Kumkum: The Danseuse Butterfly of Bollywood

Guest article by DP Rangan to pay tribute to Kumkum (22 April 1934 – 28 July 2020) on her first death anniversary

(The dancers had an important place in our films. They came in amazing varieties. There was a tradition of the top actresses themselves being professionally trained in classical or popular dance forms, such as Vyjayanthimala and Waheeda Rehman, to Hema Malini to Madhuri Dixit, Rekha and Aishwarya Rai. Some mainstream actresses performed ‘Item Numbers’ for a lark. The other end was a night club or cabaret dancer, such as Helen, Bindu and Jayshree T etc. Since this was not seen as a very noble activity, they were generally given a small role of a vamp.

In this crowded field, it is to the credit of Kumkum that she carved out her own niche as a dancer with grace on whom some of the most memorable songs of the Golden Era have been picturised. As she had a proper training in Kathak, her dance always showed her class. Her natural talent for dance, her supple body and expressive eyes made her a sought after artist. She did several lead roles or second lead roles in which she showed her acting prowess too. To pay our tribute to her on her first death anniversary is the indefatigable DP Rangan.

As the regulars of SOY are well aware, Mr Rangan is 70-plus going on 17. He is the most prolific guest author on SOY. Undeterred by the difficulty of language, he is always after me what next he should write on. I instantly welcomed his suggestion to write on Kumkum. Thank you Mr Rangan for this tribute to Kumkum we all like so much. – AK)

The lure of filmdom started right after movies started invading everywhere. Men and women in search of fame and wealth had made a beeline for the tinsel towns where studios were rooted and functioning. Our Bharat is no exception to this golden rule. Lahore was probably the first town where this started during the colonial era. Calcutta also emerged as another such centre. Then Bombay joined the bandwagon and thereafter Chennai came into the film map. As part of technical advancement, silent movies were supplanted by talkies with the film Alam Ara in 1931. All with a histrionic talent or with pretensions to it sought fame and riches in this tinsel world of glamour. Most of them came from poor families ready to confront this game of life and death. Success meant stardom, wealth and fame and those who failed to make it count were left by the wayside. Ladies with alluring looks as a powerful weapon had an easier time at grappling with the studio moghuls and those with dancing skills had a decided advantage.

Our lady Kumkum, an expert exponent of Kathak landed in Mumbai to try her luck in the film world. Initially, she started as a dancer and then graduated to play bits and parts in movies as an auxiliary actress and thereafter acted as a heroine opposite a few leading actors. Unlike other ladies like Vyjayajthimala, Waheeda Rehmaqn, Padmini, Hema Malini, who became legends in their active career years, she was quite subdued. Yet she managed to participate in more than 100 movies from 1952 to 1973, when she chose connubiality over filmdom. My efforts to classify her movies into three categories – dancer, supporting actress and heroine were foredoomed as it was not possible for me to view all the movies individually. Whenever I am in a doldrum, I always turn to my patron and film encyclopedia – Arunkumarji and he readily obliged with enough data for writing this post. He also gave a link to a site – Beete Hue Din – a goldmine of information on her and I offer my thanks to the author of the site. I also did a bit of search/stumble around with the assistance of my patron saint – Serendipity – and now I am offering my inadequate version of her biography for dissection by the veteran blog followers. As usual I managed to gain the sympathy of AKji into overlooking my mediocrity (I deem it tour de force) and accept this for upload on the first anniversary of her departure from the mortal world.

She was born amidst riches on 22^nd April 1934 at Hussainabad near Patna and her parents were Nawab Mansoor Hassan Khan, a rich titular landlord and mother Khursheed Bano. She was christened Zaibunnisa Khan at birth. When she was around two years, the family shifted to Patna. According to Kumkum, her father lost the title of Nawab thanks to Government action and after erosion of ancestral wealth was thrown from riches to penury. They were eking out an existence for some time and when Kumkum was five years old, the family had to shift to Calcutta for survival. Her father tired of facing difficult days deserted the family, married again and migrated to Pakistan with his second wife and the thread was severed in full. Kumkum had aspired to be a dancer and be a film actress. Her mother, a damp squib, tried to discourage her by stating her plain looks would prevent her from achieving her ambition. Kumkum was not put out and after her schooling proceeded to Lucknow to learn dancing. She was a pupil of Shambhu Maharaj and after strenuous training became an accomplished Kathak dancer.

