Veteran actress Kamini Kaushal dies at 98, Kareena Kapoor shares heartfelt tribute

MUMBAI: Veteran actress Kamini Kaushal, best known for her roles in Bimal Roy’s ‘Biraj Bahu’ (1954) and ‘Arzoo’ (1950) with Dilip Kumar, passed away at the age of 98 in Mumbai. A neighbour close to the Kaushal family confirmed the passing of the iconic actress.

After learning about the passing of Kamini Kaushal, her ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ co-star Kareena Kapoor Khan paid tribute on Instagram. She posted a black-and-white photo of a young Kamini Kaushal along with heart and folded-hands emojis.

Kamini Kaushal was one of the leading actresses in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s era of Indian cinema, where she shared the screen with superstars like Ashok Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and legends like Raaj Kumar and Dharmendra, among many others.

The actress made an indelible mark in the industry with her very first film. Her debut, ‘Neecha Nagar’ (1946), won the prestigious Grand Prix du Festival International du Film at the inaugural Cannes Film Festival, and remains the only Indian film to win the Palme d’Or. It was directed by Chetan Anand and starred Uma Anand and Rafiq Anwar in the lead roles.

The actress reportedly appeared in over 70 films during her illustrious career spanning more than seven decades in the film industry. The actress is known for her performance in notable films, including ‘Do Bhai’ (1947), ‘Shaheed’ (1948) with Dilip Kumar, ‘Shaheed’ (1965) with Manoj Kumar and Pran; ‘Nadiya Ke Paar’ (1948), Bimal Roy’s ‘Biraj Bahu’ (1954), ‘Shabnam’, ‘Arzoo’ (1950) with Dilip Kumar and ‘Aag’ (1948) with Raj Kapoor.

‘Ziddi’ (1948), ‘Paras’, ‘Namoona’, ‘Jhanjar’, ‘Aabroo’, ‘Bade Sarkar’, ‘Jailor’, ‘Night Club’ and ‘Godaan’ are among her other acclaimed works. The actress also worked in television, with her most iconic show being ‘Chand Sitare’ on Doordarshan.

Even in recent years, Kamini Kaushal remained active in cinema, appearing in ‘Kabir Singh’ (2019) and ‘Lal Singh Chaddha’ (2022), which starred Shahid Kapoor and Aamir Khan in the lead roles, respectively. (ANI)