Sharifa Bai
- Born: 1900 (Calcutta)
- Primary Cinema: Hindi
Actress Sharifa Bai is known for her roles in early Indian cinema, working mainly with Madan Theatres, as well as leading studios such as Wadia Movietone. She featured in films such as Toorkey Hoor (1924), Sansar Chakra (1925), Ankh Ka Nasha (1928), Shakuntala (1931), Bharati Balak (1931), Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra (1931), Bilwamangal (1932), Kala Gulab (1933), Husn Ka Ghulam (1933), Noor-E-Yaman (1935), Desh Deepak (1935), Hunterwali (1935), Khan Bahadur (1937), Mother India (1938), and Meri Khwahish (1941), among others. While she had acted in several smaller roles, she was introduced as the female lead in Wadia Movietone’s Kala Gulab/ Black Rose (1934), directed by J B H Wadia, and would go on to act in many of the banner’s stunt action films.
Born in Calcutta in 1900, she started her acting career as a dancer. She was introduced by Madan Theatres in 1925, where she acted in the silent film Adooray Chheley (1925), directed by Jamshedji Jehangirji Madan. She was credited as Miss Sarifa in this romantic drama film, the lead actor and actress of which were Suraj Ram and Patience Cooper.
She later acted in another silent film Sansar Chakra (1925), featuring the same cast, with story and screenplay by Aga Hashr Kashmiri.
With the advent of the talkies, she began her talkie career with Madan Theatre’s Bharati Balak (1931) co-starring Patience Cooper and Master Mohan. The director and music director were Aga Hashr Kashmiri and Brijlal Verma.
After that, she worked in many films of Madan Theatres such as Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra (1931), Bilwamangal (1932), the JJ Madan directed musical Shirin Farhad (1931) which was the second Indian film with sound, the Mohan Dayaram Bhavnani-directed Shakuntala (1931), Educated Wife (1931), and Samaj Ka Shikar (1931) directed by M Gidwani. She acted in several films alongside Patience Cooper, Jehanara Kajjan, Suraj Ram, Sorabji Kerawala and Master Nissar.
In 1934, she worked with Master Mohan and Patience Cooper in Pioneer’s Films Kismat Ka Shikar (1934) and Kanya Vikraya (1934), both directed by Mohammed Hussain, and Paramount Pictures’ film Husn Ka Ghulam (1933) directed by Jagatrai Pesumal Advani starring Sardar Akhtar, Jani Babu, Gulab, Iqbal and Ashraf Khan.
Thereafter, she was introduced as a lead actress with Feroz Dastur in Bombay’s Wadia Movietone’s Kala Gulab/ Black Rose (1934), directed by J B H Wadia. She worked in Wadia’s stunt films Noor-e-Yaman (1935), Pahadi Kanya (1936), Desh Deepak (1935) and Hunterwali (1935) with Nadia in which she played a character named Krishnavati.
In 1935 she worked in Bhavnani Production’s film Jung Bahadur (1935) and Shadi Ki Raat (1935) both directed by Mohan Dayaram Bhavnani with Nargis and S B Nayampally. In 1936, she acted in Ajit Movietone’s film Sultana Chand Bibi (1936) directed by Abdur Rehman Kabuli, and Taj Production’s film Zan Mureed (1936) directed by Shanti Kumar.
She went on to act in Minerva Movietone’s film with Naseem Banu and Saadat Ali - Khan Bahadur (1937) directed by Sohrab Modi. She worked with Leela Chitnis in the psychosocial melodrama Jailor (1938) directed by Sohrab Modi.
After that she was introduced in Indian Cine Pictures’ film with Pramila and Aashiq Husain in Mother India (1938) directed by Dada Gunjal. The film is said to have been a tribute to the people who lost their lives fighting for India's freedom.
In 1940 she worked in Bhavnani Production’s film Jhoothi Sharm (1940) with Trilok Kapoor. The film is an adaption of Henrik Ibsen's 1881 play Ghosts.
After this film, she got married and left the film industry. However, after some years, she returned to the screen, playing an elderly character alongside Veena and Ajit in Anndata (1952) directed by Ismail Memon.
Known to be a truly honest and noble woman, she spoke Urdu and English languages fluently. Later on, her daughter Husn Bano and granddaughter Nazima also became actresses in Indian cinema.
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Filmography (5)
SortRole
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Nasihat 1967
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Zamaane Ki Hawaa 1952
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Shirin Farhad 1931
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