Tun tun.
The real name of yesteryear comedian Tun Tun is Uma Devi Khatri. Today is the 101st birth anniversary of Uma Devi. Uma Devi Khatri’s life was no less than an emotional film. His life was a mixture of inspiration and tragedy and was made up of threads of many emotions. Despite giving his melodious voice to 45 songs and lending his voice to about 180 films, his legacy is still unknown to many people. Uma was a resident of a village near Amroha, Uttar Pradesh. Her family was murdered due to a land dispute, leaving her orphaned at an early age. The faces of her parents had already been erased from her memory, as she was brought up by relatives who considered her more a maid than a member of the family.
Started career with radio
Amidst these challenging circumstances, Uma found solace in radio, which became her closest companion. She escaped from the clutches of her relatives and immersed herself in the tunes of the radio, singing childhood songs. It was during these moments that her dream of becoming a playback singer for films was born. Wanting to turn her wishes and aspirations into reality, Uma ran away to Bombay at the age of 23 in search of her new reality. She became very popular with her bubbly and cheerful personality, her sense of humor and her simple speaking style. These qualities proved to be invaluable assets in his career as they symbolized the two most important points of his life in the entertainment industry.
achieved my own goal
In the year 1945, driven by her determination and passion for singing, Uma presented herself at Naushad Ali’s doorstep and made a bold declaration. Threatening to throw himself into the sea next to their bungalow, he asked for an opportunity to prove his worth. Naushad Ali surprised him and allowed him to audition which changed his life forever. Despite lack of formal musical training, Uma’s voice had a unique sweetness which enthralled the listeners. This was the beginning of her singing, when in 1947 she gave voice to the song ‘Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon Dil-e-Bekarar Ka’ composed by Naushad in the film Dard.
loved singing
The success of ‘Dard’ and her remarkable singing talent brought Uma many song offers. However, her collaboration with director SS Vasan in ‘Chandralekha’ took her to the pinnacle of her career as a singer. It is worth noting that Uma never took any formal training in music or singing. Yet his seven songs in ‘Chandralekha’, including the popular track ‘Saanjh Ki Bela’, remain the pinnacle of his singing career. He achieved all this despite having a limited vocal range and following an old singing style that had fallen out of fashion.
When a singer became an actor
After this era Uma decided to take a break from the industry to focus on her family and domestic responsibilities. When he returned in the 1950s, another important moment awaited him. Returning to Naushad Ali’s doorstep, he recognized his mischievous personality and impeccable comic timing and encouraged him to get into acting. Uma made an agreement with Naushad that she would work in the film only if Dilip Kumar shared the screen with her. This film was ‘Babul’ released in 1950.
This is how we got the name Tuntun
Her wish was fulfilled and with it came a new name which was forever associated with her comic personality, it was Tun Tun and with this Uma became Tun Tun forever. A name which was coined by Dilip Kumar himself. Adopting this name, Uma achieved the position of the first female comedian in Hindi cinema. Although she played comic roles in more than 200 films, Uma never got the recognition she deserved. During his five-decade-long career, he acted in films in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and other languages, starring alongside big comedians of his time like Bhagwan Dada and Sundara. He left an indelible mark in films like ‘Awara’ (1951), ‘Mr. & Mrs. ’55’ (1955) and ‘Pyaasa’ (1957) and established himself as a permanent performer in the comedy landscape of Bollywood. Uma Devi Khatri’s last Hindi film was ‘Kasam Dhandhe Ki’ (1990). After this he decided to retire from Hindi cinema.
this is how the last time passed
It is important to note that there was a lack of discussion of obesity in comedy during this time. However, he wholeheartedly embraced the title of Tun Tun and brought his unique comedy style and flair to the screen. No one could match Tun Tun’s popularity and his name became synonymous with plus-size characters in India. It is sad to know that despite her extensive contribution and being acclaimed as an enduring comedian, Uma has never been able to receive any awards for her career. In an interview with Shashi Ranjan he expressed his sadness that he dedicated his entire life to the industry, but ultimately the industry abandoned him. Until the end of her life she lived in a modest house, struggling with poor living conditions and illness, neither able to support herself nor afford proper medical care
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