{{Short description|Indian actress (1927–1960)}} {{Use British English|date=April 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Kuldip Kaur | image = Kuldip_Kaur_(1952).jpg | imagesize = | caption = Kuldip Kaur in ''Baiju Bawra'' (1952) | birth_date = {{Birth date text|1927}} | birth_place = Lahore, Punjab, British India | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|1960|02|03|1927}} | death_place = Bombay, Maharashtra, India | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1948–1960 | spouse = Sardar Mohinder Singh Sidhu of Attariwala }}
'''Kuldip Kaur,''' (born '''Bibi Kuldip Kaur of Bharatgarh''' 1927–3 February 1960), also known as '''Sardarni Kuldeep Kaur Attariwala''' was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi and Punjabi films.<ref name=Omnilexica>{{cite web |title=Kuldip Kaur Actress |url=http://www.omnilexica.com/?q=kuldip+kaur+(actress) |website=omnilexica.com |publisher=Omnilexica |accessdate=23 April 2015}}</ref> Known for her roles as negative characters, she was cited as one of Indian cinema's "most polished vamps" and actor Pran's "opposite number".<ref name=KK>{{cite book |last1=Patel |first1=Sushila Rani Baburao |title=Stars of the Indian Screen |date=1952 |publisher=Parker and Sons |location=India |pages=23 |ref=Kuldip Kaur}}</ref> She started her acting career with the first Punjabi film produced in India following Partition; ''Chaman'', also called ''The Garden'' in 1948.<ref name="GokulsingDissanayake2013">{{cite book |author1=K. Moti Gokulsing |author2=Wimal Dissanayake |title=Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=djUFmlFbzFkC |accessdate=23 April 2015 |date=17 April 2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-77284-9}}</ref>
Acclaimed as a "vamp" of "exceptional talent" and the "first female villain" in Indian cinema, she has been compared to artists like Shashikala and Bindu.<ref name="Rishi2012">{{cite book |author=Tilak Rishi |title=Bless You Bollywood!: A Tribute to Hindi Cinema on Completing 100 Years |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r623sWyGm0sC&pg=PA47 |accessdate=23 April 2015 |year=2012 |publisher=Trafford Publishing |isbn=978-1-4669-3963-9 |pages=47–}}</ref> Active from 1948 to 1960, she acted in over 100 films, most of them in Hindi and some in Punjabi. She died in 1960.<ref name=Retrore /> from tetanus.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}
==Personal life== Kuldip Kaur was born to Sardar Joginder Singh of Bharatgarh in Lahore, Punjab, British India. Her mother was from the Ladhran royal family in Attari, Amritsar District, in Punjab.<ref name=KK /> Her elder sister, Bibi Prakash Kaur Sahiba married to Sardar Gajan Singh from Naurangwal, he was the Owner of Matewal forest.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Griffin |first=Lepel |title=The Punjab Chiefs}}</ref>
At the age of 14 she was married to Mohinder Singh Sidhu, a grandson of the military Commander of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's army, General Sham Singh Attariwala.<ref name="YoungBites">{{cite web |title=Kuldip Kaur |url=http://www.sikhchic.com/film_stage/kuldip_kaur_bombays_pioneer_film_actress |work=Young Bites Daily |accessdate=23 April 2015 |ref=Fem Bio}}</ref> She became a mother at the age of sixteen.<ref name="KK" />
Kaur defied convention to join films while still in Lahore. She left Lahore in 1947 while communal violence was raging. She was described as a brave lady by Saadat Hasan Manto in his chapter on Kuldip Kaur, titled "Kuldip Kaur: The Punjabi firecracker" in his book ''Stars from Another Sky: The Bombay Film World of the 1940s''. Kaur returned to Lahore in spite of the violence, to pick up Pran's car. His car had been left behind when Pran and she left for Bombay to escape the Sikh genocide in Lahore following partition of India. She drove the car back alone from Lahore to Bombay, via Delhi.<ref name="Manṭo2000">{{cite book |author=Saʻādat Ḥasan Manṭo |title=A Manto Panorama: A Representative Collection of Saadat Hasan Manto's Fiction and Non-fiction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ns5jAAAAMAAJ |accessdate=23 April 2015 |date=1 January 2000 |publisher=Sang-e-Meel Publications |isbn=978-969-35-1089-8 |page=234 |chapter=Kuldip Kaur: the Punjabi firecracker}}</ref>
