Kamini Kaushal

Kamini Kaushal (born Uma Kashyap; 24 February 1927 – 13 November 2025) was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films and television in a career spanning seven decades. She is regarded as one of the finest actresses of Hindi cinema. She is noted for her roles in films such as, which won the 1946 at the Cannes Film Festival and Biraj Bahu (1954), which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 1956.

Kaushal played the lead heroine in films from 1946 to 1963, wherein her roles in Do Bhai (1947), Shaheed (1948), Nadiya Ke Paar (1948), Ziddi (1948), Shabnam (1949), Paras (1949), Namoona (1949), Arzoo (1950), Jhanjar (1953), Aabroo (1956), Bade Sarkar (1957), Jailor (1958), Night Club (1958) and Godaan (1963) are considered her career's best performances. She played character roles from 1963 onwards, and was critically acclaimed for her performance in Shaheed (1965). She appeared in three of Rajesh Khanna's films, namely Do Raaste (1969), Prem Nagar (1974), (1976), in Anhonee (1973) with Sanjeev Kumar and in eight films with Manoj Kumar namely Shaheed, Upkar (1967), (1970), Shor (1972), Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Sanyasi (1975), Dus Numbri (1976) and Santosh (1989).

From the 1990s, Kaushal only sporadically appeared in films. She latterly appeared in Chennai Express (2013) and the romantic drama Kabir Singh (2019), both of which rank among the highest grossing Indian films, winning the Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress and a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter. She made her final film appearance with a cameo in Laal Singh Chaddha in 2022.

Early life Kamini Kaushal was born in Lahore on 24 February 1927. She was the youngest of two brothers and three sisters. She was the daughter of Shiv Ram Kashyap, professor of botany, University of Punjab at Lahore, British India (present-day Pakistan), and used to have a house in Chaubarji area of Lahore. Kashyap is widely regarded as the father of Indian botany. Her father was a distinguished botanist who discovered six species of plants. She was only seven when her father died on 26 November 1934.

Career Kamini had been a stage actress in Delhi during her college days from 1942 to 1945. She worked as a radio child artist with the name "Uma" in Lahore before the Partition, from 1937 to 1940. Though she had no dreams of joining the film industry while being in college, she was a fan of actor Ashok Kumar. Once she said in an interview: "We were to perform for the war relief fund in college. Ashok Kumar and Leela Chitins were the chief guests. After the show we went to meet him. I thought of having some fun. As he stood talking to the students, I pulled his hair from behind." She quoted in an interview, when asked about why her name was changed from Uma to Kamini: "Chetan's wife Uma Anand was also part of the film. My name also being Uma, he wanted a different name for me. I asked him to give me a name beginning with 'K' to match with the names of my daughters Kumkum and Kavita." Since 1948, Kamini Kaushal worked with all the top leading men of her time, such as Ashok Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Raaj Kumar and Dilip Kumar.

In every film starring her as lead heroine, except when opposite Ashok Kumar, in the period 1947 to 1955, her name used to appear first in the credits before the leading hero's name appeared. Her pairing opposite Dilip Kumar was popular with audiences with box office hits such as Shaheed (1948), Pugree, Nadiya Ke Paar (1949), Shabnam (1949) and Arzoo (1950)). The popularity as an actress increased with Filmistan's Do Bhai (1947), aided by Geeta Roy's impassioned singing of songs such as "Mera sundar sapna", which, incidentally, was shot in a single take. The playback singers - Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar recorded their first duet - "Ye Kaun Aya Re" together in the 1948 film Ziddi.

Her other successful films as lead heroine in films from 1946 to 1963 include Paras (1949), Namoona, Jhanjar, Aabru, Night Club, Jailor, Bade Sarkar, Bada Bhai, Poonam and Godaan. Kamini became a producer and signed on then-matinee idol Ashok Kumar in Poonam and Night Club. Trilok Jetley, who adopted Premchand's famous story Godaan on screen, put his film on hold, while Kamini was pregnant with her second child, because he wanted to capitalise on the softness in her voice. Pandit Ravi Shankar composed the score for her first (Neecha Nagar in 1946) and last (Godaan in 1963) films as a heroine. She stunned audiences by playing a mercenary vamp with aplomb in the film Anhonee (1973). Dilip said that she was his first love. Kamini quoted in an interview on this: "We were both shattered. We were very happy with each other. We shared a great rapport. But what to do? That's life. I can't dump people and say 'Enough now, I'm going!' I had taken on the girls. I wouldn't be able to show my face to my sister. My husband, a fine human being, understood why it happened. Everyone falls in love." She stepped into writing children's stories. Her stories used to be published in the children's magazine Paraag, featuring the antics of 'Bunty', and 'Chotbhai' and 'Motabhai' – who were all loosely based on her own son and his cousin contemporaries. She dabbled in television doing serials such as Chand Sitare on Doordarshan. In 1986, Kaushal made an animation film, Meri Pari.

She appeared in The Jewel in the Crown (1984), a popular British television serial, as Aunt Shalini.

