Chamiyan Bai
Chamiyan Bai, also known as Shamshad Begum, was an Indian singer, actress and courtesan based in Old Delhi during the early 20th century. She was the mother of Bollywood actress Naseem Banu and the maternal grandmother of actress Saira Banu.
Early life
Chamiyan was born in 1898 in Kashmir, British India. She moved to Delhi at a young age.Career
Chamiyan became a classical singer and performer in Delhi, and was also a tawaif during the early 20th century. She was trained in classical music and performed frequently on All India Radio. Chamiyan later adopted the name "Shamshad Begum", and recorded songs for Columbia Records.She also worked as an actress. Her debut was an appearance in Sohrab Modi's 1935 film Khoon Ka Khoon, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet.. She played Gertrude and her daughter played Ophelia.
Personal life
Chamiyan married Nawab Abdul Waheed Khan, who was from Hasanpur. After the marriage she became known as Shamshad Abdul Waheed Khan. They had a daughter, Roshan Ara Begum, later known as Naseem Banu.Chamiyan's daughter Naseem Banu was an actress in Indian cinema, and her granddaughter is actress Saira Banu.