Zohra Sehgal: The Telly Dame
Remembering Cinema’s Beloved Enchantress
Sahibzadi Zohra Begum Mumtaz-Ullah Khan, best known as Zohra Sehgal, was born in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, in a Sunni Muslim Rohilla-Pathan family, on 27 April 1912 in India.
Zohra Sehgal’s seven-decade film and stage career are celebrated widely all over the world as this talented beauty ruled hearts across the globe. Zohra’s key accomplishments in Cannes Film Festivals are unforgettable and her roles in prestigious films like Neecha Nagar which coveted the ‘Palme d’Or’ for Best Film are still remarkable. The movie was Indian cinema’s first-ever international critical success on the charts. Zohra was not only an incredible actress; she was also an incredible choreographer. She was loved deeply for her role as a grandmother in blockbusters like Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham, Sawariyaa, and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
Zohra made every movie immediately magical by her presence. She collaborated with Bollywood’s greatest stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Kareen Kapoor, Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Sonam Kapoor, and Ranbir Kapoor.
Zohra Sehgal was one of the first Indian actors to be recognized worldwide. Sehgal enlisted in Mary Wigman’s dance school in Germany and became the first Indian to study at such a prestigious college.
Not only was she deemed one of the finest characterization artists on color film, but she was also an extraordinarily successful stage icon. The defining moment in her life was when she encountered Uday Shankar in a ballet performance. Zohra Sehgal joined Shankar’s ballet theatre group in 1935 and started traveling with the troupe around the world for several years. She also taught at the Uday Shankar India Cultural Center in Almora for many years, and many students benefitted from her expertise.
Zohra worked with the Indian People’s Theater Association (IPTA) and Prithviraj Kapoor’s Prithvi Theater for more than a decade. She has received numerous awards like The National Akademi for Music, Dance and Drama awarded her the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship for her lifetime achievement prestige.
After moving to London for drama tuition in 1962, Zohra Sehgal had an outstanding professional career. She was popular for many Variety shows like ‘Tandoori Nights’, ‘The Jewel in the Crown’ and ‘My Beautiful Launderette’.
Google paid homage to the legendary and iconic action star-dancer, Zohra Sehgal, on Tuesday 29th September by devoting a remarkable doodle to her that perfectly encapsulates the pleasure Zohra catapulted on-screen with her expressions and emotions.
Her last big-screen performance was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2007 movie “Saawariya” in which she featured along with Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. Sehgal featured in successes like “Cheeni Kum Hai,” “Dil Se,” and “Veer Zara”. The Indian Government bestowed her with Padma Shri in 1998, Kalida Samman in 2001, and Padma Vibhushan in 2010 for her legendary performances.
British-based Indian producer and director Gurinder Chadha recalls Zohra as a phenomenal actress who “loved shocking you with her unorthodox approach to her life and art”. She died in 2014 in Delhi but her beautiful legacy continues to chime in artistic hearts.
