Shaukat Kaifi

Shaukat Kaifi
Kaifi in Umrao Jaan (1981)
Born	(1926-10-21)21 October 1926 Hyderabad State, British India
Died	22 November 2019(2019-11-22) (aged 93) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Actress
Political party	Communist Party of India
Spouse	Kaifi Azmi
Children	Shabana Azmi Baba Azmi
Relatives	Ishan Arya (nephew)
Family	Akhtar-Azmi family

Shaukat Kaifi (21 October 1926 – 22 November 2019), also credited as Shaukat Azmi, was an Indian theater and film actress. Her husband was the Urdu poet and film lyricist, Kaifi Azmi. The couple were leading lights of the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and the Progressive Writers Association (IWA), which were the cultural platforms of the Communist Party of India.

Biography

Shaukat Kaifi was born into a Shia Muslim family of Uttar Pradesh migrants in Hyderabad State. She grew up in Aurangabad, India. At a young age, she fell in love and married the Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi. They had two children. Their son, Baba Azmi, is a cameraman and now film director. He is married to Tanvi Azmi, the daughter of Usha Kiran, a famous actress. Shaukat and Kaifi's daughter, Shabana Azmi (b. 1950), is among the best actresses of Indian cinema. She is married to noted poet and film lyricist Javed Akhtar.

Shaukat and Kaifi, who settled in Mumbai after their wedding, endured many ups and downs in life. Kaifi was a committed member of the Communist Party, so much so that, upon his request, his party membership card was buried with him when he died.

He worked hard for the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and the Progressive Writers Association (PWA), and for many years after their wedding, his income was the meagre stipend from the Party. For many years, the couple lived with their two children in Commune accommodation provided by the Communist Party of India, which was one bedroom in an apartment shared with three other families. Since all the other families were also communists and involved with theatre or cinema, Shaukat was also bitten by the bug of theatre. Money was another incentive for her to act, and money was short for the couple after their two children began going to school.

In the mid-1950s, Kaifi began looking for work in the Mumbai film industry as a writer and lyricist. He struggled for a considerable period, writing memorable songs for films that however flopped. Kaifi then found success as a songwriter and the family fortunes took an upward turn. Within a few years, they were able to purchase an apartment in the posh Mumbai neighbourbood of Juhu. Her husband's association with the film industry helped Shaukat to take on roles in films too.

She appeared in about a dozen films, with significant roles in major productions like (Garam Hawa and Umrao Jaan). In theatre, she appeared in a dozen plays. All this she could successfully do along with her domestic duties.

After Kaifi Azmi died in 2002, Shaukat Azmi wrote an autobiography, Kaifi and I which has been adapted into an Urdu play Kaifi aur Main featuring Shabana as her mother. It premiered in Mumbai in 2006 on the 4th death anniversary of Kaifi Azmi.

Filmography

Year	Film	Role
2002	Saathiya	Bua
1988	Salaam Bombay!	Brothel owner
1986	Congregation (Anjuman)
1984	Lorie
1982	Bazaar	Hajan Bi
1982	Raaste Pyar Ke	Shayama's mother
1981	Umrao Jaan	Khanum Jaan
1977	Dhoop Chhaon	The Pundit's wife
1974	Faslah	Parvati S. Chandra
1974	Scorching Winds (Garam Hawa)	Jamila, Salim Mirza's wife
1974	Jurm aur Sazaa	Rajesh's Mother
1974	Woh Main Nahin
1973	Sweekar	Susheela, Maid
1973	Naina	Shashi Kapoor's aunt
1970	Heer Raanjha
1964	Haqeeqat
1964	Kohraa

External links

• Shaukat Kaifi at IMDb