Reads the title of her Biography & autobiography by Braham Sood & B.K. Karanjia. Kamini Kaushal is one of the finest actresses of Hindi cinema. Her career spans seven decades.
Born Uma Kashyap (24 Feb.1927 – 14 November 2025) popularly known as Kamini Kaushal worked in Hindi films & TV . Noted for her film ‘Neecha Nagar’ 1946, which won 1946 Palme d ‘Or at the Cannes film Festival & ‘Biraj Bahu’ 1954 which won her the Film fare Award for best Actress in 1956.
Her final appearance was a cameo in ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ 2022.
She was seven when her father died. After her BA in English literature, she acted in films through Chetan Anand. Her elder sister died in a car accident, leaving behind two daughters, she had to marry her brother-in -law BS Sood in 1948.
She worked with all the top actors. In every film her as the lead actress, her name appeared first in the credits before the leading hero’s name appeared. Except Ashok Kumar.
Lata Mangeshkar sang for her first. Shamshad Begum & Surinder Kaur usually sang for her.
She appeared in ‘The Jewel In the Crown’1984. As aunt Shalini, the British TV series was popular then . I remember watching it late at night as one episode was streamed at a time. Art Malik & other actors like Saeed Jaferry, Karan Kapoor, Om Puri, Siddharth Kak & others.
I would n’t know Tim Pigott or Susan Woolridge now. I had to watch them over & over again to recollect.
She was an icon of an era gone, forever.
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