Chanchal (actress)
Indian film actress (born 1934)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zeb Ataullah[1] (born 1934), better known by the stage name Chanchal,[2] is a former Indian actress who appeared in Hindi-language films. She was the daughter of film producer Ataullah Khan and sister of Madhubala.[3] Chanchal is best known for portraying Rupa in Mehboob Khan's blockbuster Mother India (1957).
Chanchal | |
|---|---|
| Born | Zeb Ataullah 1934 (age 91–92) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1950–1961 |
| Works | See below |
| Spouse(s) | S. K. Prabhakar (died) Ibrahim |
| Father | Ataullah Khan |
| Relatives | Madhubala (sister) Kishore Kumar (brother-in-law) |
Chanchal's first husband was screenwriter and director S. K. Prabhakar.
Early life
Born as Zeb Ataullah[1] in 1934 in Delhi, Chanchal was one of eleven children of Ataullah Khan and Ayesha Begum. Her parents were of Muslim Pathan descent.[2] Chanchal's five sisters included Mumtaz, better known by her stage name Madhubala, who became one of the most celebrated Bollywood actresses of the 1950s and 1960s.[4][5]
Career
Chanchal appeared in four films headlined by Madhubala: Pardes (1950), Naata (1955), Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960) and Jhumroo (1961).[6] Of these, Naata and Mehlon Ke Khwab were produced by Madhubala and Ataullah Khan. Chanchal's work in Naata was praised by critics, with a reviewer for Thought noting her "lively" performance despite poor direction.[7][8] However, in Mehlon Ke Khwab she drew criticism from filmindia's Baburao Patel, who remarked that she "just fills the role of a crazy looking filly".[9] In 1960, Chanchal finished another film produced by Khan, Ghar Jawai, opposite Kishore Kumar; however, it failed to garner any distributor interest and remained unreleased.[10]
Chanchal's most prominent roles were in Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957), as Sukhilala's "wild and tempestuous" daughter Rupa,[11][12] and in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960), in which she played the village belle Bijli.[6][13][14][15]
After Madhubala became ill in the early 1960s, Chanchal completed the filming of Boy Friend (1961) as Madhubala's body double.[16]
Personal life
Chanchal first married S. K. Prabhakar, a film director and editor, of Hindu background.[17] Prabhakar had worked alongside Madhubala in the films Kal Hamara Hai and Do Ustad (both 1959).[18] He died early due to a ventricular septal defect.[18]
Chanchal later married Ibrahim.[19] As of 2017, she resided in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[4]
Filmography
- Pardes (1950) as Chanchal
- Nazneen (1951)
- Naata (1955) as Beena[8]
- Teerandaz (1955)
- Mother India (1957) as Rupa
- Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960) as Bela
- Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960) as Bijli
- Jhumroo (1961) as Chamki[20]