15th June 1929 – 31st January 2004
The Urdu/Arabic name Suraiya primarily means the Pleiades, a star cluster in the constellation Taurus, symbolizing radiance, brightness, and beauty. Her parents, Aziz Jamal Sheikh and Mumtaz Sheikh must have had some foresight to name her “Suraiya” Jamal Sheikh when she was born on 15th June 1929 in Lahore. She would go on to become one of the most sought-after actress-singer in the 1940’s and 50’s. It is said that at her peak she was paid even more than the leading male actors of those times. It is indeed very rare to see a person endowed with a radiant beauty along with a wonderful voice.
For a long time I was thinking of writing about her , but was a bit apprehensive as my own exposure to the songs of the early era, i.e 30’s and 40’s is very limited . Even now I am not sure whether I would be doing a good job of writing about her great songs, but I am still going ahead as among all Suraiya is one of my favourite singers. Critics might say there were many other talented singers with wider range , but for me music is mostly about how one artist’s singing connects personally.
When she was a year old, her family moved to Bombay as Mumbai was then known. Her family was deeply religious and her grandmother, Badshah Begum taught her religious texts in Persian. She was also fond of Urdu literature and did her education at St. Petit High School, in Fort, Bombay. She did not have any formal training in classical music. Her uncle , M Zahoor once took her to see the shooting of a film and there she got noticed and at the very young age of 12 she had her acting debut as a child artist in the 1941 film Mumtaz Mahal, which got released in 1942. Meanwhile her singing talent was recognized by the veteran music director Naushad ( as a child artist she had sung for All India Radio’s children’s program) and gave her an opportunity to sing in the 1942 film Sharada.
Gradually she was groomed by Naushad, and later on she worked with most of the other leading music directors of those times like Husanlal-Bhagatram, Anil Biswas , C Ramachandra, Ghulam Mohammad, Shyam Sundar , S D Burman and many others.
After the partition of India, the other leading singers of that era, Noor Jahan and Khursheed had migrated to Pakistan and so Suraiya became a much sought-after actor-singer. Those were the days when play back singing had not caught up in a big way . Only after Lata and Rafi entered the industry, playback singing became the mainstay, with even singers like Talat Mehmood, Mukesh and Kishore initially trying to focus more on acting and so Suraiya, with her bewitching beauty and equally good voice dominated in the late 40’s and early 50’s. A career that could have gone for more decades started faltering due to her own personal issues. The famous romance between her and Dev Anand that was completely discouraged by her dominant grandmother is a well-known fact and I would not like to write much about that. Although Dev Anand moved ahead with his life, Suraiya never married and remained single throughout her life.
The most striking aspect of her singing that appeals to me is that contrary to the popular style of those times, she did not have a strong nasal tone to her voice. She could sing a peppy song , an intensely pathos-ridden song , breezy romantic duets -all with equal ease. Maybe the pure classical genre was not her forte as obviously she was not a trained singer. But whatever she sang became super hits. Her swan song “ Yeh Kaisi Ajab Dastaan Ho Gayee Hai ( Film Rustom Sohrab-1963-Sajjad Hussain-Qamar Jalalabadi) or all her songs for the 1954 film Mirza Ghalib remain popular to this day. More about the songs of Mirza Ghalib in my song listing here!
In the words of Naushad “Suraiya had an unsophisticated and charming voice and she sang effortless.” Hence one may not hear any intricate “alaap, “murkhi” etc but simple , free-flowing songs by her that had an emotional connect and so appealed to the masses. Her film Mirza Ghalib got the first President’s Gold Medal constituted by our government and it is said that in the award ceremony , then Prime Minister Pandit Nehru had said to her “ Mirza Ghalib ki rooh ko zinda kar diya’ (you have brought to life Mirza Ghalib’s soul)
I have tried my best to list some of her best duets and solo songs here. I sincerely request readers that this is from my own limited knowledge about her songs -mainly those that I have listened through radio in so many years and in no way reflects the vast repertoire she has left behind.
She decided to quit acting after the film Rustom Sohrab in 1963 , and so she stopped singing also as she mainly sang for herself. Suraiya became more withdrawn from public life. At the peak of her popularity, there were frequent traffic jams outside her Marine Drive home in Mumbai due to her fans wanting to have a glimpse of her! Towards the end she led a lonely life , but thankfully she did not face any financial difficulties unlike some of the other great artists of those times and owned many properties.
On 31st January, 2004 , at the age of 75 , Suraiya passed away due to multiple illnesses.
I have attempted to list out few great solo songs and duets , arranged chronologically, with the song, film, year, music composer, lyricist and so-singer mentioned in that order. Since some of the video links either do not allow embedding in other sites of have very poor quality, I have embedded audio-only tracks for some of the songs.
Suraiya’s Solos…
- Man leta hai angadai – Anmol Ghadi -1946- Naushad -Tanveer Naqvi
A breezy tune by Naushad in his typical style , with Suraiya, still in her teens singing with so much of maturity.