In 1952 the entire family shifted to Mumbai. Naushad whom she knew well from her Lucknow days got her a minor role as a dancer in the film Sheesha (1952) and the song was “Angana baaji shehnai re, aaj mori jagmag atariya” sung by Shamshad Begum under Ghulam Mohammad direction and lyrics were by Majrooh Sultanpuri, the only one out of 8 songs for which no mp3 or video are available.

Our lady states that she was called “Zeba” by near and dear ones and decided to adopt the pet name “Kumkum” as nom de guerre in her role as a film actor. For the next around 115 films in which she participated this was her screen name.

I was able to collect year-wise details of 107 films she appeared in from 1952 till 1973. One more film of hers – Bombay By Nite – was completed with many interruptions and was released in 1976. She acted against Sanjeev Kumar in the film.

Despite the handicap of segregating movies she acted into category of dancer, auxiliary actress and front-line heroine, I give below a representative figure based on the reliable data provided by Arunkumarji and other sources.

DANCER
Sheesha  (1952)
Meenar   (1954)
Pehli Jhalak (1955)
House No. 44 (1955)
Musafirkhana (1955)
Ek Hi Rasta (1956)
Bhagam Bhag (1956)
Naya Daur (1957)
Bhakt Raj (1960)

(https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474975/)

SECONDARY ACTRESS
Kundan (1955)
Pyaasa; Mother India (1957)
Suvarn Sundari; Mr. Qartoon MA (1958)
Char Dil Char Rahen (1959)
Krorepati (1961)
Aankhen (1968)
Dharti; Geet (1970)

HEROINE
Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960 – Dharmendra)
King Kong (1962 –  Dara Singh)
Son of India (1962 – Kamaljeet)
Qawwali ki Raat (1964 – Kamaljeet)
Ek Sapera Ek Lutera (1965 – Feroz Khan)
Raja Aur Rank (1968 – Sanjeev Kumar)
Jalte Badan (1973 – Kiran Kumar)
Dhamkee (1973 – Vinod Khanna)
Ek Kunwari Ek Kunwara (1973 – Pran)

She and Kishore Kumar came together in fourteen films and in four of them she was the heroine opposite him.

Ganga Ki Lahrein (1964)
Mr. X in Bombay (1964)
Shreeman Funtoosh (1965)
Haye Mera Dil (1968)

Having digressed a little, I will now come to the main theme of tracing her career. After her brief venture in Sheesh Mahal (1952) she was just flirting around. Then came the year 1954, her Annus Mirabilis. Guru Dutt had just completed his first venture Aar Paar with Shyama opposite. O. P. Nayyar as music director scored a direct hit after three unremarkable films earlier. The first song “Kabhi aar kabhi paar” was sung by Shamshad Begum and the cast was Jagdeep. It is alleged Censor Board did not like a male to feature in a female song. Guru Dutt had to recast the scene. It was too minor a role for inviting any well-known actress. Guru Dutt called Kumkum and she readily accepted the role as a dancer working at a construction site. The dance scene was choreographed by Guru Dutt himself. An indulgent fate launched her in the film world. She acted in C.I.D. opposite Johnny Walker and the duet – Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan was another jewel of the film and she carried off her role as a petulant love pursued by Johnny Walker, a pickpocket in the film. In the next Guru Dutt venture – Mr. and Mr. 55, she played her role as a mother with five children. Her steady journey in the film world continued for the next two decades. After appearing in nearly 115 films, the last of which was Jalte Badan (1973), she called it quits and sailed into her next role as a housewife. She got married to Sajjad Akbar Khan of Lucknow in 1975 and shifted to Saudi Arabia along with him where she lived for the next twenty years and returned to India in 1995 when her husband came back to Mumbai to continue as a builder with a daughter Andaleeb in tow.