Kaushal worked in the highly popular serial Shanno Ki Shaadi, on StarPlus. She played Bebe, the grandmother of Shanno, the main protagonist played by Divya Dutta. She also acted in Sri Adhikari Brothers' TV Serial Waqt Ki Raftaar (DD National).

She said in an interview: "I, along with only few Indian heroines like Saroja Devi, Bhanumathi Ramakrishna, Sowcar Janaki, Mala Sinha, Moushumi Chatterjee, Padmini and Sharmila Tagore were the few who got married early and had success in the film industry even after our marriages as well as led a happy married life."

Since the 1990s, she only occasionally appeared in films such as Gumrah (1993), Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega (2000), Chori Chori (2003), Chennai Express (2013) and Kabir Singh (2019). Her final film appearance was a cameo in Laal Singh Chaddha in 2022.

Death Kaushal died in Mumbai on 13 November 2025, at the age of 98.

Awards

1956: Filmfare Award for Best Actress: Biraj Bahu 1964: BFJA Awards for Best Supporting Actress (Hindi): Shaheed 2011: Kalakar Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award 2013: Kalpana Chawla Excellence Award 2015: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award 2015: BBC's 100 Women. 2020: Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress: Kabir Singh 2020: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress: Kabir Singh (nominated)

Legacy One of the highest paid actresses of the late 1940s, Kaushal appeared in Box Office Indias "Top Actresses" list twice, 1947 and 1948. In 2022, she was placed in Outlook Indias "75 Best Bollywood Actresses" list.

Filmography Films as actor Year Title Role Notes 1946 Roopa Debut film1947 Do Bhai Jail Yatra 1948 Aag Nirmala Shaheed Sheila Pugree Roopa Nadiya Ke Par Phoolwa Ziddi Asha 1949 Namoona Rekha Paras Geeta Rakhi Shair Beena Shabnam Shanti 1950 Arzoo Kamini 1951 Bikhre Moti 1952 Poonam Chanda 1953 Aansoo Aas Asha GunahSpecial Appearance Jhanjhar Raja Ratan Shahenshah Noor 1954 Biraj Bahu Biraj Chakravarty Chalis Baba Ek Chor Radha Krishna Sangam 1956 Aabroo 1957 Bada Bhai Lakshmi Bade Sarkar Rashmi 1958 Great Show of India Jailor Kamala Night Club Bindu 1959 Bank Manager Sudha 1963 Godaan Jhuniya 1965 Bheegi Raat Pushpa Janam Janam Ke Saathi Shaheed Mrs. Kishan Singh 1967 Upkaar Radha 1968 Aanchal Ke PhoolMaya 1969 Aadmi Aur Insaan Meena Khanna's mother Beti Mrs. Verma Do RaasteMadhavi Gupta Ek Shriman Ek Shrimati Rama Meri Bhabhi Shanti Vishwaas Neena Kapoor Waris Rukmini Yakeen Rita's mother 1970 Dharti Janaki Heer Raanjha One of Ranjha's six sisters-in-law Ishq Par Zor Nahin Uma Ganga Umang Mrs. Rai Saheb Yaadgaar Bhanu's mother 1971 Bikhre Moti Sulochana Uphaar Anoop's mother 1972 Haar Jeet Aruna Special Appearance Shor Shankar's mother Tangewala Lakshmi 1973 Anhonee Mrs. Rai Bahadur Singh Ek Mutthi Aasmaan Kamini Jaise Ko Taisa Vijay's mother Sherni Punjabi film1974 Prem Nagar Rani Maa Roti Kapda Aur Makaan Bharat, Deepak & Vijay's mother 1975 Apne Rang HazaarSunil Kapoor's mother Do Jhoot Lalita & Usha Qaid Jai Saxena's mother Sanyasi Champa's Mother 1976 Bhanwar Rosy D'Souza Do Shatru Savitri Dus Numbri Radha Kabeela Champakali Mrs. Ajay Singh "Rani Maa" Nehle Pe Dehla Sunil's mother 1977 Chandi Sona Maya Gyaani Ji 1978 Aahuti Kaushalya Prasad Dil Aur Deewaar Anand's mother Heeralal Pannalal Mrs. Premlal Rahu Ketu Chandramukhi Swarg Narak Vinod's mother 1979 Ahinsa Parvati Bagula Bhagat 1980 Takkar Kaushalya 1981 Khuda Kasam Nirmala Singh 1982 Naya Safar Pyaas 1983 Atyachar / Gulami Ki Zanjeerain Kaanta Painter Babu Yashoda Srivastava 1987 Jalwa Kapil's mother 1989 Santosh Shanti 1991 Deshwasi Mrs. Singh 1992 Hamshakal Sunil's Mother 1993Gumrah Sharda's Mother1990sChildren series for Doordarshan Khel Khilone, Chaat Pani, Chand Sitare, Chandamama, Hari Bhari Phulwari2000 Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega Biji 2003 Chori Chori Beeji Hawayein 2007 Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Rohan and Vivaan's grandmother 2013 Chennai Express Neetu Mithaiwala 2014 Purani Jeans 2019 Kabir Singh Sadhana Kaur 2022 Laal Singh Chaddha An elderly Sikh woman on the train Final film & role

Television