Uma devi khatri
Tun Tun ( urf Uma devi khatri ) was famous as the first female comedian of hindi movies though in her early career she was a play back singer . She is a house hold name in the country.
She was born in UP near Amroha on 11th,July 24 in a Punjabi family and soon she became orphaned and was brought up by her orthodox uncle who wouldn’t allow her education . So she self learnt herself amidst poverty and suffering and at the age of 13 she ran away to bombay to try out as a singer in films .
She approached musician Nausad who auditioned her and engaged her as a singer immediately.
She made her debut as a solo playback singer in film Wamiq Azra (1946).She soon made a place for herself amidst the then playback singers .
Her famous and hit songs were in 1947 film Dard दर्द i.r Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon Dil-e-Beqarar Ka अफ़साना लिख रही हूँ दिले बेकरार का
Yeh Kaun Chala Meri Aankhon Mein Sama Kar यह कौन चला मेरी आँखों में समा कर
Aaj Machi Hai Dhoom Jhoom Khushi Se Jhoom आज मची है धूम , झूम खुशी से झूम ।
Her next singing performance in film Anokhi Ada (1948) which again had two hit songs “ Kahe Jiya Dole काहे जिया डोले and “Dil Ko Lagake Humne Kuch Bhi Na Paya दिल को लगा कर हमने कुछ भी नहीं पाया took her into the club of then top singers .
So nice were her songs that a gentleman called Mohan from delhi got enchanted and impressed by her song “Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon”, that he came to bombay, stayed with tuntun for sometimes and soon they got married . The couple had two daughters and two sons .
However in the coming years, due to her older style of singing and limited vocal range, she could not compete compete with singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Suman Kalyanpur and hence on a wise advice she took up acting roles to benefit her from her very bubbly personality and wonderful comic timing.
She thereafter acted in Guru Dutt’s classics films such as Aar Paar (1954), Mr. & Mrs. ’55 (1955) and Pyaasa (1957).
In the 1960s and 1970s, she was a regular comedian in numerous hindi films and was very popular for her extraordinary hefty physique, style of speaking , bodily and facial expressions and comical and entertaining style .
In her career spanning five decades, she acted in about 200 films in Hindi and other languages like Punjabi , pairing with top comedy actors of her times such as Bhagwan Dada, Agha, Sunder, Mukri, Dhumal, Johnny Walker and Keshto Mukherjee and her last
film was Kasam Dhande Ki (1990).
Owing to her popularity, the name Tun Tun has become synonymous with obese and overfatty women in the country .
She died on 23 November 2003 in Mumbai after a prolonged illness at the age of 80 and is survived by her four children and four grandchildren . Her husband Mohan had already died in 1992.
People will remember her songs , comic and highly entertaining roles in so many Hindi movies.
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Three stars
