Patience Cooper

Gender: Female
Date of birth: 18 Nov 1905
Date of birth: 01 May 1983
Age: 78

Patience Cooper. >>>> (1905–1993) was an India born Pakistani film actress. An Anglo-Indian[1] from Calcutta, Cooper had a successful career in both silent and sound films. She was one of the early superstars of Bollywood.[2] Cooper is credited with the first double roles of Indian cinema—as twin sisters in Patni Pratap and as mother and daughter in Kashmiri Sundari,[3] even though earlier in 1917, actor Anna Salunke had played roles of both the male lead character Ram and the female lead character Seeta in the film Lanka Dahan /////>>>>> Stage career Cooper began her career as a dancer in Bandmann's Musical Comedy, a Eurasian troupe. She later joined Jamshedji Framji Madan's Corinithian Stage Company as an actress. ///////// >>>>> Film career >>>>> Cooper first made an impact with Nala Damayanti (1920). The film starred Keki Adajania as Nala and Cooper as Damayanti. The film was a big budget Madan Theatre production and was directed by Eugenio de Liguoro, known in Italy for his Orientalist spectacles like Fascino d'Oro (1919). Nala Damayanti was famous for its special effects at the time — Narada's ascent of Mount Meru to heaven, the transformations of four gods into impersonations of Nala, the transformation of Kali into a serpent among others. Her next film was Vishnu Avtar, released in 1921. De Liguoro also directed Dhruva Chartitra (1921), a mythological based on the legend of Dhruva whose quest for eternal knowledge and salvation was rewarded when he became the brightest star in the heavens, the pole star also known as Dhruvatara. The film was made as a bid for an international breakthrough for Madan Theatres and featured many Europeans in the cast along with Cooper who played the female lead, Suniti. One of Cooper's biggest successes was Pati Bhakti (1922). Cooper played Leelavati in the film, directed by the great JJ Madan himself, advocating that women should be devoted to their husband. The film is regarded as her greatest film and was also involved in a small controversy as in Madras, the censor demanded that a dance number be removed on the grounds of obscenity. Cooper also played perhaps the first ever double roles in Hindi films — Patni Pratap (1923), where she played two sisters and Kashmiri Sundari (1924), where she played mother and daughter. Cooper did films right through to the mid-1930s. One of her last major films was Zehari Saap (1933). The film was a typical Cooper vehicle about a medieval chieftain's revolt against the good Nawab Bakar Malik. The nawab's outlaw son vows revenge and finally all's well that ends well. The dramatic conflict in the film sees the chieftain wanting to marry the princess, whom he had raised as his own daughter. Cooper acted in over 40 films until she retired in 1944, after performing in her last film, Iraada. Cooper was often cast in the role of a sexually troubled but innocent woman, always at the centre of moral dilemmas, often caused by the men in her lives. A major aspect of Cooper's star image was the successful achievement of the 'Hollywood look' in spite of different light and technical conditions. Her distinctively Anglo-Indian features, like dark eyes, sharp features, ebony hair and light skin tone, allowed technicians to experiment with the imported technique of eye-level lighting and achieve an appearance similar to Hollywood stars of the silent era. The low number of women, especially Hindus, in the film industry during the 1920s (due to conservative attitudes) meant Anglo-Indian actresses like Cooper, were in demand. Her appearance in a string of successful films has led her to being called the first ever female Indian film star. ////////// >>>>> Later life >>>>>>>> It is generally supposed Cooper married Mirza Ahmad Ispahani Saheb (MAH Ispahani), a well-known Indian businessman. In 1947, they migrated to Pakistan.