Chand Usmani

Chand Usmani was an Indian actress. Her work is most notable in the Hindi film industry, from the 1950s to the late 1980s. She is widely known for winning the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1971. She is widely remembered for playing the roles of mother and self-sacrificing wife.

Chand Usmani was born as Chandbibi Khanam Usmani on 3^rd January 1933 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. She used to run her Mahim house as a halfway house for runaway girls, who had come for a career in films to Mumbai. She died on 26^th November 1989 in Mumbai.

She was a participant in the 1949 talent contest called Kardar-Kolynos-Teresa. This is where she came into the limelight. She won second place. Her acting debut was in the 1953 film Jeewan Jyoti, getting the lead role opposite Shammi Kapoor Shammi Kapoor: - 'Elvis Presley' of India. >> Read More... . Her other works include Barati, Baap Re Baap, and Naya Daur.

Her 1956 film Rangeen Raten gave her critical acclaim. She is described as the "Effervescent Chand Usmani, with her heart-warming smile” by the Film Heritage Foundation of India. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a prostitute called Champa, in the film Pehchan.

Although she had a very long career, she had been seen complaining in a review with Tabassum that not having an agent or a manager made her regret not getting more diverse roles and not getting even more success. Mahasweta Devi Mahasweta Devi, an Indian writer and activist, was >> Read More... wrote a short story The Wet-Nurse in 1986 where she summed up that Chand Usmani can be seen in many roles like self-sacrificing wife, girlfriend, or sister, or mother.