1950, news of their plan to marry became known.
Suraiya’s grandmother strongly opposed the relationship. During the filming of a 1950 film, Dev Anand gave Suraiya a diamond ring as a sign of his love. He had bought it with great effort. When her grandmother found out, she reportedly removed the ring from Suraiya’s finger and threw it into the sea in Mumbai.
Tired of the constant interference, Dev Anand and Suraiya decided to get married secretly during the shooting of a film. Dev Anand arranged for a real priest to conduct the ceremony on the set. At that time, Suraiya’s grandmother rarely left her alone. She accompanied her everywhere. Even when Dev Anand called her home, he could not speak freely to Suraiya.
Before their plan could succeed, an assistant informed her grandmother. She became very angry and took Suraiya away from the film set.
Suraiya later shared that actress Nadira’s first husband, Naqshab, once placed the Quran before her and asked her to promise that she would not marry Dev Anand. She said she was frightened. According to her, her grandmother and uncle even threatened Dev Anand. Under pressure and fear, she stepped back.
Dev Anand and Suraiya met for the last time on the terrace of her house after her mother arranged the meeting. Dev Anand later said in an interview that Suraiya’s mother was kind and supported him, but she had little power in the family.
Even though he was worried about possible trouble, Dev Anand went to meet Suraiya. A friend from the Mumbai Police accompanied him for safety. In his autobiography, Dev Anand wrote that they met on the terrace, embraced, and cried. They decided not to meet again and to try to move on.
A few days later, Dev Anand married his co-star Kalpana Kartik. They later had a son and a daughter. Suraiya never married and remained single for the rest of her life.
In her later years, Suraiya lived a quiet life away from the public eye. She stayed mostly at her home in Mumbai and rarely appeared at public events. Once one of the biggest stars of her time, she chose to live simply and privately until her passing.
Last Life of Suraiya
Suraiya’s father, Aziz Jamal Sheikh, died in 1963, and she retired from acting immediately. She was now living with her mother in Krishna Mahal on Marine Drive in Mumbai. Suraiya was completely alone in her life when her mother died in 1987.
Suraiya was left quite alone after her mother left. But she always kept her away from the film world. In her last days, she was living with the family of a lawyer friend.
Suraiya died on 31 January 2004 at the age of 74 years and 7 months in Mumbai.
Interesting Facts
Here are some interesting facts about Suraiya, whose full name was Suraiya Jamal Sheikh.
- She started working in films as a child artist in the mid 1930s. When she sang the song Panchi Ja as a young teenager, she was so short that she had to stand on a stool to reach the microphone.
- Suraiya was both an actress and her own playback singer. Unlike most actresses of her time, she usually sang her own songs. During her career, she acted in around 67 to 72 films and sang about 338 songs. This was a very large number for an actress-singer.
- Music director Naushad discovered her at All India Radio in Bombay. She was singing in children’s programs when he noticed her voice. He later chose her to sing in the film Sharda, which helped launch her career as a playback singer.
- She played young Mumtaz Mahal in the film Taj Mahal. After that, she got her first leading roles in Ishaara and Tadbir. The film Tadbir was made on the recommendation of legendary singer-actor K. L. Saigal.
- Her four solo songs in Parwana made her extremely popular. After this film, she was seen as a true singing star, not just an actress who could sing.
- In the late 1940s and early 1950s, she was one of the highest-paid and most popular stars in Hindi cinema. At times, she reportedly earned more per film than leading male actors such as Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand.
- She was given special titles by her fans. She was called ‘Malika e Husn’, meaning “Queen of Beauty.” She was also known as ‘Malika e Tarannum’, the Queen of Melody, and ‘Malika e Adakari’, the Queen of Acting. These titles showed how rare it was for one person to succeed in acting and singing at such a high level.
- Her role in Mirza Ghalib is still remembered. Her performance was widely praised. India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, is said to have told her that she brought the soul of Mirza Ghalib to life.
- Her love story with Dev Anand became one of the most talked-about romances in Hindi film history. Due to family opposition, they did not marry. Suraiya remained unmarried throughout her life.
- After her peak years, she worked in films less often. Her last film was Rustom Sohrab. She lived quietly at Krishna Mahal on Marine Drive in Bombay, where she had stayed since childhood.
- In 2013, India honoured her with a commemorative postage stamp as part of the celebration of 100 Years of Indian Cinema. This tribute confirmed her place among the greatest stars in the history of Indian cinema.
