Fatma Begum
Fatma Begum | |
---|---|
Born | 1892 India |
Died | 1983 (aged 90–91) India |
Occupation(s) | Actress, director, screenwriter, producer |
Spouse | Nawab Sidi Ibrahim Muhammad Yakut Khan III (allegedly) |
Children | 3, including Zubeida and Sultana |
Relatives | Jamila Razzaq (granddaughter) Rhea Pillai (great-granddaughter) |
Fatma Begum (1892–1983) was an Indian actress, director, and screenwriter. She is often considered the first female film director of
Family
Fatma Begum was born into an
Career
She began her career on the Urdu stage. She later shifted to films and debuted in Ardeshir Irani's silent film, Veer Abhimanyu (1922).[1] It was common practice for men to play women in plays and movies, so she became a huge woman superstar. Fatma Begum was fair skinned and wore dark make-up that suited the sepia/black & white images on the screen. Most of the roles required wigs for the heroes as well as the heroines.
In 1926, she established Fatma Films which later became known as Victoria-Fatima Films in 1928. She became a pioneer for fantasy cinema where she used trick photography to have early special effects. She was an actress at Kohinoor Studios and
Begum became the first female director of
She directed many other films, her last being the Goddess of Luck in 1929.
Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1922 | Veer Abhimanyu | Actress | Debuted in Ardeshir Irani's silent film |
1924 | Prithvi Vallabh | Actress | |
1926 | Bulbul-e-Paristan | Director | First female director of Indian cinema ;Used own production house 'Fatma Films' |
1929 | Goddess of Luck | Director | |
1938 | Duniya Kya Hai? | Actress |
Legacy
She died in 1983 at the age of 91. Her legacy was carried on by her daughter Zubeida acted in India's first ever talkie, Alam Ara, in addition to being a silent film star.[1]
References
- ^ ISBN 1579581463.
- ^ Khurana, Ashleshaa. "Bollywood's unforgettable women - Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ Pandya, Sonal. "Fatma Begum, Jaddanbai: The earliest female filmmakers of Indian cinema". Cinestaan. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
- ^ "Sachin Princely State (9 gun salute)". Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
- ^ "Who is Rhea Pillai- Daily Bhaskar". Archived from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- ^ "100 Years of Indian Cinema: The first women directors". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
External links
- Media related to Fatma Begum at Wikimedia Commons
- Fatma Begum at IMDb