==Career== The German cinematographer, Josef Wirsching of Bombay Talkies, took her screen test at the request of Savak Vacha, one of Bombay Talkies' then-proprietors, along with Ashok Kumar and S. Mukherji. On his recommendation she was cast in supporting roles.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}
One of Kuldip Kaur's first films was the Punjabi language ''Chaman'' in 1948, which turned out to be a big success at the box office, co-starring Karan Dewan with Meena Shorey.<ref name="GokulsingDissanayake2013"/> Kuldip Kaur also acted in two Hindi films that year; ''Ziddi'' directed by Shaheed Latif and starring Dev Anand, Kamini Kaushal and Pran, and ''Grahasti'' both of which were "box office hits". In ''Grahasti'' she performed the role of a "modern, sophisticated woman intolerant of her husband".<ref name=KK />
In 1949, Kuldip Kaur acted a musical success, ''Ek Thi Ladki'', with music by Vinod. Her next film was ''Kaneez,'' in 1949, an average film commercially. In 1950, she was in two successful Hindi films; ''Samadhi'' and ''Aadhi Raat'' and two Punjabi films; ''Madari'' and ''Chhai''. In ''Samadhi'', the popular song "Gore Gore Banke Chhore" was picturised on her and Nalini Jaywant.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} In 1951, she acted in several films such as ''Rajput'', ''Nai Zindagi'', ''Ek Nazar'', ''Afsana'' and ''Mukhda'', where she played the lead role. ''Afsana'' was directed by B. R. Chopra and starred Ashok Kumar and Veena. Kaur was stated to have played her role of a vamp "to perfection".{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}
She also then appeared in films such as ''Baiju Bawra'' (1952) in which her acting was critically acclaimed as the dacoit queen, Roopmati. Some of the other films she acted in 1952 to 54 were ''Anjaam'' (1952), ''Baaz'' (1953), ''Anarkali'' (1953) where her acting was praised, ''Aabshar'' (1953), ''Gul Bahar'' and ''Dak Babu'' in (1954). 1955 was a busy year for her, acting in films such as ''Teer Andaz'' (1955) and ''Miss Coca Cola'' (1955). With few releases in 1956, she returned with ''Ek Saal'' (1957), acting opposite Madhubala and Ashok Kumar. In 1958, Kuldip Kaur had roles in two films; ''Sahara'' and ''Panchayat''. In 1959, she worked in three films ''Pyaar Ka Rishta'', ''Mohar'' and ''Jagir''. ''Mohar'' had music composed by Madan Mohan and became another musical success for her.<ref name=Apnaorg>{{cite web |last1=Augla |first1=Harjap Singh |title=Kuldip Kaur |url=http://www.apnaorg.com/articles/aujla-26/ |website=apnaorg.com |publisher=APNA |accessdate=26 April 2015 |ref=Kuldip Kaur: A Spoiled Rich Punjaban Actress }}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ''Maa Baap'', ''Bade Ghar Ki Bahu'', ''Sunheri Raatein'' and the Punjabi film ''Yamla Jatt'' in 1960 were the last films she acted in. Her last film was Honeymoon (1960), also one in which she played the vamp.<ref name=Cinestaan>{{cite web |last1=Kahlon |first1=Sukhpreet |title=Too hot to handle: Remembering Kuldip Kaur |url=https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2018/feb/18/11143/too-hot-to-handle-remembering-kuldip-kaur-feisty-actress-from-the-1940s |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227155253/https://www.cinestaan.com/articles/2018/feb/18/11143/too-hot-to-handle-remembering-kuldip-kaur-feisty-actress-from-the-1940s |url-status=live |archive-date=27 February 2018 |website=cinestaan.com |publisher=Cinestaan |access-date=18 February 2018 |ref=Kuldip Kaur}}</ref>
Some of the important films Kuldip Kaur acted in were ''Ek Thi Ladki'', ''Samadhi'' (1950), ''Aadhi Raat'' (1950), ''Chhoti Bhabhi'' (1950), ''Anarkali'' (1953), ''Afsana'' (1951) and ''Baiju Bawra''.
