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Sultana
Sultana Razaaq,(India) Silent film actor and director.jpg
Sultana or Sultana Razaaq
Born
Sultana

Occupation Actress, producer
Years active 1922–1937
Spouse(s) Seth Razaaq
Children Jamila Razzaq
Parent(s) Fatima Begum
Nawab Sidi Ibrahim Muhammad Yakut Khan III
Relatives Waqar Hasan (son-in-law)
Zubeida (sister)
Rhea Pillai (great-niece)

Sultana, also known as Sultana Razaaq, was one of the earliest film actresses from India and acted both in silent films and later in sound films. She was a daughter of India’s first female film director, Fatima Begum. Zubeida (leading actress of India's first talkie film Alam Ara (1931)) was her younger sister.

Sultana was born in Surat, Gujarat in western India. She had two sisters, Zubeida and Shehzadi, both actresses. Their mother, Fatima Begum, claimed that her three daughters were fathered by Nawab Sidi Ibrahim Muhammad Yakut Khan III of Sachin State. However, there is no record of a marriage or any contract having taken place between the Nawab and Fatima Begum or of the Nawab having recognized any of her children as his own, a prerequisite for legal paternity in Muslim family law.

Career

Sultana was a popular actress in the silent movie era, usually cast in romantic roles. She started her career as actress in Veer Abhimanyu (1922) film and later performed in several silent films. Later, she also acted in talkie movies. When India was partitioned in 1947, she migrated to Pakistan with her husband, a wealthy man named Seth Razaaq. Her daughter, Jamila Razzaq, also became an actress with her encouragement. She produced a film in Pakistan, named Hum Ek Hain (1961), written by famous scriptwriter, Fayyaz Hashmi. The film was partly shot in colour, which was rare those days, but it failed miserably and Sultana stopped producing any films afterwards.

Sultana's daughter, Jamila Razaaq, married the well known Pakistani cricketer Waqar Hasan, who is the brother of filmmaker Iqbal Shehzad. He runs a business under the name National Foods at Karachi.

Filmography

Silent Movies

Year Title Producer Role Notes
1922 Veer Abhimaniyu Star Films Uttari Debut Movie
1924 Gul Bakavali Kohinoor & Imperial
Kalyan Khajina Kohinoor & Imperial A Fair Maiden
Kala Naag Kohinoor & Imperial
Manorama Kohinoor & Imperial
Prithvi Vallabh Ashoka Pictures
Sati Sardarba Saraswati Film Company
1925 Indra Sabha Kohinoor & Imperial
1928 Chandravali Victoria Fatima Film Company
1929 Kanak Tara Fatima Film Company
Young India Indulal Yagnik
1930 Brand Of Fate Imperial Film Company
Glory Of India Ranjit Film Company
Revence Imperial Film Company
The Comet Surya F. Co.
1931 Wages of Sin Sharda Mysore Pictures Corporation

Talkie Movies

Year Title Producer Role Notes
1931 Milkmaid Ranjit Film Company First Indian Talkie Movie of Sultana
Kamar-Al-Zaman Maimoonah
1933 Intekam Amar Mallick
Shan-e-Subhan Brahma Film Company
1934 Afghan Abla Kumar M.
Amirzadi Kumar M.
Saubhagya Laxmi Kumar M.
1935 Behan Ka Prem Prosperity Films
Bidrohee East India Film Company
Kamroo Desh Ki Kamini Kumar M.
Maut Ka Toofan All India Movie
Step Mother East India Film Company
1936 Hoor-E-Samundar Vishnu Cine
Sagar Ki Kanya Vijay Pictures
Devdas Parvati
1938 Talwar Ka Dhani
1939 Indramalati
1940 Usha Haran Popular Pictures
1949 Girdhar Gopal Ki Mira

Producer

Year Title Notes
1961 Hum Ek Hain Pakistani Movie
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