Shyama

Shyama (born Khursheed Akhtar; 12 June 1935 – 14 November 2017) was an Indian actress who appeared in Hindi and Punjabi films. She first appeared as a child artist in the 1945 Hindi film Zeenat as Baby Khursheed. She later adopted the screen name Shyama, given to her by film director Vijay Bhatt. After years of playing small parts and side roles in films like Shabnam (1949) and Tarana (1951), her breakthrough in a starring adult role came with Aar Paar (1954). She also had some success in Punjabi films like Posti (1950) and Kaude Shah (1953).

Known for her versatility in various genres, Shyama went on to become a recognized star in both Hindi and Punjabi cinema in the 1950s and early 1960s. Some of her best known roles were in Sharada (1957), Bhabhi (1957), Bārsāt Ki Rāt (1960) and Zabak (1961). She later transitioned to taking on character roles in films like Milan (1967), Sawan Bhadon (1970) and her last film Hathyar (1989), after which she retired from acting.

According to Shyama's interview as taken by film historian Shishir Krishna Sharma of the Beete Hue Din blog, Shyama was born as Khursheed Akhtar in Lahore, Punjab in British India on 12 June 1935 in Lahore, Punjab, British India to an Arain family. Her father was a fruit trader. When she was 2 years old, her father, due to his business, shifted the entire family from Lahore to Bombay (now Mumbai). Amongst the 9 children, Shyama was the youngest born. During one of her meetings with Shishir Krishna Sharma, Shyama stated that although films had an attraction for her, the social norms of those times discouraged her of even thinking about making a career in films. Despite that, it was a coincidence that she ventured in this field which caused some resistance at home, especially from her father's side but that did not last very long.

One fine day, Shyama, then a young girl, along with her friends, went to see the shooting of the film Zeenat (1945) starring Noor Jehan and being produced-directed by her then husband Shaukat Hussain Rizvi under the banner of Eastern Pictures. According to Shyama, Rizvi asked her and her friends, present there on the set, if they would like to work in the film to which Shyama and her friends readily agreed. Thus, Zeenat (1945) turned out to be the first film Shyama worked in, thereby making her film debut. She was 9 years old when she worked in the film and 10 when the film released in 1945. She was seen with Noor Jehan in the film's qawaali "Aahein Na Bhare Shikhwe Na Kiye" which was sung by Noor Jehan herself, Zohra Bai Ambalewali and Kalyani Bai with music by Hafeez Khan and lyrics by Nakhshab Jarchavi. Interestingly, Shashikala, then 11 years when shot and 12 when released, also appeared in the qawaali which became very popular during that period.

In a few of her initial films viz. Ghoonghat and Nai Maa (both 1946), she worked under the names Khursheed (Junior) and Baby Khursheed. But she had to change her name to Baby Shyama as a major star actress by that name Khursheed Bano was already present in the film industry. Shyama eventually ventured into adult roles and for the next 6 years, she appeared in small roles across several films such as Beete Din, Meerabai, Mehndi, Parwana (all 1947), Ram Baan (1948), Anmol Moti, Begunah, Char Din, Dillagi, Jal Tarang, Jeet, Kaneez, Naach, Namoona, Patanga, Sawan Bhadon, Shabnam, Shair (all 1949), Aahuti, Chhoti Bhabhi, Nili, Sartaj, Wafa (all 1950), Sazaa, Tarana (both 1951) and so on. In 1949, she came in contact with film producer Harcharan Singh Kwatra and his younger brother music director Sardul Singh Kwatra, who liked her command over Punjabi language and cast in their film Posti, which went on to become a big commercial success in 1950, making her a popular actress in Punjabi cinema. Noted playback singer, Asha Bhosle, made her film playback singing debut with this film.

As a lead actress, she appeared for the first time in Shrimatiji followed by Aasmaan. In both these 1952 releases, she was paired opposite Nasir Khan. Her breakthrough role came with Guru Dutt's Aar Paar (1954), in which she played the vivacious daughter of a garage owner who falls for an ex-convict (Dutt). The success of this film made her a top actress. Eventually, Shyama rose to one of the topmost leading female stars of the 1950s. Her popularity and success rate can be identified from the fact that in between 1952 to 1960, she was seen in around 82 films. Besides leading roles, she also played second lead roles to supportive and even negative characters. She had a record of having appeared in 14 films in 1954 to 13 films in 1955.

