First female superstar of Hindi cinema went on a hunger strike to act in films. Her husband left her to go to Pakistan. Her daughter also grew up to be a major star and married a superstar

The name Saira Banu needs no introduction. One of the biggest and most popular actresses in the 1960s, she was the leading lady in many blockbusters such as Bluffmaster (1963), Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), Padosan (1968), Victoria No. 203, etc. However, before she was setting the box office on fire and charming the audience, her mother was the darling of the masses, celebrated for her ethereal beauty and called “Pari Chehra” (fairy-like beauty). She was also regarded as the first female superstar in Hindi cinema. Naseem Banu rose to fame with films such as Pukar (in which her performance as Nur Jahan was much appreciated), Ujala (1942), Begum (1945), Mulaqat (1947), Chandni Raat (1949), Ajeeb Ladki (1952), etc.

Regal Origins

Born Roshan Ara Begum, she was born in 1916 into an old aristocratic family in Old Delhi. Her mother, Samshad Begum, was a celebrated classical singer. Her mother wanted her to become a doctor, but she dreamed of making it in showbiz.

Overcoming First Hurdle

According to the Guardian, Naseem came across the shooting of a film named Silver King in Bombay and was determined to become an actress. Actor-producer Sohrab Modi offered to cast her in Hamlet, and when her mother refused, she went on a hunger strike until her mother acquiesced. Hamlet became a sensation, but she was denied admission to colleges in Delhi, as acting was considered an occupation of disrepute.

An Illustrious Career

After becoming a household name through Pukar, Naseem steadily rose to prominence in Filmistan, where she had a significant amount of power. Chal Chal Re Naujawan, in which she costarred with Ashok Kumar, was her maiden movie under the company. She was sharing the screen with male actors who were almost ten years her junior by the early 1950s, but the age gap was hardly apparent.

After that, her husband, Ehsan, started making films. Together, they made about six films under the Taj Mahal Pictures name. But when Naseem started making appearances in B-grade films like the action-packed, swashbuckling movie Baghi and the pirate role in Sindbad, her career took a terrible turn.

While several actresses of her generation moved to Pakistan, Naseem continued working in the Indian film industry alongside younger female stars. She eventually retired in the mid-1950s, although she made a memorable appearance in a small role in Naushirwan-e-Adi, giving audiences one more glimpse of her screen presence.

The Partition Cost Her, Her Family

She wed her childhood friend, an architect, Mian Ehsan-ul-Haq, with whom she started the Taj Mahal Pictures banner. They had two children, a daughter, Saira Banu, and a son, Sultan Ahmed. Their marriage came to an end when her husband decided to move to Pakistan, and she stayed back in India. She took her children to England, where she prioritised their education. She also made a career designing sarees for Saira, who became known as a style icon at her peak.

Naseem passed away in 2002 in Mumbai. She was 86.