By Amarjit Singh Kohli
Today, 16th Aug 2019 is the 95th birth anniversary of famous film vamp Manorama who was born in Lahore on 16 Aug 1926. The 31 year old photo shows Manorama receiving Pratibha Award from music director Anil Biswas on 5 Aug, 1988 at Himachal Bhawan, New Delhi while I am standing in middle. Manorama’s original name was Erin Issac Daniels and was nicknamed "baby Iris" because her mother was Irish and father christian. Manorama is popularly known for her film roles as a tyrant woman with big frowns, sometimes comedienne, in most films such as " Do Kaliyan,1968", "Ek phool do maali, 1969" and " Seeta aur Geeta, 1972". Her acting career lasted 64 years from 1941 ( Khazanchi) to 2005( Water) covering about 100 films.
Very few people know that Manorama acted as heroine in many films produced in Lahore. She got her debut as second lead in hindi film Khazanchi(1941) when she was only 15 ( see photo). She was heroine in many punjabi films including silver jubilee hit " Lachhi( 1949)" in which many songs sung by Lata Mangeshkar were picturised on her including " naale lammi te naale kaali haye ve channa" and " do milde hoye dilan nu bedard zamana". (See photo).Other film as heroine was Roop Kishori’s punjabi film " Koel, 1944" in which Ramanand Sagar ( then journalist in Evening News, Lahore) also acted for first time. Other punjabi films include Gowandi(1942), Mangti(1942).
I started knowing Manorama when she left Bombay around 1985 and settled in Delhi for about 5 years during which she acted in many TV Serials in Delhi. She used to live in Dilshad Garden and would occasionaally drop in at my house at Satya Marg, Chanakyapuri. She told many old stories about her film life and her impressions about other film personalities of her time in chaste punjabi. She was often invited by me to be Distinguished Guest in many cultural functions. I could make out that she was leading a very hard life at this old age of 60-65 years but she was always in high spirits and fought the struggles of life cheerfully. She died on 15 Feb 2008 in Mumbai.
In this rainy season, today I am remembering the song "chitte chitte badlan di chhaan doldi" picturised on Manorama in Punjabi hit film Posti( 1951) when she was 25. It is sung by Shamshad Begum. I am trying to upload this song here which I found on youtube so that you can see the young Manorama’s acting. Youtube has wrongly mentioned the wording kethae kithae instead of Chitte chitte.
