Kuldip Kaur, (born Bibi Kuldip Kaur of Bharatgarh 1927–3 February 1960), also known as Sardarni Kuldeep Kaur Attariwala, was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi and Punjabi films. Known for her roles as negative characters, she was cited as one of Indian cinema's "most polished vamps" and actor Pran's "opposite number". She started her acting career with the first Punjabi film produced in India following Partition; Chaman, also called The Garden in 1948.
Acclaimed as a "vamp" of "exceptional talent" and the "first female villain" in Indian cinema, she has been compared to artists like Shashikala and Bindu. Active from 1948 to 1960, she acted in over 100 films, most of them in Hindi and some in Punjabi. She died in 1960. from tetanus.
Personal life Kuldip Kaur was born to Sardar Joginder Singh of Bharatgarh in Lahore, Punjab, British India. Her mother was from the Ladhran royal family in Attari, Amritsar District, in Punjab. Her elder sister, Bibi Prem Prakash Kaur Sahiba married to Sardar Gajan Singh from Naurangwal, he was the Owner of Matewal forest.
At the age of 14 she was married to Mohinder Singh Sidhu, a grandson of the military Commander of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army, General Sham Singh Attariwala. She became a mother at the age of sixteen.
Kaur defied convention to join films while still in Lahore. She left Lahore in 1947 while communal violence was raging. She was described as a brave lady by Saadat Hasan Manto in his chapter on Kuldip Kaur, titled "Kuldip Kaur: The Punjabi firecracker" in his book Stars from Another Sky: The Bombay Film World of the 1940s. Kaur returned to Lahore in spite of the violence, to pick up Pran's car. His car had been left behind when Pran and she left for Bombay to escape the Sikh genocide in Lahore following partition of India. She drove the car back alone from Lahore to Bombay, via Delhi.
Career The German cinematographer, Josef Wirsching of Bombay Talkies, took her screen test at the request of Savak Vacha, one of Bombay Talkies' then-proprietors, along with Ashok Kumar and S. Mukherji. On his recommendation she was cast in supporting roles.
One of Kuldip Kaur's first films was the Punjabi language Chaman in 1948, which turned out to be a big success at the box office, co-starring Karan Dewan with Meena Shorey. Kuldip Kaur also acted in two Hindi films that year; Ziddi directed by Shaheed Latif and starring Dev Anand, Kamini Kaushal and Pran, and Grahasti both of which were "box office hits". In Grahasti she performed the role of a "modern, sophisticated woman intolerant of her husband".
In 1949, Kuldip Kaur acted a musical success, Ek Thi Ladki, with music by Vinod. Her next film was Kaneez, in 1949, an average film commercially. In 1950, she was in two successful Hindi films; Samadhi and Aadhi Raat and two Punjabi films; Madari and Chhai. In Samadhi, the popular song "Gore Gore Banke Chhore" was picturised on her and Nalini Jaywant. In 1951, she acted in several films such as Rajput, Nai Zindagi, Ek Nazar, Afsana and Mukhda, where she played the lead role. Afsana was directed by B. R. Chopra and starred Ashok Kumar and Veena. Kaur was stated to have played her role of a vamp "to perfection".
She also then appeared in films such as Baiju Bawra (1952) in which her acting was critically acclaimed as the dacoit queen, Roopmati. Some of the other films she acted in 1952 to 54 were Anjaam (1952), Baaz (1953), Anarkali (1953) where her acting was praised, Aabshar (1953), Gul Bahar and Dak Babu in (1954). 1955 was a busy year for her, acting in films such as Teer Andaz (1955) and Miss Coca Cola (1955). With few releases in 1956, she returned with Ek Saal (1957), acting opposite Madhubala and Ashok Kumar. In 1958, Kuldip Kaur had roles in two films; Sahara and Panchayat. In 1959, she worked in three films Pyaar Ka Rishta, Mohar and Jagir. Mohar had music composed by Madan Mohan and became another musical success for her. Maa Baap, Bade Ghar Ki Bahu, Sunheri Raatein and the Punjabi film Yamla Jatt in 1960 were the last films she acted in. Her last film was Honeymoon (1960), also one in which she played the vamp.
Some of the important films Kuldip Kaur acted in were Ek Thi Ladki, Samadhi (1950), Aadhi Raat (1950), Chhoti Bhabhi (1950), Anarkali (1953), Afsana (1951) and Baiju Bawra.
Death Kaur died on 3 February 1960, in Bombay, Maharashtra, of tetanus, following thorn pricks from a Ber tree (jujube) on a visit to Shirdi, Ahmednagar District, which she did not consider serious enough to require treatment.
Filmography Kuldip Kaur was active between 1948 and 1960. Year Film Director 1948Chaman Roop K. Shorey1948Ziddi Shaheed Latif1949Kaneez Krishna Kumar1949Ek Thi Ladki Roop K. Shorey1949 Tara R. D. Pareenja1950Aadhi Raat S. K. Ojha1950Lajawab Jagatrai Pesumal Advani1950Meena Bazaar Ravindra Dave1950Samadhi Ramesh Saigal 1950 Madaari, Punjabi Movie Rajendra Sharma 1950 "Chhai", Punjabi Movie Shankar Mehta 1951Afsana B. R. Chopra1951Do Sitare D. D. Kashyap1951Ek Nazar O. P. Dutta1951For Ladies Only Bedi1951Gumasta S. M. Yusuf1951Lachak M. I. Daramsey1951Mukhada Roop K. Shorey1951Nai Zindagi Mohan Sinha1951Rajput Lekhraj Bhakri1951Stage Vijay Mhatre1952AnjaamShanti Kumar1952Baiju Bawra Vijay Bhatt1952Ghungru Hiren Bose1952Hamari Duniya Sushil Sahu1952Jaggu Jagdish Sethi1952Naubahar Anand Kumar1952Neelam Pari Dhirubhai Desai1952Sheesham Kishore Sharma1953Aabshar Hasrat Lucknavi1953Anarkali Nandlal Jaswantlal1953Baaz Guru Dutt1953Gharbaar Dinkar Patil1953Farmaish B. K. Sagar1953Mashuqa Shanti Kumar1954Dak Babu Lekhraj Bhakri1954Gul Bahar Nanubhai 1954 Pilpili Saheb H.S. Kavatra1954Hukumat Raja Yagnik1954Lalpari Kedar Kapoor1954Mastana H. S. Rawail1955Daku Aspi1955Deewar I.S Bali1955Duniya Gol Hai Om Prakash1955Jashan S. Shamsuddin1955Mast Qalandar Kedar Kapoor1955Miss Coca-Cola Kedar Kapoor1956Indra Leela Rajendra Sharma1956Inquilab Kedar Kapoor1956Sultan-E-Alam Mohan Sinha1957Ek Saal Devendra Goel1957Jai Ambe Shanti Kumar1957Maharani A. Karim1957Paisa Prithviraj Kapoor1958Panchayat Lekhraj Bhakri1958Sahara Lekhraj Bhakri1958Son Of Sindbad Nanabhai Bhatt1959Chand Lekhraj Bhakri1959Jagir Jag Mohan Mattu1959Mohar P. Jairaj1959Pyar Ki Rahen Lekhraj Bhakri1960Bade Ghar Ki Bahu Kundan Kumar1960Bhakta Raj Vishnu Vyas1960Maa Baap Vishnu Vyas1960Rickshawala Shankar Mehta1960Sunheri Raatein Lekhraj Bhakri
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