Zubeida Begum

For the silent film actress, see Zubeida. For the 2001 film, see Zubeidaa.

Zubeida Begum (1926 – 26 January 1952), not to be confused with the silent film actress Zubeida, was an Indian film actress. She was the biological daughter of Shri Kasembhai Mehta, a Bohra Muslim businessman, and Faiza Bai, a renowned Muslim singer in Bombay. A Muslim by birth, she converted according to Arya Samaj rights to be marry Maharaja Hanwant Singh of Jodhpur, on 17 December 1950, in Bombay, and took on the name Vidya Rani and moved to Jodhpur.[1] From this relationship, she had a son, Rao Raja Hukum Singh (Tutu Bana) born in Bombay on 2 August 1951.[2]

She also had a son from her first marriage, Khalid Mohamed, a film critic, who wrote the screenplay for the film Zubeidaa (2001), directed by Shyam Benegal, loosely based on her life.[3] She was killed with her husband in an airplane accident on 26 January 1952 at Godwar, Rajasthan.

After her death, Tutu was brought up by Rajmata of Jodhpur. He later went to study at Mayo College in Ajmer. He married Rao Rani Rajeshwari Kumari, daughter Rao Raja Daljit Singh, of Alwar. The couple had one son, Parikshit Singh (b. 1974) and one daughter, Jainandini Kanwar (b. 1975). On April 17, 1981, he was beheaded and found on the streets of Jodhpur.[2][4]

References

  1. ↑ "Zubeidaa’s secret". The Times of India. 11 July 2003. Retrieved 2014-06-16.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Jodhpur Genealogy". royalark. Retrieved 2014-06-16.
  3. ↑ Shyam Benegal Retrospective
  4. ↑ Anvar Alikhan (17 January 2001). "The Real Zubeidaa". rediff.com, Movies. Retrieved 2014-06-16.

Bibliography