2. Door Papiha Bola-Gajre-1948-Anil Biswas-G.S Nepali
A superb composition by one of the pioneers of Hindi film music-Anil Biswas that, true to the lyrics , sounds as if some sweet bird is singing far away! Suraiya sounds extra-ordinarily sweet in this song.
3. O door jaanewale-Pyar Ki Jeet-1948-Husnlal Bhagatram-Qamar Jalalabadi
With the famous music composer duo Husnlal-Bhagatram , Suraiya had some of her most memorable songs . This song dripping with the feelings of separation of a lover is rendered by Suraiya with the right amount of pathos.
4. Woh Paas Rahe Ya Door Rahe-Badi Behen-1949-Husnlal Bhagatram-Qamar Jalalabadi
The film Badi Behen had few other gems by Suraiya like Ho Likhnewale Likh Di, Bigdi Bananewale, Tum Mujhko Bhool Jao and also a very young Lata coming out with Chup Chup Khade Ho Zaroor Koi baat hai-this was one of H-B ‘s most popular tracks. Who Paas Rahe Ya Door Rahe has that lilting rhythm pattern that one can say was a signature of H-B. Suraiya singing sounds like the flow of a gentle stream.
5. Muraliwale murli baja – Dillagi -1949- Naushad-Shakeel Badayuni
Naushad’s simple but interesting orchestration , Suraiya’s innocent dancing movements and her delightful singing make this a sweet song.
6. Tera khayal dil se bhulaya -Dillagi -1949-Naushad-Shakeel Badayuni
The film Dillagi had around six solos songs and two duets by Suraiya. This solo is one the popular ones.
7. Koi dil mein samaya chupke chupke -Kamal Ke Phool-1950-Shyam Sundar- Rajendra Krishna
When I listened to this old gem after a very long time , I got so much hooked to this that I kept listening to this again and again. Not much is known about the composer Shyam Sundar who had worked along with the other stalwarts of the vintage and golden eras-he had a short career only and had some personal health issues. He was the composer who gave Rafi his first break in the Punjabi film Gul Baloch.The excellent string arrangement in this song is simply the work of a genius. And what an endearing rendition by Suraiya-especially the way she says “ chupke chupke”!
8. Manmor hua matwala – Afsar -1950-S.D Burman -Narendra Sharma
In this song, we hear a different Suraiya , the composition being that of the master S D Burman. With an orchestration that has a superb flute, sitar , S D Burman does many innovations like a change in the tempo in between and also makes Suraiya come out with many variations in her singing. This is definitely one of her best renditions.
9. Nain Deewane Ek Nahin Mane-Afsar-1950-S.D.Burman-Pt Narendra Sharma
In the same film Afsar, S D Burman come out with one more gem of a song for Suraiya. This film could be one of the rare associations of the lyricist Pt. Narendra Sharma with S D Burman.
10. Nainon Mein Preet Hai- Dastaan-1950-Naushad-Shakeel Badayuni
Dastan was a famous musical bonanza from the veteran Naushad-in my list here there are two solos and two duets! There are totally nine songs of which six are Suraiya solos and three duets with Rafi.
Like most of Naushad’s tunes , this one is simple but has a lingering melody.
11. Ye mausam aur ye tanhaai-Daastan-1950- Naushad-Shakeel Badayuni
A typical “ Piano” song that was very popular in our films! In many such songs , the actor on screen keeps playing the piano without any notes from that in the actual song! But this one is a true piano song-Naushad intersperses that throughout the song with Suraiya rendering a soft melody.
12. Raste pe hum khade hain- Rajput 1951- Hansraj Bahal-Kaif Irfani
One of the under-rated music composers , Hansraj Behl gave us excellent songs. Suraiya’s voice always has a soothing effect on our ears-this song is an example of that.
13. Kabhi Na bigde kisi ke motor-Moti Mahal-1952-Hansraj Behl-Prem Dhawan
A very rare song-I included this to showcase Suraiya’s comic trait. She mostly sang romantic or sad songs-for a change here she is singing about a broken-down car and not a broken heart! Brilliantly written by Prem Dhawan and set to a simple tune by Hansraj Behl, Suraiya even does a small “ harkat” after the lyrics refers to the names of Suraiya and Madhubala:
“ho wo Suraiyaa yaa Madhubaala
bade-bade bhi ban jaayaa karte hain joker raste mein “
That extra emphasis on Motorrrrrrr is delighful to hear.
14. Parwanon se preet seekh le -Bilwamangal -1954- Bulo C Rani-D.N. Madhok
One of the greatest songs of Suraiya, this is my personal favourite. Bulo Chandiram Ramchandani was a great composer who had to remain in the shadows of other veteran music composers of the vintage and golden era; for many years I was under the wrong impression that it was a lady as the name was shortened to Bulo C Rani. Written by the famous lyricist of the vintage and golden era D. N. Madhok , this is sung by Suraiya with a sweetness that lingers in our mind long after we listen to it.
