Fatma Begum (1892â€"1983) was an Indian actress, director, and
screenwriter. She is often considered the first female film director
of Indian cinema. Within four years, she went on to write, produce and
direct many films. She launched her own production house, Fatma Films,
which later became Victoria-Fatma Films, and directed her first film,
Bulbul-e-Paristan, in 1926. She lived from 1892-1983 and was mother to
three children.Fatma Begum was born into an Urdu-speaking Muslim
family in India. Fatma Begum was supposedly married to Nawab Sidi
Ibrahim Muhammad Yakut Khan III of Sachin State. However, there is no
record of a marriage or contract having taken place between the Nawab
and Fatma Bai or of the Nawab having recognised any of her children as
his own, a prerequisite for legal paternity in Muslim family law. She
was the mother of silent superstars Zubeida, Sultana, and Shehzadi.
She was also the grandmother of Humayun Dhanrajgir and Durreshahwar
Dhanrajgir, son and daughter of Zubeida and Maharaja Narsingir
Dhanrajgir of Hyderabad and Jamila Razzaq daughter of Sultana and Seth
Razaaq, a prominent businessman of Karachi. She also happened to be
the great-grandmother of model turned actor Rhea Pillai who is the
daughter of her grand daughter Durreshahwar Dhanrajgir.She began her
career on the Urdu stage. She later shifted to films and debuted in
Ardeshir Irani's silent film, Veer Abhimanyu (1922). It was common
practice for men to play women in plays and movies, so she became a
huge woman superstar. Fatma Begum was fair skinned and wore dark
make-up that suited the sepia/black & white images on the screen. Most
of the roles required wigs for the heroes as well as the heroines.
screenwriter. She is often considered the first female film director
of Indian cinema. Within four years, she went on to write, produce and
direct many films. She launched her own production house, Fatma Films,
which later became Victoria-Fatma Films, and directed her first film,
Bulbul-e-Paristan, in 1926. She lived from 1892-1983 and was mother to
three children.Fatma Begum was born into an Urdu-speaking Muslim
family in India. Fatma Begum was supposedly married to Nawab Sidi
Ibrahim Muhammad Yakut Khan III of Sachin State. However, there is no
record of a marriage or contract having taken place between the Nawab
and Fatma Bai or of the Nawab having recognised any of her children as
his own, a prerequisite for legal paternity in Muslim family law. She
was the mother of silent superstars Zubeida, Sultana, and Shehzadi.
She was also the grandmother of Humayun Dhanrajgir and Durreshahwar
Dhanrajgir, son and daughter of Zubeida and Maharaja Narsingir
Dhanrajgir of Hyderabad and Jamila Razzaq daughter of Sultana and Seth
Razaaq, a prominent businessman of Karachi. She also happened to be
the great-grandmother of model turned actor Rhea Pillai who is the
daughter of her grand daughter Durreshahwar Dhanrajgir.She began her
career on the Urdu stage. She later shifted to films and debuted in
Ardeshir Irani's silent film, Veer Abhimanyu (1922). It was common
practice for men to play women in plays and movies, so she became a
huge woman superstar. Fatma Begum was fair skinned and wore dark
make-up that suited the sepia/black & white images on the screen. Most
of the roles required wigs for the heroes as well as the heroines.
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