Jehanara Kajjan

Jahanara Kajjan was born on 15 February 1915 in Patna to a royal family full of artists, who carried the label of Tawaifs or Courtesans of Lucknow. The mother’s name of Jahanara was Suggan Bai. The actress was also known as Miss Kajjan or Kajjan Bai and real name Jahan Ara Begum Story soon >> Read More... . She was popular due to her charm and singing capabilities. She has received a lot of attention to her education and completed it at home and also learned English as well as Urdu literature. She has also obtained coaching of Hindustani Classical Music from Ustad Hussain Khan & became a master in singing.

A prominent Indian actor and singer, Kajjan also wrote poetry under the pseudonym Ada, some of which was published. Jahanara has started her career in the year 1930, from stage performances later moved on to films. In the early stage of her professional life, she was hired by the theatre company Madan Theatres owned by J. J. Madan at Patna, later joined Alfred Company, which was owned by Madan Theatres at Calcutta. The ruling queen of her time, Talkies glamourous sensation, Jahanara Kajjan was called as Lark of Hindi Cinema and Beautiful Nightingale of Bengal Screen along with co-star Nissar.

Both had become the most desired singing mate of the theatres and movies. She also gave her appearance in the most cherished film of all time, Laila Majnu Click to look into! >> Read More... (1931). Co-stars of the film Kajjan and Nissar became an icon of on-screen romance in the Indian Film Industry. By mid-1936, her relations with the owner of Madan theatre, Seth Karnani degenerated, and she decided to leave the company. Jahanara lived the luxurious life at Calcutta, owned the two tiger cubs as pets. Those times rumored was that she had a close relationship with 1930’s star, Najmul Hassan.

In early 1938, she left Calcutta and decided to build up her own theatrical company named Jahanara theatrical company, where she would present her renowned old shows with shorter duration and some new development. She shifted to Bombay with her mother and started working in Bollywood, where she got a chance to appear in seven movies, mostly of Ranjit Films. The fashion icon and trend-setter of the 1930s Kajjan died at a young age of 30 in December 1945 due to Cancer.