I will now present a few of the songs in which she figured as a dancer to start with.

1. Dekh idhar O jadugar by Lata Mangeshkar from House No. 44 (1955), lyrics Shakeel Badauni, music S D Burman

A mujra dance performed by Kumkum in a nautch house.

2. Ja ja re ja baalamwa by Lata Mangeshkar from Basant Bahar (1956), lyrics Shailendra, music Shankar Jaikishan

A picture about the troubled life of a poet (Bharat Bhushan), the film is replete with soulful and sweet songs. Kumkum puts up a creditable performance as a court dancer.

Another notable dance song in which Kumkum pairs with Nimmi is – Kar gaya re kar gaya mujh pe jadu by Asha Bhonsle and Lata Mangeshkar.

3. Le le bahar mein bahar ke maze by Asha Bhosle from Meenar (1954), lyrics Rajendra Krishna, music C. Ramchandra

Kumkum is the main dancer at the wedding ceremony.

4. Kaise lagi jaye to jaye by Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar from Ek Hi Raasta (1956), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music Hemant Kumar

Here is Kumkum pairing with another dancer.

5. Reshmi salwar kurta jaali ka by Shamshad Begum and Asha Bhosle from Naya Daur (1957), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanvi, music O P Nayyar

A typical O P Nayyar piece from the movie and Kumum does her part as dancer.

Initially she figured mainly as a dancer in a few movies, but as she was cast in minor roles, the emphasis was always on her dancing skills and she danced her way through such movies whenever the story allowed it. Now a few songs from movies where she had roles to play, though not as a heroine.

6. O meri jaan gair ko tum paan kilaya karo by Mohammad Rafi and Geeta Dutt from Kundan (1955), lyrics Shakeel Badauni, music Ghulam Mohammad

The way Rafi opens the song one would not expect what actually follows. A fun-filled duet between Om Prakash, a local rustic and Kumkum, the paan seller, full of leg pullings. Kumkum does her part well rejecting advances of Om Prakash and scolds him not to come empty handed to the bazaar expecting paan as a freebie and skidoo as a counter to Om Prakash, who lectures about the meanderings of love – Tum to naddan ho kya jaano mohabbat kya hai. A light-hearted parody rendered in a superb style by Rafi and Geeta Dutt which also shows the genius of the lyricist, known for serious song writing, in penning such songs of lighter vein, and Ghulam Mohammad for the music.

7. Ghunghat nahi kholungi saiyan tore aage by Lata Mangeshkar from Mother India (1957), lyrics Shakeel Badayuni , music Naushad

Kumkum in the role of a village belle Champa is flitting around like a butterfly in the rural landscape teasing her love Rajendra Kumar, a rustic in a typical rural garb while dancing and singing this lovely piece. It is vintage Naushad and an all-time favourite of mine, I never tire of listening it umpteen number of times. Half the charm is the visual effect of the natural vista in which both are picturised.

8. Kahan jaate ho saiyan by Asha Bhosle from Do Gunde (1959), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, Music, Ghulam Mohammad

Kumkum is pleading with a reluctant Raaj Kumar not to desert her. She is also exhibiting a female inconsistency by her bland statement that she would not beg him to be with her and yet, in the end, tries to restrain him while Ajit, probably a competitor for her affections, is watching this gung-ho drama from his place of concealment.

9. Daga daga vai vai by Lata Mangeshkar from Kali Topi Laal Rumal (1959), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music Chitragupt

An oft-repeated scene in many movies, Kumkum indulges in a flirtatious dance to lull the bad elements guarding the fortress into stupor, enabling the hero and his love to enter the house and search for whatever they were after. The lyrics and the tune fit the scene like a fiddle and Kumkum is simply superb.

