Bibbo

Bibbo was a prominent music composer, singer, and actress who achieved fame in both Indian and Pakistani cinema. Born Ishrat Sultana in 1906, she became one of the most important female stars during the 1930s and 1940s. Her career spanned several decades and included significant contributions as a pioneering female music director.

Early life and education

Bibbo was born in Delhi to Hafeezan Begum, who was a famous singer. She grew up with musical training and possessed a coarse husky singing quality similar to Zohrabai Ambalewali or Shamshad Begum. As a trained singer and tawaif from Delhi, she eventually moved to Bombay to join the film industry.

Career

Her film career began in 1931 with the movie Alam Ara, which is recognized as the first sound film in India. In this production, she played a friend to the lead character, Alam Ara, who was portrayed by Zubeida. She later worked with Ajanta Cinetone Ltd. starting in 1933, appearing in films such as Rangila Rajput and Mayajaal.

Bibbo achieved a historic milestone in 1934 when she composed the music for Adal-e-Jehangir. This achievement made her the first female music composer of Indian cinema. She later served as the music director for the 1937 film Qazzak Ki Ladki using the name Ishrat Sultana. Her success in this field preceded Jaddanbai, who composed music for Talash-e-Haq in 1935.

Throughout the 1930s, she established herself as a leading lady alongside contemporaries such as Devika Rani and Durga Khote. She formed a highly successful professional pairing with the actor Surendra. Together, they delivered several hits including Manmohan in 1936, Jagirdar in 1937, Gramaphone Singer in 1938, Dynamite in 1938, and Ladies Only in 1939.

Her popularity reached a level where she was even mentioned in song lyrics. In the 1939 film Gharib Ke Lal, the song "Tujhe Bibbo Kahoon Ke Sulochana" featured her name alongside the actress Sulochana. This marked the first instance where a song used the names of famous actors within its lyrics.

During the late 1930s and early 1940s, she appeared in various successful productions such as Watan and Teen Sau Din Ke Baad. In 1941, she starred in Akela, a film that achieved commercial success with both the masses and the intelligentsia. Her final film role in India was Pahela Pyar, which was released in 1947.

Following the Partition of India in 1947, Bibbo moved to Pakistan. She transitioned from leading roles to character acting and appeared in approximately 40 films between 1950 and 1972. Her first Pakistani film was the Punjabi production Shammi in 1950, followed by the Urdu film Dupatta in 1952.

Personal life

Bibbo was born Ishrat Sultana to her mother, Hafeezan Begum. She remained active in the industry until her death in 1972.

Awards and recognition

She was widely regarded as one of the most significant female stars of the 1930s and 1940s. For her performance in the Pakistani film Zehr-e-Ishq in 1958, she won the Nigar Award for best character actress.