Introduction – The real name of Suraiya is Suraiya Jamal Sheikh, was a Bollywood and Indian actress and also a playback singer and also of the best or greatest actress in the history of Indian Cinema and also popular for her strong on-screen portrayals in several genres or categories. Suraiya worked in about 70 movies and sang 338 songs between the year 1936 and 1964 in her film career. Suraiya is one of the best or great actresses of Indian movies.

Suraiya was born on June 15 in the year 1929 in Lahore in Punjab British India and is now in Pakistan. When Suraiya was only 1 year old, she was relocated with her family to Mumbai in the state of Maharashtra. She was also a popular playback singer and mainly sang for herself in the movie. When the age of Suraiya was only 12 years old, she sang her first song ‘Boot Karun Mein Polish Babu’ with a popular singer Naushad for the movie Nai Duniya, which was released in the year 1942. Firstly, Suraiya worked as child artist in the movie Madame Fashion, which was released in the year 1936 and this movie was directed by Jaddanbai. She debuted and firstly acted or worked as the role of Mumtaz Mahal in the movie Taj Mahal, which was released in the year 1941.  Suraiya appeared in the movie Ishaara with a popular actor Prithviraj Kapoor, which was released in the year 1943. She also worked with a actor K.L. Saigal in the movie Tadbir, which was released in the year 1945.

Suraiya also worked again with a popular actor Prithviraj Kapoor in the movie Phool, which was released in the year 1945, and was directed by K. Asif, who make a blockbuster movie Mughal-e-Azam. She also appeared in the movie Omar Khaiyyam with a actor K.L. Saigal, which was released in the year 1946. She also worked with a popular actress Noor Jehanin the movie Anmol Ghadi, which was released in the year 1946. Suraiya also worked in the movie Parwana, which was released in the year 1947. She also appeared in the movie Dard with a actress Munawwar Sultana, which was released in the year 1947. Suraiya worked in the movie Vidya with a popular actor Dev Anand, which was released in the year 1948. She also appeared in the movie Pyar Ki Jeet with a poplar actor Rehman, which was released in the year 1948. Later, she worked in the movie Shair with a popular actor Dev Anand, which was released in the year 1949.

Suraiya worked in several other movie such as Badi Behen (1949), Dillagi (1949), Afsar (1950), Dastan (1950), Diwana (1952), Mirza Ghalib (1954), and Mr. Lambu (1956. The filmi career of Suraiya, which marked a significant turning point from the year 1948 to 1949 with high grossing movies including Pyar Ki Jeet (1948), Vidya (1948), Badi Behen (1949), and Dillagi (1949), which brought the people recognition. Suraiys also worked in the role of tawaif, Moti Begum, in the portrayal Mirza Ghalib, which was released in the year 1954. So, Suraiya was also called as Malika-e-Adakari (Queen of Actingand Malika-e-Husn (Queen of Beauty). She took retirement due to poor health after working in the role of Shehzadi Tehmina in her last movie Rustam Sorab with a popular actor Prithviraj Kapoor, which was released in the year 1964. Suraiya received the Screen Lifetime Achievement Award for her great contribution to the Indian Cinema in the year 1996.

Personal Life – Suraiya was affair or in a relationship with a popular actor Dev Anand between 1948 and 1951 for about 4 years. Both Suraiya and Dev Anand planned for a marriage during the shooting of Jeet (1949) but assistant manager informed to the grandmother of Suraiya who dragged or pulled out her house from the scene. Thus, both Suraiya and Dev Anand did nor marry due to Suraiya’s family opposed the relationship between these two actors. So, both Dev Anand and Suraiya were stopped working or together acting after their last movie by their grandmother in the year 1951. Later, Suraiya remained bachelor or unmarried for the remaining life by her own choice but after two years, Dev Amand married Kalpana Kartik in the year 1954.

Friendships – Suraiya became friends Madan Mohan and Raj Kapoor while working in childhood days at All India Radio, who later become a great music director and a actor in Bollywood. Suraiya also make friendship with several other individuals including Nimmi, Tabassum, Hasan Kamal, Nirupa Roy, and many more. She also made a close bond or mentor with popular composer, Naushad

Later life and death – Suraiya retired from acting career in the year 1963 because her father Aziz Jamal Sheikh died due to health problems. Later, Suraiya decided to remain unmarried or bachelor so she lived with her mother Mumtaz Begum after the death of her father. After several years, Suraiya became lonely after the death of her mother in the year 1987.  Suraiya lived with her advocate, Dhimant Thakkar and his family members in the last six months of her life

Suraiya died at the age of 75 on January 31 in the year 2004 in the Harkishandas hospital and she was buried at Badakabrastan in Marine Lines in the city of Mumbai. Previously she was suffering from several diseases including ischemia, insulinoma, and hypoglycemia. There are several actors including Naushad, Sunil Dutt, Dharmendra, and many more who attended the funeral of Suraiya.

Honors – India Post featured the photos of Suraiya in several roles on a postage stamp to honor or celebrate the 100 years of Indian Cinema. The songs of Suraiya are played to tribute annually on the birth and death anniversary of Suraiya by Radio Ceylon.