10. Madhuban mein Radhika naache re by Mohammad Rafi from Kohinoor (1962), lyrics Shakeel Badayuni, music Naushad

Kumkum is more than a dancer in this movie. She is part of the court orchestra but openly wears her love for the prince Dilip Kumar. Sensing that his affections lie elsewhere, sacrifices her love and helps him overcome his enemies in the end. This song is a great fusion of music and dance. Set in the raag Hamir, Naushad created a masterpiece and it has all the elements of a dance song, vocals followed by dance notes and an excellent play of the sitar. Kumkum exhibited her dancing skills in full and the video is par excellence, enjoyable from beginning to the end for nearly 7 minutes.

11. Jadugar quatil by Asha Bhonsle from Kohinoor (1960), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi, music Naushad

Running dialogue between Dilip Kumar and Kumkum is delectable, and Kumkum is really great in her role in this song, expressing her love in such a subtle manner followed by a graceful pirouette displaying extreme skill in the terpsichorean art which she had mastered under Shambhu Maharaj.

She acted as a heroine against contemporary leading actors of her time and many of the movies had hit songs which are popular to this day. I am listing a few of them.

Machalti hui hawa mein chham chham (Ganga Ki Lahrein)
Khoobsurat haseena (Mr. X in Bombay)
Sultana sultana (Shreeman Fantoosh)
Izazat ho to (Haye Mera Dil)
Mera naam hai Chameli (Raja Aur Rank)
Chaand kya hai roop darpan (Dhamkee)

12. Ye vaada karein jahan bhi rahein by Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar from Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bi Tere (1960), lyrics K L Pardesi, music Kalyanji-Anandji

A popular duet of the time, Dharmendra and Kumkum are traipising around all sorts of places singing their love duet, i.e. pas de deux.

13. Mujkho is raat ki tanhai by Lata Mangeshkar from Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960), lyrics Shamim Jaipuri, music Kalyanji-Anandji

Another popular song from the movie. It has a Mukesh version too. A heartbroken Kumkum is singing this song of pathos.

14. Jata hai to ja O jaanewale by Lata Mangeshkar from King Kong (1962), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri, music Chitragupta

Kumkum acts with hero Dara Singh for whom this was the first movie. This song was originally in the film but subsequently got deleted when released as CD in the market. An aggressive Kumkum is chasing a pouting Dara Singh.

15. Diya na bujhe re aaj hamara by Lata Mangeshkar and chorus from Son of India (1962), lyrics Shakeel Badayuni, music Naushad

The film was a flop despite the big banner and its director Mehboob Khan. Naushad gave many memorable songs. This stage dance is one such a song.

16. Ae jaane nazar chilman se agar halka sa ishara ho jaye by Mohammad Rafi and Mubarak Begum from Qawwali Ki Raat (1964), lyrics Shewan Rizvi, music Iqbal Quereshi

As the title suggests, the film is full of qawwalis. This is one such between Kamaljeet Singh and Kumkum.

Kumkum had the unique distinction of acting as a heroine in the very first Bhojpuri film made in India – Ganga Maiya Tohe Pyari Chadhaibo (1963). I am uploading two of the songs from the film. All the songs were written by Shailendra and Chitragupta composed music.

17. Kaahe basuriya bajawale by Lata Mangeshkar from Ganga Maiya Tohe Pyari Chadhaibo (1963), lyrics Shailendra, Music Chitragupta

The full history behind the making of the film is given below the video on the YouTube.

18. Hey Ganga maiya tohe piyari chadhaibo by Lata Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar & chorus.

The scene behind the song depicts the river Ganga and lot of people journeying in boats.

From 1995 Kumkum led a calm and sedate life with her husband and daughter in Mumbai and shunned all publicity. Her break from film world was complete. She entered the film world as a dancer par excellence and then moved up the ladder as an actor in minor roles and then a heroine. During all this period, she had always a role to play as a dancer in most of the movies. She breathed her last on 28 July 2020 aged 86 years.

Hers was a smooth career in films starting as a dancer. She went through life untrammelled by problems and there were no ups and downs. I decided to present her career in the roles she played and fitted songs accordingly. I leave it to the great community of followers of this blog to judge my performance. In the comments section, the challenge would be to present her songs classified as pure dancer, minor roles and heroine.

Acknowledgements and Disclaimer:
The song links have been embedded from the YouTube 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.