15. Aah Ko Chahiye Ek Umar- Mirza Ghalib-1954-Ghulam Mohammad- Mirza Ghalib
Now I come to the masterpieces of Suraiya and Ghulam Mohammad who had brough to life the timeless ghazals of Mirza Ghalib. Though I had written about most of the songs from this film in my blog on Ghulam Mohammad, I cannot help repeating them here. Suraiya truly brough to life the wonderful words of the poet Mirza Ghalib.
16. Nukta Cheen Hai- Mirza Ghalib-1954-Ghulam Mohammad- Mirza Ghalib
Many singers have rendered this very famous ghazal of Ghalib and Suraiya’s rendition is definitely one of the best ever.
17. Jahan Koi Na Ho– Mirza Ghalib-1954-Ghulam Mohammad- Mirza Ghalib
This is a somewhat under-rated song from the film , but is one of Suraiya’s best .
18. Yeh Na Thi Hamari Qismat– Mirza Ghalib-1954-Ghulam Mohammad- Mirza Ghalib
Suraiya shows her skills in gliding over the high octaves in this song , composed brilliantly by Ghulam Mohammad.
19. Mera dildar na milaya-Shama Parwana-1954-Husnlal Bhagatram-Majrooh Sultanpuri
This song also has a Rafi version that starts of with Tune Mere Yaar Na Milaya. I had not heard the one sung by Suraiya earlier and I find she has also sung this equally well.
20. Ye kaisi ajab dastan ho gayi hai -Rustam Sohrab-1963- Sajjad Hussain -Qamar Jalalabadi
This was the last song of Suraiya -truly a swan song-she had poured out all her feelings into this one , composed by none else than the great genius Sajjad Hussain.
Suraiya’s Duets…
21. Betaab hai dil – Dard -1947- Naushad -Shakeel Badayuni-Duet with Uma Devi
The film Dard had the very famous song of Uma Devi ( who later turned to be a comedienne with the screen name Tun Tun) Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon. This duet of Suraiya and Uma Devi is a unique one in which with the same tune Naushad creates a mood of pathos for the lines sung by Uma Devi , whereas Suraiya sings in a happier mood.
22. Tu Mera Chand Mein Teri Chandini-Dillagi-1949-Naushad-Shakeel Badayuni-Due with Shyam
The recurring, mesmerizing flute portions of this song inspired the veteran music composer of south , M S Vishwanathan to create another masterpiece song “ Poo Maalaiyil Oar Malligai” years later.
The link provided here also has a very rare solo version of this song by Geeta Dutt!
23. Yeh Sawan Rut, Tum Aur Hum-Dastaan-1950-Naushad-Shakeel Badayuni-Duet With Rafi
I had mentioned two solos from the film Dastan and here in the duet section , there are two more. It is rare to see Rafi used as voice of Raj Kapoor . Suraiya lends a whiff of fresh air to this song with an elegant rendition. The waltz rhythm makes this so sweet to hear.
24. Dil Ko Teri Tasveer Se – Dastaan-1950-Naushad-Shakeel Badayuni-Duet with Rafi
A typical Naushad composition , sung so well by both Suraiya and Rafi.
25. Dil – E – Nadan Tujhe Hua Kya-Mirza Ghalib-1954-Ghulam Mohammad- Mirza Ghalib-Duet with Talat Mehmood
The film Mirza Ghalib not only had some the best solo ghazals sung by Suraiya , but had this evergreen duet with Talat Mehmood-the ghazal king.
26. Beqarar hai koi ae mere dildar- Shama Parwana -1954- Husnlal-Bhagatram -Qamar Jalalabadi-Duet with Rafi
This is a strangely under-rated song that seems to have been forgotten by many. Has a beautiful extended alaap by both the singers Rafi and Suraiya , composed so brilliantly by Husnlal-Bhagatram. Many would not recognize the actor on screen-the usually ever ebullient Shammi Kapoor in his very early career looking so sober and different!
27. Man Dheere Dheere gaye re-Maalik-1958-Ghulam Mohammad-Shakeel Badayuni-Duet with Talat Mehmood
Once again we have the velvety vocals of Talat paired with Suraiya to give this immortal duet. Ghulam Mohammad who remained as assistant of Naushad for a long time, composed independently to give so many excellent songs .
I conclude my humble attempt to showcase some of the best songs of Suraiya with a question taken from the last song-Maloom Nahin Kyoon…whenever I listen to the voice of Suraiya, there seems to be gentle , soothing touch..Maloom Nahin Kyoon!! There are only few singers whose voice creates a pleasing feel when we listen to—Suraiya is definitely one of them….
Acknowledgements and Disclaimer:
I sincerely thank the publishers of following Internet sources for the information that I could gather for this article:
- You Tube
- Wikipedia
The songs mentioned are from the popular, public domain and have been embedded here only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog does not claim any copyright over them, which rests with the respective owners of the rights The photograph is taken from the internet, duly recognizing the full copyrights for the same to the original creator or the site where they were originally displayed .This blog does not claim any copyright over them, which rests with the respective owners of the rights.
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