Fatma Begum

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Template:R protected 1983) was an Indian actress, director, producer and screenwriter. She is known as The First Female Film Director in Indian Cinema.[1][2][3]

Within four years, she went on to write, produce and direct many films. She launched her own production house, Fatma Films, which later became Victoria-Fatma Films, and directed her first film, Bulbul-e-Paristan, in 1926.[4][5]

Early life

Fatma Begum was born into an Urdu-speaking Muslim family in India and came from a background in the Urdu language theater, her family of Muslim background having spoken that tongue. She was trained in theater and mostly acted in Urdu and Hindi plays.[1][6]

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][3] 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 Imperial Studios, while writing, directing, producing, and acting in her own films at Fatma Films.[1][4]

Begum became the first female director of Indian cinema with her 1926 film, Bulbul-e-Paristan.[1][7] While no known prints of the film currently exist, the high budget production has been described as a fantasy film featuring many special effects. If true, the film places Begum among early pioneers of fantasy cinema such as George Melies. She directed many other films, her last being the Goddess of Luck in 1929. While continuing to produce and appear in her own work, Fatma worked for Kohinoor Studios and Imperial Studios in the film Duniya Kya Hai? in 1937.[1]

She worked in her last film Diamond Queen as Faima in 1940.

Personal life

She was supposedly married to Nawab Sidi Ibrahim Muhammad Yakut Khan III of Sachin State.[6] However, there is no record of a marriage or contract having taken place between the Nawab and Fatma or of the Nawab having recognised any of her children as his own, a prerequisite for legal paternity in Muslim family law. She was the mother of silent superstars Zubeida, Sultana and Shahzadi.[3][5] She was also the grandmother of Humayun Dhanrajgir and Durreshahwar Dhanrajgir, son and daughter of Zubeida and Maharaja Narsingir Dhanrajgir of Hyderabad and Jamila Razzaq daughter of Sultana and Seth Razaaq, a prominent businessman of Karachi. She also happened to be the great-grandmother of model turned actress Rhea Pillai who is the daughter of her grand daughter Durreshahwar Dhanrajgir.[8]

Death

She died in 1983 at the age of 91.[1][9]

Filmography

Silent Movies

Year Film Role Notes
1922 Veer Abhimanyu[1][4] Subhadra Debuted in Ardeshir Irani's silent film[1]
1924 Prithvi Vallabh Mrinalwati Silent film
Kala Naag Silent film
Sati Sardarba Silent film
Gul-e-Bakavali Silent film
Raja Harishchandra Silent film
1925 Social Pirates Mohini Silent film
Nahar Singh Silent film
Gaud Bangal Silent film
Devdasi Based on Novel
Naharsingh Daku Silent film
The Magician of Bengal Silent film
1926 Indrajal Silent film
Khubsurat Bala Actress Silent film
Bulbul-e-Paristan[1][4] Actress First female director of Indian cinema
Swarga Kankan Silent film
1927 Mumbai Ni Biladi Silent film
Kul Dipak Silent film
1928 Rup Basant Silent film
Neki Ka Taj or Chandravali Actress Starred with Noor Jehan
1929 Maha Sunder Silent film
Mahasundar Silent film
Nasib Ni Devi Silent film
1930 Am Rande Der Sahara Silent film
Zalim Zulekha Zulekha Silent film

Talkie Movies

Year Film Role Notes
1934 Seva Sadan Actress
1937 Duniya Kya Hai?[1] Actress
1940 Diamond Queen Actress

Writer

Year Film Role Notes
1926 Bulbul-e-Paristan Writer Screenplay
1928 Heer Ranjha [1] Writer Screenplay
1929 Wonderful Prince Writer Screenplay

Director

Year Film Role Notes
1926 Bulbul-e-Paristan[1] Director First female director of Indian cinema;
Used own production house 'Fatma Films'[1]
1927 Goddess of Love Director
1928 Chandravali[1] Director
Heer Ranjha Director Director and writer
1929 Goddess of Luck Director Director
Kanakatara Director
Milan Dinar[1] Director
Shakuntala Director
Kanak Tara[1] Director
Nasib Ni Devi[1] Director She also acted in the film

Producer

Year Film Role Notes
1928 Heer Ranjha[1] Producer Producer, director and writer

Legacy

Her legacy was carried on by her daughters Sultana, Shahzadi and Zubeida acted in India's first ever talkie, Alam Ara, in addition to being a silent film star.[1][3]

References

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External links

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