Chamiyan Bai

Chamiyan Bai, also known as Shamshad Begum (1898 – 14 August 1998), was an Indian singer, actress and courtesan (tawaif) based in Old Delhi during the early 20th century. She was the mother of Bollywood actress Naseem Banu and the maternal grandmother of actress Saira Banu.

Early life Chamiyan was born in 1898 in Kashmir, British India. She moved to Delhi at a young age. She was born into an artistic family. Her mother was tawaif Jumman Bai, her father was musician Ratan Singh.

Career

Chamiyan became a classical singer and performer in Delhi, and was also a tawaif during the early 20th century. She was trained in classical music and performed frequently on All India Radio (AIR). She played Gertrude and her daughter played Ophelia.

Personal life Chamiyan married Nawab Abdul Waheed Khan, who was from Hasanpur. They had a daughter, Roshan Ara Begum, later known as Naseem Banu.

Naseem Banu became an actress in Indian cinema, and her daughter, and Chamiyan's granddaughter, is actress Saira Banu.

Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes1935 Khoon Ka Khoon Gertrude