Uma Khatri Devi / Tuntun (1923–2003)
Bollywood’s first female comedian and former playback singer
Bollywood film has always had its fair share of male comedians. Comedy in Indian cinema has been a mix of slapstick comedy that has made audiences laugh at the shere clumsiness or quick wit that these characters have shown us on screen. Most comedic acts in cinema have made a name for themselves such as Bhagwan Dada, Agha, Sunder, Mukri, Dhumal, Johnny Walker and Keshto Mukherjee. These men have dominated the industry with their comedic acts in numerous films that has helped carve out a niche industry for those looking to play secondary roles in films. One can count a handful of female actresses that have been given comedic roles in Indian cinema. There has been one such female figure that has been prized for her comedic roles, lovingly called Tuntun, a name that has been synonymous in Bollywood with the idea of a smart, quick witted actress known for her tomfoolery on screen, not to mention the politics of weight, gender roles and cultural critique that has been attached to the name Tuntun.
Uma Khatri Devi was named Tuntun by Dilip Kumar, a rising star of that era who is heralded as India’s first female comedian to appear on screen. She arrived from a humble beginning traveling to Bombay from an obscure village in Uttar Pradesh at the young age of 13. Tuntun’s perseverance to appear alongside her favorite actors is what allowed her to be the celebrated actress that she is today. Never taking no for an answer, she is warmly remembered to bring a smile on the face of her adversaries both on and off-screen that prompted her friend and colleague Naushad Ali to advise her to try her hand at acting. Tuntun began her career in Bollywood as a playback singer but tough competition from her contemporaries forced her to adapt her talent to the silver screen instead.
Uma Khatri Devi has inspired many female comedians in Bollywood today to embrace their character and comedic timing and pave a way for themselves in an industry that expects female actresses to be slim, fair and poised leaving little space for them to explore the multi-faceted areas of cinema. Not only did she get a chance to work alongside India’s most celebrated actors but she held her own and proved to be an asset through her multi-talented cinematic contributions both as an actress and a singer.
Early Life
Uma Devi was born in a village near the Amroha District of Uttar Pradesh. The start of her life brought with it hardships as she lost her parents at a very young age. She lived in the village with her brother and stayed with her uncle. Living in 1920’s India, girls were kept out of schools as education was restricted to male family members. Women were expected to lend their hand at home and complete chores that helped with the upkeep of the joint-family home in India. Tuntun has reflected on the death of her parents in subsequent interviews with film critique Shishir Krishn Sharma , two days before her death in 2003, where she claims having little or no memory of her parents owing to their early death. She explains the destitution and poverty in which she grew up in talking about being “left for maid servant to relatives in exchange for two times meal, that time I was four or five years old”
Life did not get easier for her as her brother was later murdered. One must place the reasons for the death of her family with the socio-economic context that Uma Devi was brought up in. Quarrels with the local authorities for land were what led to the death of her family, and this is seen to be cause of a large number of deaths in local villages across India. Young orphans are then made to live with their relatives where they are treated poorly in exchange for meals and a roof over their heads. This did not deter Tuntun who grew up listening to songs on the radio, dreaming of one day hearing her own voice echoing from the radio. She would spend her days climbing the trees of the village and memorising the names of the film stars whom she would later work with. She taught herself how to read and write Hindi and later pick up small amounts of English and Urdu to enter into the film industry. At that time singing was seen as a taboo in orthodox North Indian households but she continued to practise her vocals on the sly. She was determined to make a mark into the Bollywood and this dream did in fact come true.
Career
Uma’s career in cinema began with help from her friend who stayed in Delhi at the time. Her friend’s visit to her village brought a chance for her to make her way into the film industry. With the contacts provided to her by her friend, she boarded the train to Mumbai, in 1946, at the age of 13 without informing her family and managed to make her way with an introduction to the directors of Mumbai. Tuntun began to make instant friendships starting with actor-director Arun Ahuja and his singer-wife Nirmala Devi. It was them who introduced her to numerous music directors.
Uma’s career began when she met music-producer Naushad Ali. Upon meeting him she claimed she would throw herself into the ocean if he did not give her the chance to sing for him. This opportunity came at the right time as he as in search for a fresh and new voice that he could use in his films. She was hired immediately after her audition and her debut solo playback began with “Wamiq Azra” (1946) for which she was paid a hefty amount of Rs. 200 at the time. She went on to sign a contract with A. R Kardar, producer and director and soon carved a name for herself in the industry. It was with the assistance of Naushad Ali that her fame grew as the relationship they shared was of a mentor who advised her throughout her dynamic career. She went on to sing the famous songs in 1947 such as — “Afshana Likh Rahi Hu”, “Yeh Kaun Chala Meri Aankhon Mein Sama Kar”, and “Aaj Machi Hai Dhoom Jhoom Khushi Se Jhoom”, which she sang for actress Munawar Sultana in A.R. Kardar’s (1947).