[5] Actually she was married to MAH Ispahani at the age of 21 and divorced soon after. She then got married to Gul Hamid Khan, one of the first early silent movie actors. He died six years later from Hodgkin's Disease. She remained friends with MAH Ispahani till the end of her life. Cooper changed her name to Sabra Begum and lived the last of her days with her two adopted daughters Zeenat and Haleema in Karachi, Pakistan. Her foster daughter Syeda Nafees Rizvi lives in Houston, Texas, USA[citation needed]. She fostered and/or adopted 17 children during her lifetime. Cooper died in 1993.[6] //////////>>>>>>>> Filmography >>>>> Year Film Director Notes 1920 Nala Damayanti Eugenio de Liguoro 1921 Bishu Abatar Jyotish Bandyopadhyay Dhruba Charitra Jyotish Bannerji Nal Damayanti Jyotish Bandyopadhyay Dhruva Charitra Eugenio De Liguoro Behula C. Legrand Vishnu Avatar C. Legrand 1922 Sati Ratnavali Jyotish Bannerji Pati Bhakti J. J. Madan Kamale Kamini Sisir Kumar Bhaduri Ramayan Jyotish Bandyopadhyay Serial Ramayan Eugenio De Liguoro Serial Nartaki Tara Jyotish Bandyopadhyay Ratnavali C. Legrand Raja Bhoj Mohini Sisir Kumar Bhaduri Bhagirathi Ganga Rajkumari Budur J. J. Madan Laila Majnu J. J. Madan 1923 Matri Sneha Jyotish Bannerji Noorjehan J. J. Madan 1924 Patni Pratap J. J. Madan Serial Turki Hoor J. J. Madan 1925 Sati Lakshmi Jyotish Bannerji Adoorat Chheley J. J. Madan Sansar Chakra Kashmiri Sundari 1926 Prafulla Jyotish Bannerji 1926 Joydev Jyotish Bannerji 1926 Dharmapatni Jyotish Bannerji 1927 Jana Priyanath Ganguly 1927 Krishnakanter Will Priyanath Ganguly 1927 Durgesh Nandini Priyanath Ganguly 1927 Chandidas Jyotish Bannerji 1928 Aankh Ka Nasha 1928 Hoor-E-Arab Ratansha Sinore 1928 Bhranti Jyotish Bannerji 1929 Giribala Modhu Bose 1929 Kapal Kundala Priyanath Ganguly 1930 Bharat Ramani Jyotish Bannerji 1930 Vaman Avatar 1930 Rajsingha Jyotish Bannerji 1930 Kal Parinaya Priyanath Ganguly 1930 Ganesh Janma Jal Ariah 1931 Bibaha Bibhrat Jyotish Bannerji 1931 Alladin And The Wonderful Lamp Jal Ariah 1931 Samaj Ka Shikar 1931 Satyawadi Raja Harishchandra J. J. Madan 1931 Bharati Balak Aga Hashr Kashmiri 1932 Pati Bhakti 1932 Chatra Bakavali J. J. Madan Fantasy 1932 Bilwamangal Fram Madan 1932 Alibaba And Forty Thieves J. J. Madan 1932 Educated Wife 1932 Hathili Dulhan J. J. Madan 1933 Madhur Murali 1933 Naqli Doctor J. J. Madan 1933 Zehari Saap J. J. Madan 1934 Kismet Ka Shikar 1934 Bhakta-Ke-Bhagwan V. M. Gunjal 1934 Garib Ki Duniya Sorabji Kerawala 1934 Anokha Prem F. R. Irani 1934 Kanya Vikraya Mohammad Hussain 1934 Sakhi Lutera Sorabji Kerawala 1935 Dil Ki Pyaas J. J. Madan 1935 Asmat Ka Moti Fram Sethna 1935 Khudadad 1935 Prem Ki Ragini 1935 Sulagto Sansar G. R. Sethi 1935 Mera Pyara Ezra Mir 1936 Noor-E-Wahadat G. R. Sethi 1936 Baghi Sipahi A.R. Kardar 1936 Khyber Pass Gul Hamid 1937 Fakhr-E-Islam Nanubhai Vakil 1943 Rani P. C. Barua 1944 Chandar Kalanka Pramathesh Chandra Barua 1944 Iraada S. Shamsuddin 1946 Khan Saheb Prem Sethna