Suraiya‘s Filmography
| Year | Movie Title | Character Played | Director | Producer | Opposite Lead Actor | Budget (INR, Approx.) | Box Office Collection (INR, Approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Madame Fashion | Child Role | Jaddan Bai | Unknown | Unknown | 1 lakh (est.) | Unknown |
| 1937 | Usne Kya Socha | Child Role | Franz Osten | Bombay Talkies | Unknown | 1.5 lakh (est.) | Unknown |
| 1941 | Taj Mahal | Mumtaz Mahal (Child) | Nanubhai Vakil | Mohan Pictures | Sarojini | 2 lakh (est.) | Unknown |
| 1942 | Station Master | Usha (Child) | Chimanlal Luhar | Prakash Pictures | Prem Adib | 2.5 lakh (est.) | 10 lakh (moderate) |
| 1943 | Hamari Baat | Supporting Role | M.I. Mehboob | Bombay Talkies | Devika Rani | 3 lakh (est.) | 15 lakh (moderate) |
| 1943 | Ishara | Supporting Role | J.K. Nanda | D.R.D. Productions | Prithviraj Kapoor | 3 lakh (est.) | 20 lakh (hit) |
| 1945 | Tadbir | Saguna | Jayant Desai | Ramniklal Shah | K.L. Saigal | 4 lakh (est.) | 30 lakh (hit) |
| 1945 | Yateem | Yateem’s Sister | Zia Sarhadi | Eastern Pictures | Yakub | 3.5 lakh (est.) | 25 lakh (moderate) |
| 1946 | Anmol Ghadi | Basanti | Mehboob Khan | Mehboob Productions | Surendra | 5 lakh | 1 crore (Silver Jubilee, 1946) |
| 1946 | 1857 | Zarina | Mohan Sinha | Wadia Movietone | Surendra | 6 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (hit) |
| 1947 | Parwana | Gopi | J.K. Nanda | Ranjit Movietone | K.L. Saigal | 6 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (hit) |
| 1947 | Dard | Hamida | A.R. Kardar | Kardar Productions | Munawar Sultana | 5 lakh (est.) | 75 lakh (hit) |
| 1947 | Natak | Radha | S.U. Sunny | Kardar Productions | Shyam | 6 lakh (est.) | 60 lakh (hit) |
| 1948 | Vidya | Vidya | Girish Trivedi | Jeet Pictures | Dev Anand | 7 lakh (est.) | 80 lakh (hit) |
| 1948 | Pyar Ki Jeet | Surajmukhi | O.P. Dutta | Famous Pictures | Rehman | 8 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (highest of 1948) |
| 1949 | Badi Behen | Shyama | D.D. Kashyap | Liberty Art Films | Rehman | 10 lakh (est.) | 1.2 crore (hit) |
| 1949 | Dillagi | Mala | A.R. Kardar | Kardar Productions | Shyam | 10 lakh (est.) | 1.5 crore (highest of 1949) |
| 1949 | Naach | Rani | Ravindra Dave | Kuldip Pictures | Shyam | 8 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (moderate) |
| 1950 | Afsar | Chanda | Chetan Anand | Navketan Films | Dev Anand | 10 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (flop) |
| 1950 | Dastan | Roopa | A.R. Kardar | Musical Pictures | Raj Kapoor | 12 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (hit) |
| 1951 | Sanam | Sadhana | Nandlal Jaswantlal | United Technicians | Dev Anand | 15 lakh (est.) | 70 lakh (moderate) |
| 1951 | Shokhiyan | Shobha | Kidar Sharma | Kidar Sharma | Premnath | 12 lakh (est.) | 60 lakh (moderate) |
| 1952 | Diwana | Kamini | A.R. Kardar | Kardar Productions | Suresh | 15 lakh (est.) | 90 lakh (hit) |
| 1952 | Lal Kunwar | Lal Kunwar | Ravindra Dave | Kuldip Pictures | Nasir Khan | 12 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (flop) |
| 1953 | Mashuqa | Mashuqa | Shanti Kumar | Filmkar Productions | Mukesh | 15 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (moderate) |
| 1954 | Mirza Ghalib | Chaudhvin | Sohrab Modi | Minerva Movietone | Bharat Bhushan | 20 lakh (est.) | 1 crore (hit) |
| 1954 | Bilwamangal | Chintamani | D.N. Madhok | Liberty Art Films | Surendra | 15 lakh (est.) | 40 lakh (flop) |
| 1956 | Shama Parwana | Sahebzadi Aalam | D.D. Kashyap | Liberty Art Films | Shammi Kapoor | 20 lakh (est.) | 60 lakh (moderate) |
| 1958 | Trolly Driver | Bani | G.P. Sippy | Sippy Films | Rehman | 25 lakh (est.) | 50 lakh (flop) |
| 1961 | Shama | Shama | Lekhraj Bhakri | N.K. Bhakri | Nimmi (co-star) | 30 lakh (est.) | 70 lakh (moderate) |
| 1963 | Rustom Sohrab | Shehroza | Vishram Bedekar | Ramsay Productions | Prithviraj Kapoor | 35 lakh (est.) | 80 lakh (moderate) |