About zohra sehgal biography
Ratnottama Sengupta gives a glimpse of the life of a woman impacted by the Partition, spirited enough to be a celebrated performer and to have a compelling saga written on her life posthumously, Zohra: A Biography in Four Acts by Ritu Menon, published by Speaking Tiger Books. This feature is based on the book and Sengupta’s own personal interactions with the aging Zohra Sehgal.
Zohra Sehgal[1] mirrors, in a strange kind of way, the story of the Indian subcontinent.
Born a Khan in , raised in purdah by the Nawabs of Rampur in palaces and mansions in Lucknow and Dehradun, educated in Queen Mary’s College of Lahore; trained in Western dance in pre-Hitler Germany; whirling through the globe and basking in limelight as the dancing partner of the phenomenal Uday Shankar; setting up her own dance school with husband Kameshwar Segal in pre-Partition Lahore; rising to carve a niche for herself as a member of Prithvi Theatres; dominating the screen as a nonagenarian cast against the legendary Amitabh Bachchan&#; Sahibzadi bestowed with an impulse to find her way in the world, made of her life what she would.
So, was it all sunshine and moonlight in the life of the lady who, when she turned , had the wit to say, “You are looking at me now, when I am old and ugly&#; You should have seen me when I was young and ugly&#;”? No. She had seen the failure of Uday Shankar Cultural Centre in Almora; the closure of her own dance school in Lahore. She’d relocated to Bombay and be a less appreciated ‘side-kick’ to her ‘prettier’ younger sister in Prithvi Theatres. She performed in makeshift stages more often than in the Opera House; traveled in third class compartments with the troupe, slept on trunks, washed her own clothes. She had to worry about providing for her children and their father. She had to cope with the whimsicality, alcoholism, depression and finally, the suicide of her husband&#; But the caravan of misfortunes never dampened her spirit. “If Indian actress, dancer and choreographer Zohra Sehgal got featured on Google Doodle today. She was paid a special tribute by the search engine as on this day in the year , her film 'Neech Nagar' won the Palme d'Or Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Let us know more about the legendary actress below. Zohra Sehgal was born on April 27, , in Uttar Pradesh's Sharanpur as Sahibzaadi Begum Zohra Mumtazullah Khan. She was the third child of the seven children and was brought up in a traditional Muslim family. She was admitted to Queen Mary College, Lahore where strict purdah was observed. Men were allowed to give guest lectures and seminars from behind the screen. After her graduation, Zohra moved to Europe. Her aunt in Europe encouraged her to join Mary Wigman's ballet school in Germany. She passed the entrance examination becoming the first Indian to study at the institution. She studied modern dance for the next three years. During her dance course, she met Uday Shankar at a performance of the Shiv-Parvati ballet. This became a turning point in her life as Uday Shankar promised her a job after the completion of her course and return to India. In August , Sehgal joined Uday Shankar's troupe after receiving a telegram. The group toured several nations, establishing Zohra Sehgal as the lead dancer. On their return to India, Uday Shankar offered her a job as promised. In , Shegal started teaching at the Uday Shankar India Cultural Centre, Almora. At the Cultural Centre, Zohra met Kameshwar Sehgal and the duo established themselves as the lead choreographers. After a few years, the two of them migrated to Lahore and set up their own dance academy with the name 'Zohresh Dance Institute'. Prior to the partition of India, the couple moved to Bombay with their one-year-o Zohra Begum Mumtaz-ullah Khan (Sahibzadi Zohra Begum Mumtaz-ullah Khan; 27 April &#; 10 July ), was better known by her stage nameZohra Sehgal. She was an Indian actress and choreographer. Sehgal started her career as dancer with Uday Shankar in She also worked with him for the next eight years. She has been in many Bollywoodmovies as a character actor. She has also been in English language movies and television shows. She has appeared in Bhaji on the Beach (), The Mystic Masseur (), Bend It Like Beckham (), Dil Se.. () and Cheeni Kum (), The Jewel in the Crown (), Tandoori Nights (&#;87), Amma and Family (). She retired in Sehgal was born in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh in She grew up in an aristocraticMuslim family. She received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor, in She described herself as an agnostic, having been an atheist in her youth. Sehgal died in a hospital in New Delhi from cardiac arrest caused by pneumonia on 10 July at the age of Indian actress and choreographer (–) Zohra Mumtaz Sehgal (born Sahibzadi Zohra Mumtazullah Khan Begum; 27 April – 10 July ) was an Indian actress, dancer, and choreographer. Having begun her career as a member of a contemporary dance troupe, she transitioned into acting roles beginning in the s. Sehgal appeared in several British films, television shows, and Bollywood productions in a career that spanned over eight decades. Sehgal's most notable films include Neecha Nagar, Afsar (), Bhaji on the Beach (), The Mystic Masseur (), Bend It Like Beckham (), Dil Se.. (), Saaya (), Veer-Zaara () Saawariya and Cheeni Kum (); and the TV serials The Jewel in the Crown (), Tandoori Nights (–87) and Amma and Family (). At the age of 90, she played the central character in the film Chalo Ishq Ladaaye. Considered the doyenne of Indian theatre, she acted with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and Prithviraj Kapoor's Prithvi Theatre for 14 years. Sehgal was awarded the Padma Shri in ,Kalidas Samman in , and in the Sangeet Natak Akademi (India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama) presented her with its highest award, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime achievement. She received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour, in She died in a New Delhi hospital on 10 July due to cardiac arrest. Zohra Begum Mumtazullah Khan was born on 27 April in Rampur, United Provinces, British India, to Mumtazullah Khan and Natiqua Begum. She was raised in a traditional Muslim household in Chakrata (present-day Uttarakhand) and was the fourth of seven children—Zakullah, Hajrah, Ikramullah, Azra (Azra Butt), Amina and Sabra. Sehgal described herself as a tomboy, who enjoyed climbing trees and playing outdoor games. She lost vision in her left eye when she contracted glaucoma at the age of one.[6 Zohra Sehgal Biography: Birth, Age, Death, Family, Career, Films, Recognitions, Google Doodle and More
Zohra Sehgal: Early Life, Birth and Education
Zohra Sehgal: Career
Zohra Sehgal
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Early life and family