Master Nissar

Master Nissar (died 1980) was an Indian actor and singer who became popular for his work in Hindi cinema during the early 1930s. His credits as a leading actor include the musicals Shirin Farhad and Laila Majnu (both 1931), two of the earliest Hindi talkies in which he also sang for himself. Ashok Raj, the author of Hero, credits Nissar alongside Master Vithal for shaping the cinematic personality of the Indian film leading man.

Nissar began his acting career on stage, sometimes playing female roles due to the lack of women actors at the time. Later joining the Madan Theatre of Calcutta, Nissar entered films in the 1930s and earned immediate success due to his fluent Urdu and singing ability. Nissar's further appearances alongside Kajjan, in the musicals Laila Majnu (1931) and Indrasabha (1932), established the singing duo as a popular onscreen couple. In 1937, Nissar played his last major screen role in the rural crime drama Kisan Kanya, Having turned to begging in his last days, Nissar died in 1980.

Filmography

Year Film Role Production company/Director Ref. 1931 Shirin Farhad Farhad Madan Theatres Johar-e-Shamsheer J. P. Advani 1935 Shah Behram Bahaar-e-Sulemaani 1937 Kisan Kanya Ramu Moti B. Gidwani