Kamini Kaushal
Kamini Kaushal’s excellent career in hindi movies is a long one spanning from the year 1946 till date ( aged now 96) having performed roles of Heroin as well as important side roles including that of a passionate and a virtuous mother .
Kamini Kaushal (birth name Uma Kashyap) was born in a punjabi Brahmin family on 24 February, 1927 at lahore . Her father ,Prof. Shiv Ram Kashyap, was a Professor of Botany in govt college, lahore and is considered as the father of Botany in india as he did lots of research work and wrote about 50 books on the subject of botany .
Kamini did her B.A. (honors) in English from Government College , Lahore and had been a stage actress in Delhi and also worked as a radio child artist with the name “Uma” in Lahore before the Partition of the country .
After the sudden death of her elder sister who left behind two child daughters ; She as her moral and family duty married his widowed brother in law ( जीजा ) -Shri B.S. Sood and shifted to Bombay where her husband was chief engineer in Bombay Port trust and later she became mother of three sons -Rahul, Vidur and Shravan.
Chetan Anand ( brother of Devanand) gave her the break in films by casting her as heroine in his film Neecha Nagar नीचा नगर made in 1946) and which won her an award at the Montreal Film Festival for her performance in this debut hit film.
From 1948 onwards , Kamini Kaushal worked with all the top leading stars of her time such as Ashok Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Raaj Kumar and Dilip Kumar in hit films namely Shaheed (1948), Pugree, Nadiya Ke Paar (1949), Shabnam (1949) and Arzoo (1950) .
She acted as heroine in several successful films from 1946 to 1963 which include Paras , Namoona, Jhanjar, Aabru, Jailor, Bade Sarkar, Bada Bhai, Godaan , Poonam and Night Club . She was also producer of the last two films i.e Poonam and Night club with Ashok kumar as the hero.
She easily transited to doing character roles from 1965 onwards and in her new format she was greatly appreciated for her films like Waris, Vishwas, Yakeen, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Uphaar, Qaid, Bhanwar, Tangewala and Heeralaal Pannalaal.
Further as a character artist she acted in Manoj Kumar’s seven hit films namely Shaheed शहीद Upkar उपकार, Purab Aur Paschim पूर्व और पश्चिम , Sanyasi संन्यासी , Shor शोर , Roti Kapda Aur Makaan रोटी कपड़ा और मकान and Dus Numbari दस नम्बरी .
She then acted as the mother of Rajesh Khanna in films Prem Nagar in 1974 and in Maha Chor in 1976 and as sister in law in film Do Raaste in 1969.
She also created a very popular puppet show ( first of it’s kind for children) which was broadcasted from 1989 to 1991 on Doordarshan . She also wrote stories for children which featured in then popular children’s magazine Paraag पाराग
Depicting the antics of Bunty and Chottabhai and ‘Motabhai .
She also acted in TV serial Chand Sitare चाँद सितारे on Doordarshan. In 1986, she made an animation film named Meri Pari मेरी परी.
She also worked in the highly popular serial -Shanno Ki Shaadi शानो की शादी on StarPlus and in Waqt Ki Raftaar वक्त की रफ़्तार on DD National .
In her later life she did supporting roles in the action comedy film Chennai Express (2013) and in the romantic drama film Kabir Singh (2019) both of which were hit and won her the Best Supporting Actress award.
She won several awards during her career namely :-
1.Filmfare Award for Best Actress for film Biraj Bahu (1956)
2.BFJA 1964 Award for Best Supporting Actress for film Shaheed .
3.Kalakar awards in the year 2011 .
4.Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 .
5.Kalpana Chawla Excellence Award in
2015:
6.Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in
2015
She altogether worked in about 100 films with several immemorial roles and has earned a name for her in Hindi cinema based on her talent and artistry.
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Five stars