Audiences were so enamoured by her voice that a gentlemen, who later went on to be her husband Mohan, that he came to Bombay just to stay with her. The couple got married and had two daughters and two sons. She soon moved on to performing duets such as “Betaab Hai Dil Dard-e-Mohabat Ke Asar Se”, with Suraiya.[6] She garnered immense popularity and became one of Naushad Ali’s recognisable performers singing at least 2 songs in all of his films. This was also owing to her contract with the studio Kardar Productions. Her popularity grew stronger in the 1948 with “Kahin Jiya Dole” and “Dil Ko Lagaya Humne” from Anokhi Ada. With newer and more skilled singers such as Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle it was getting tougher for her to keep up. She was offered the chance to sing seven classical songs for music director S.S Rajeshwarrao who motivated her to complete her project much to her disappointment as she was now aware of the growing competition that was entering the music industry. Together the duo worked together to produce the songs that would be released with the movie “Chandralekha”. Uma redeemed herself as a singer but this came at a hefty price. Due to breach of contract, Kardar Productions terminated her appointment. Coupled with the diminishing fortunes of the industry post the partition and the newly emerging talented Uma was now being displaced in the industry she dreamt of in her childhood days.
Making her way to the silver — screen :
Uma was always known for her bubbly and cheerful persona. It was due to her charming personality that led Naushad Ali to promptly suggest her enter acting as a way to combat her retirement from singing. Her ability to perfect real comedic dialogue and her flair for comedy is what led to her popularity in Bollywood. Once advised to try her hand at acting she insisted that her first performance would be alongside her idol, Dilip Kumar. And it was he who coined the term Tuntun that is now associated with her. Knowing of her love for Dilip Kumar, Naushad asked Dilip, of whom he was well-acquainted to cast her in one of his films. Upon her insistence this deal was successful and she appeared along side Dilip in the film “Babul” (1950) with him, which had Nargis as the lead actress. And from her Tuntun the first female comedian in India was born. In what began as a favor culminated in a career for Uma. A scene from her debut film required her to chase Dilip around a charpai (cot), she ran so fast that the hero would always be left behind. Uma decided to pull him in front of her after repeated takes but in the process she fell on the cot leaving Dilip to fall on her. The shoot was halted but they retained the shot. It was this natural flair that she had for comedy that made her suitable and popular in comedic roles. She went on to to do movies such as “Aar Paar, Pyasa” “Mr and Mrs. 55” and “Mom Ki Gudiya” all of which are known as Bollywood’s celebrate timeless classics.
Politics of Gender and Cultural Critique of Tuntun
Many viewers and subsequent cultural critics have pointed out the type-casting that is perpetuated in Bollywood cinema. The comedic roles that are available to female actors restrict their entry to a certain prototype that is expected of them. Comic actresses are secondary roles that are mostly given to overweight or what directors and audiences would identify as laughable or comedic not only in their performances but in their appearances. This in turn reinforced Uma’s own behavior who was often seen carrying with her a dhaba (tiffin box) that was filled with snacks. She was seen munching on her junk food during takes and claims it “helped her maintain her figure”. This highlights a pertinent fact that is debated by directors and actors alike that notice a trend in the casting of female comedians in Bollywood cinema. This is not only restricted to national cinema but can be understood of the film industry as a whole.
There is also the politics of gender that one can identify in film that demarcates certain freedoms that are provided to male actors which remain a space that is largely absent for women. This can be said in terms of the fluidity of roles that are available to them, the expected gender roles that they are to follow in the industry. All of this restricts the entry of talented female actors into Bollywood cinema. Their entry is then dictated by their body-type which is then reinforced by the industry to continue this trend.
The roles that Tuntun performed were suitable to her comedic talented but she was seen performing secondary roles, always seen as the female comedic side-kick for the hero. The amount of screen time that was provided was less than her male counterparts whether this be restricted to the comic genre or expanded to larger themes in film. Her physical appearance was exploited to generate laughter from the audiences.
Legacy
None the less Uma Khatri Devi rose from her humble background to become India’s first female comedic actress. She created a niche role for aspiring female actresses be it comedy or drama. Her persistence, hard work and go-getter attitude is what led her to garner fame and in creating a name for herself that is then used to signify other female comedians after her. She has gone down in the national conscious of Bollywood cinema as being the grand of lady of comedy in India.
Her career spanned 5 decades in which she appeared in 200 films in Hindi, Urdu and other languages such as Punjabi with top comedy actors of her time. Her last film was ‘Kasam Dhande Ki’ (1990).
Her demise in 2003 helped Indian cinema revisit the grandeur of her contribution to Bollywood celebrated as both a playback singer and an comedic actress. She challenged Indian society breaking into the film industry by carving out a niche for herself and inspiring women after her to achieve their dreams regardless of the past that they left behind. She embraced her personality and it shone on the silver screen leaving an everlasting impression on the nation.
Resources
https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/a-flashback-iconic-actress-tun-tun-uma-d-khatri/
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/tun-tun-mistress-of-mirth/story-qKi5ldKxSqgfRgiufL9pKN.html
https://medium.com/@Bollywoodirect/remembering-tun-tun-on-her-94th-birth-anniversary-a37ce3a2c0d1