She had got the opportunity to work with most of the popular leading actors of her time. Aar Paar (1954) with Guru Dutt, Ghamand (1955) with Raaj Kumar, Gul Sanobar & Thokar (both 1953) with Shammi Kapoor, Musafir Khana (1955) & Laadla (1954) with Karan Dewan, Bhai Bhai (1956) & Baap Bete (1959) with Ashok Kumar, Chandan (1958) & Lahren (1953) with Kishore Kumar, Maa (1952), Dhoop Chhaon (1954) & Teen Bhai (1955) with Bharat Bhushan, Khushboo & Savdhaan (both 1954) with Motilal Rajvansh, Tatar Ka Chor (1955) & Zabak (1961) with Mahipal, Lala Rookh (1958) with Talat Mahmood and Jaggu (1952) with Kamal Kapoor were some of her favourite films and other films like Chhoo Mantar (1956), Duniya Rang Rangeeli, Johnny Walker (both 1957), Khota Paisa, Mr. Qartoon M. A. (both 1958) with Johnny Walker were appreciated by her as well. All these were musical comedy films. Except Khota Paisa, music of all these films were composed by the music composer Omkar Prasad Nayyar. Shyama said, "It was very easy for us to dance to the tunes made by him."

As per Shyama, she never planned her film career; she essayed every kind of role that came her way. One of her most memorable performances came in the 1957 film Sharada, where she played the role of Chanchal, who finds that her husband, Raj Kapoor, and his stepmother, played by Meena Kumari, were in a relationship before marrying his father. The same year, she starred in Bhabhi (1957), where she played a scheming sister-in-law who plots to separate brothers. She worked with Shammi Kapoor again in the romantic classic Mirza Sahiban (1957), made by the Kwatra brothers.

Some of her other well-known Hindi films of the time include Chandan (1958), Lala Rukh (1958), Chhoti Bahen (1959), and Do Behnen (1959) in which she played the double role of twin sisters. She also acted as the second lead in P.L. Santoshi’s Bārsāt Ki Rāt (1960).

Her last Punjabi film was Vilayat Pass in 1961. Her role was critically acclaimed, though the film did not do too well. In later years, her memorable roles came in Hindi films such as Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966), Sawan Bhadon (1970) and Masterji (1985).

For the next 3 decades from 1961, she worked in almost 60 films like Duniya Jhukti Hai (1960), Bahurani, Gumrah (both 1953), Jee Chahta Hai (1964), Janwar (1965), Dil Diya Dard Liya (1966), Aag, Milan (both 1967), Balak (1969), Mastana, Sawan Bhadon (1970), Gomti Ke Kinare (1972), Prabhat (1973), Naya Din Nayi Raat (1974), Chaitali, Khel Khel Mein (both 1975), Ginny Aur Johny (1976), Khel Khilari Ka (1977), Haqdaar (1981), Mohabbat (1985), Mera Karam Mera Dharam (1987) and Pyase Nain (1989). She said, "My stamina was reducing with my increasing age. I would get tired very easily. Before people had a chance to say Shyama can't work anymore, I thought it better to retire. J. P. Dutta's Hathyar released in 1989 proved to be my last film."

She was honored with the BFJA Award for Best Actress for her role in the 1956 film Chhoo Mantar. For her performance in the 1957 film Sharada, she was awarded the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

During the shooting of Sazaa (1951) whic was being produced and directed by ace cinematographer Fali Mistry (17 February 1917 - 16 December 1979), Shyama and Fali Mistry became close and they married in 1954, he was 37 and she was 19 at the time of their marriage. Her husband was a Parsi (Zoroastrian) from Bombay, India. They kept the marriage secret for as many as 10 years because of the fear that Shyama's career would suffer if her marriage became known; in those days, it was thought that the fan following of female stars became less as soon as they married. She said, "I revealed this fact only when, after 10 years of marriage, I gave birth to my son Faroukh. Anyways during the start of the 1960s, I had completely become a character artist." The couple had three children, two sons, Faroukh and Rohin, and a daughter Shirin. Fali Mistry died in 1979, thereafter she continued to stay in Mumbai. Their marriage seemed to have worked out well and they got along well with each other. In a 2013 interview, she reportedly said, "My greatest weakness was always Fali."

Shyama's close friends were actress Ameeta and Johnny Walker. Nasir Kazi, Johnny Walker's son, expressed his grief on hearing the news of her death. In an interview with Mid-Day, he said, "It's really disheartening to know about the demise of Shyama aunty. She had done several films with my father and in a lot of them, she paired with him also. In fact, in the film that was made on his name Johnny Walker, she was the heroine with him. Her closest friends from the industry included Nadira, Nirupa Roy, Sitara Devi, Nimmi, Shakila and Shashikala and they used to meet regularly. She said, "It's been almost 40 years since Fali passed away, the kids are engrossed in their domestic lives and my friends have gone far away. Today I am all alone. But it's been my habit to adjust with changing times, that's why I even enjoy my loneliness."

Her son Faroukh Mistry is a cinematographer. Faroukh's previous film to hit the theatres was Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain in the year 2018.

Shyama died on 14 November 2017 due to a lung infection at the age of 82. She is buried at Badakabarastan, Marine Lines in Mumbai, India.