Jackie Shroff honours Suraiya on her 97th birth anniversary
Synopsis
On Suraiya's 97th birth anniversary, Jackie Shroff turned to social media to honour the actress-singer who out-earned her male co-stars in 1940s Bollywood, appeared in over 70 films, and sang 338 songs — a legacy that mainstream cinema has largely forgotten but her admirers have not.
Key Takeaways
Jackie Shroff paid tribute to Suraiya on her 97th birth anniversary on 15 June , sharing her song 'Dhadakte Dil Ki Tamanna' from the 1961 film Shama .
Suraiya's career ran from 1936 to 1964 ; she acted in over 70 films and sang 338 songs .
At her peak in the late 1940s and early 1950s , she reportedly earned more than her male co-stars.
She made her child-artist debut in Madame Fashion (1936) and her singing debut in Nai Duniya (1942) at age 12 .
Suraiya passed away in 2004 at 74 , after battling hypoglycemia, ischaemia, and insulinoma.
Actor Jackie Shroff paid a heartfelt tribute to legendary actress-singer Suraiya on her 97th birth anniversary on 15 June, sharing a monochromatic image of the icon on his social media story alongside her timeless song 'Dhadakte Dil Ki Tamanna' from the 1961 film Shama. His caption was simple and sincere: 'Remembering Suraiya ji on her birth anniversary.'
A Career That Defined an Era
Suraiya's career spanned nearly three decades, from 1936 to 1964, during which she appeared in over 70 films and lent her voice to 338 songs. She was among the most bankable stars of the mid- to late 1940s and early 1950s — notably earning more than her male co-stars at the peak of her fame, a rare distinction in the Hindi film industry of that era.
Her first brush with cinema came as a child artist in Madame Fashion in 1936. She sang her debut song for Nai Duniya in 1942, aged just 12. Her formal acting debut arrived in 1941 with Taj Mahal, in which she portrayed Mumtaz Mahal.
Iconic Films and Lasting Legacy
Over the course of her career, Suraiya featured in a wide range of films including Anmol Ghadi, Dard, Mirza Ghalib, Parwana, Dastan, Vidya, Pyaar Ki Jeet, and Bilwamangal, among many others. Her final screen appearance came in the 1963 film Rustam Sohrab.
She passed away in 2004 at the age of 74, following prolonged health challenges including hypoglycemia, ischaemia, and insulinoma. Despite her long absence from public life in her later years, her voice and screen presence have continued to resonate with generations of film enthusiasts.
Jackie Shroff's Upcoming Projects
Shroff, who has long been vocal about his admiration for the golden era of Hindi cinema, is currently awaiting the release of Welcome To The Jungle — a large-ensemble comedy featuring Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Disha Patani, Lara Dutta, Shreyas Talpade, Aftab Shivdasani, Mika Singh, Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Tusshar Kapoor, and others.
As Bollywood pauses to remember one of its most gifted voices, tributes like Shroff's serve as a reminder that Suraiya's contribution to Indian cinema remains as vivid as ever.
Point of View
Commanding fees that exceeded those of her male leads at a time when that was virtually unheard of. Yet her name rarely surfaces in mainstream retrospectives of Hindi cinema's golden age. Tributes from contemporaries like Jackie Shroff matter precisely because institutional memory in Bollywood is short, and the industry's tendency to celebrate only those who died young or tragically means figures like Suraiya — who lived long but withdrew quietly — risk being reduced to footnotes. The 338 songs and 70-plus films deserve a more sustained reckoning than an annual social media post.
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Suraiya and why is she celebrated?
Suraiya was a Hindi film actress and playback singer whose career spanned from 1936 to 1964. She appeared in over 70 films and sang 338 songs, and was one of the highest-paid stars of the late 1940s and early 1950s — reportedly earning more than her male co-stars.
How did Jackie Shroff pay tribute to Suraiya on her 97th birth anniversary?
Jackie Shroff shared a monochromatic photograph of Suraiya on his social media story on 15 June, accompanied by her song 'Dhadakte Dil Ki Tamanna' from the 1961 film Shama. He wrote: 'Remembering Suraiya ji on her birth anniversary.'
What was Suraiya's first film and when did she start singing?
Suraiya made her first screen appearance as a child artist in Madame Fashion in 1936. She sang her first song for the film Nai Duniya in 1942, when she was just 12 years old.
When did Suraiya pass away and what was her final film?
Suraiya passed away in 2004 at the age of 74, after suffering from hypoglycemia, ischaemia, and insulinoma. Her final film was Rustam Sohrab, released in 1963.
What is Jackie Shroff's upcoming film?
Jackie Shroff is set to appear in Welcome To The Jungle, a large ensemble film that also stars Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, and several others.