==Death== Kaur died on 3 February 1960, in Bombay, Maharashtra, of tetanus, following thorn pricks from a Ber tree (jujube) on a visit to Shirdi, Ahmednagar District, which she did not consider serious enough to require treatment.<ref name=Retrore>{{cite web |title=Kuldip Kaur |url=https://retrore.blogspot.com/2026/02/kuldeep-kaur-bollywoods-first-fearless.html?m=1 |work=Retrore }}</ref>
==Filmography== Kuldip Kaur was active between 1948 and 1960.<ref name=citwf>{{cite web |title=Kuldip Kaur |url=http://www.citwf.com/detailPerson.asp?personID=241364&sortOn=YEAR&sortBy=UP |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150425181423/http://www.citwf.com/detailPerson.asp?personID=241364&sortOn=YEAR&sortBy=UP |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 April 2015 |website=citwf.com |publisher=Adam Goble |accessdate=25 April 2015 |ref=Filmography}}</ref> {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Film !! Director |- |1948||''Chaman'', Punjabi Movie ||Roop K. Shorey |- |1948||''Ziddi'' ||Shaheed Latif |- |1949||''Kaneez'' ||Krishna Kumar |- |1949||''Ek Thi Ladki'' ||Roop K. Shorey |- |1949|| Tara || R. D. Pareenja |- |1950||''Aadhi Raat'' ||S. K. Ojha |- |1950||''Lajawab'' ||Jagatrai Pesumal Advani |- |1950||''Meena Bazaar'' ||Ravindra Dave |- |1950||''Samadhi'' ||Ramesh Saigal |- | 1950 || Madaari, Punjabi Movie || Rajendra Sharma |- | 1950 ||"Chhai", Punjabi Movie || Shankar Mehta |- |1951||''Afsana'' ||B. R. Chopra |- |1951||''Do Sitare'' ||D. D. Kashyap |- |1951||''Ek Nazar'' ||O. P. Dutta |- |1951||''For Ladies Only'' ||Bedi |- |1951||''Gumasta'' ||S. M. Yusuf |- |1951||''Lachak'' ||M. I. Daramsey |- |1951||''Mukhada'' ||Roop K. Shorey |- |1951||''Nai Zindagi'' ||Mohan Sinha |- |1951||''Rajput'' ||Lekhraj Bhakri |- |1951||''Stage'' ||Vijay Mhatre |- |1952||''Anjaam''||Shanti Kumar |- |1952||''Baiju Bawra'' ||Vijay Bhatt |- |1952||''Ghungru'' ||Hiren Bose |- |1952||''Hamari Duniya'' ||Sushil Sahu |- |1952||''Jaggu'' ||Jagdish Sethi |- |1952||''Naubahar'' ||Anand Kumar |- |1952||''Neelam Pari'' ||Dhirubhai Desai |- |1952||''Sheesham'' ||Kishore Sharma |- |1953||''Aabshar'' ||Hasrat Lucknavi |- |1953||''Anarkali'' ||Nandlal Jaswantlal |- |1953||''Baaz'' ||Guru Dutt |- |1953||''Gharbaar'' ||Dinkar Patil |- |1953||''Farmaish'' ||B. K. Sagar |- |1953||''Mashuqa'' ||Shanti Kumar |- |1954||''Dak Babu'' ||Lekhraj Bhakri |- |1954||''Gul Bahar'' ||Nanubhai |- |1954|| Pilpili Saheb ||H.S. Kavatra |- |1954||''Hukumat'' ||Raja Yagnik |- |1954||''Lalpari'' ||Kedar Kapoor |- |1954||''Mastana'' ||H. S. Rawail |- |1955||''Daku'' ||Aspi |- |1955||''Deewar'' ||I.S Bali |- |1955||''Duniya Gol Hai'' ||Om Prakash |- |1955||''Jashan'' ||S. Shamsuddin |- |1955||''Mast Qalandar'' ||Kedar Kapoor |- |1955||''Miss Coca-Cola'' ||Kedar Kapoor |- |1956||''Indra Leela'' ||Rajendra Sharma |- |1956||''Inquilab'' ||Kedar Kapoor |- |1956||''Sultan-E-Alam'' ||Mohan Sinha |- |1957||''Ek Saal'' ||Devendra Goel |- |1957||''Jai Ambe'' ||Shanti Kumar |- |1957||''Maharani'' ||A. Karim |- |1957||''Paisa'' ||Prithviraj Kapoor |- |1958||''Panchayat'' ||Lekhraj Bhakri |- |1958||''Sahara'' ||Lekhraj Bhakri |- |1958||''Son Of Sindbad'' ||Nanabhai Bhatt |- |1959||''Chand'' ||Lekhraj Bhakri |- |1959||''Jagir'' ||Jag Mohan Mattu |- |1959||''Mohar'' ||P. Jairaj |- |1959||''Pyar Ki Rahen'' ||Lekhraj Bhakri |- |1960||''Bade Ghar Ki Bahu'' ||Kundan Kumar |- |1960||''Bhakta Raj'' ||Vishnu Vyas |- |1960||''Maa Baap'' ||Vishnu Vyas |- |1960||''Rickshawala'' ||Shankar Mehta |- |1960||''Sunheri Raatein'' ||Lekhraj Bhakri |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|0442444}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuldip Kaur}} Category:1927 births Category:1960 deaths Category:20th-century Indian actresses Category:Actresses from Punjab, India Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema Category:Deaths from tetanus Category:Actresses from Lahore Category:Indian film actresses Category:Punjabi Sikhs