[en] | Chand Burke

Chand Burke (2 February 1932 – 28 December 2008), also known as Chand Burque, was an Indian character actress in Hindi and Punjabi language films. She was the paternal grandmother of Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh.

Chand Burke
Born(1932-02-02)2 February 1932

Punjab Province, British India
Died28 December 2008(2008-12-28) (aged 76)
NationalityIndian
Other namesChand Burque
OccupationActress
Known forActing in Bollywood
Notable workBoot Polish (1954)
Spouses
  • Niranjan
    ​

    (div. 1954)​

  • Sundar Singh Bhavnani
    (m. 1955)​
Children2
Relatives

Career

Chand Burke made her debut in Maheshwari Productions’ Kahan Gaye (1946). Chand appeared in a number of films made in Lahore, and was widely known as “the Dancing Lily of the Punjab.” The Partition of India led to her migration to Mumbai (then Bombay) thus adversely affecting her career.

She was given her first break in Bollywood by the veteran actor Raj Kapoor in the film titled, Boot Polish (1954), where she played the pivotal role of Baby Naaz and Rattan Kumar’s tormenting aunt.[1][2]

Personal life

Burke was born in a Christian family of twelve brothers and sisters in the Punjab Province of British India (in what is now Pakistan). Her brother, Samuel Martin Burke, was Indian Civil Service officer who later became a diplomat to the Scandinavian countries for Pakistan.[3] After divorcing her film writer-director husband Niranjan in 1954, she married businessman Sundar Singh Bhavnani in 1955 with whom she had a daughter named Tonya and a son named Jagjit, who is the father of Indian film actor Ranveer Singh.

Filmography

YearFilmRoleNotes
1969Pardesan
1968Kahin Din Kahin RaatPran’s scientist assistant
1967Mera Bhai Mera DushmanRajan’s wife
1965Mohabbat Isko Kahete HainKundan’s mother
1964Apne Huye ParayeRampyari
1960Ghar Ki LaajMoti’s aunty
1960Rangeela Raja
1960Shravan KumarJamuna
1959Pardesi Dhola
1958Adalat
1958LajwantiActressUncredited
1958Sohni Mahiwal
1957DushmanRaam Singh’s mother
1956Basant BaharLeelabai
1955Raftar
1955Shahi Chor
1954‘Ferry’
1954Amar Kirtan
1954Gul Bahar
1954Boot PolishKamla Devi
1954Vanjara
1953Aag Ka DariyaActressUncredited
1953Kaude ShahPunjabi Movie
1951Sabz Baag
1951PostiPunjabi Movie
1948Dukhiyari
1946Kahan Gaye

References

  1. ^ “Did you know that Ranveer Singh’s grandmother Chand Burke was a popular Bollywood actress?”. The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  2. ^ “Did you know Ranveer Singh’s grandmother Chand Burke was an actress”. Filmfare. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  3. ^ “Chand Burke”. Cineplot.com. Retrieved 1 August 2020.