UpdateBot at 18:36, 7 February 2022

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{{more citations needed|date=February 2013}}
{{Short description|Indian actress and dancer}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Cuckoo Moray
| image = Cuckoo Moray.jpg
| caption = Cuckoo in the film ''[[Singaar]]'' (1949)
| birth_date = 1928
| birth_place =
| death_date = 30 {{death year and age|1981|1928|9}}
| death_place =
| occupation = Actress, dancer
| spouse =
| birthname =
| yearsactive = 1946–1963
}}
'''Cuckoo Moray''', also credited as '''Cuckoo''' or Cukoo (1928 – 30 September 1981), was an [[Anglo-Indian]] dancer and [[actress]] in [[Indian cinema]].<ref name="book001">
{{cite book |title=Bless You Bollywood!: A tribute to Hindi Cinema on completing 100 years |first=Tilak |last=Rishi |publisher=Trafford Publishing |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-466-93962-2 |pages=240 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NWlYAAAAQBAJ&q=Cuckoo+Moray}}</ref> Cuckoo was the queen of film dancing in Hindi cinema of the 1940s and 1950s. Though unfamiliar in name, she was known as the "rubber girl" of Hindi cinema and her talent made [[cabaret]] dancing a must in the Bollywood films during the 1940s and 1950s. It has been recently{{when|date=September 2016}} confirmed that Cuckoo's real name was Cuckoo Moray.<ref>[http://cineplot.com/cuckoo Cuckoo's cineplot profile]</ref>

== Early career==
Cuckoo made her screen debut in the film ''Arab Ka Sitara'' in 1946. Soon after in ''Stum Chandi'', directors and greater audiences noticed her dancing abilities for the first time. Then, the turning point in Cuckoo's career was in [[Mehboob Khan]]'s films. Her dance number in his film ''[[Anokhi Ada]]'' (1948) established her as the lead dancer of the era and in ''[[Andaz (1949 film)|Andaz]]'' (1949), a romantic drama starring [[Nargis]], [[Dilip Kumar]], and [[Raj Kapoor]], gave the dancing star an opportunity to display her acting skills. In Mehboob Khan's 1952 [[technicolor]] film ''[[Aan (1952 film)|Aan]]'', which was her first colour film, she had a brief cameo in a dance sequence. She only appeared in 2 colour films in her career ''[[Aan (1952 film)|Aan]]'' & ''[[Mayurpankh]]''. She would charge Rs 6,000<ref name=cine>{{citation |url=http://cineplot.com/the-tragic-ending-of-cuckoo-moore-helen-remembers-cuckoo/ |title=The Tragic ending of Cuckoo Moore – Helen remembers Cuckoo |access-date=14 January 2016 |publisher=CinePlot}}</ref> for a dance number, an enviable fee in the 50s.<ref name="time_Forg">{{Cite web |title=Forgotten gems of Bollywood - The Times of India |author=Sandip Pal |work=The Times of India |date=20 August 2015 |access-date=3 September 2016 |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/Forgotten-gems-of-Bollywood/Forgotten-gems-of-Bollywood/photostory/48554567.cms}}</ref>

==Later life==
Cuckoo remained the best dancer in Hindi films until dancers such as [[Helen (actress)|Helen]] and [[Vyjayanthimala]] came into the industry. Cuckoo was a family friend of the [[Anglo-Burmese]] dancer and actress [[Helen (actress)|Helen]]. She was also known for helping unknown actors get their break in Bollywood, such as [[Pran (actor)|Pran]] in ''[[Ziddi (1948 film)|Ziddi]]''. Cuckoo had introduced a 13-year-old [[Helen (actress)|Helen]] into films as a chorus dancer in films such as ''[[Shabistan (film)|Shabistan]]'' and ''[[Awaara]]'' (both 1951). Cuckoo and Helen most notably appeared in song and dance sequences together, such as in ''[[Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi]]'' (1958) and ''[[Yahudi]]'' (1958). Her last film appearance was in ''[[Mujhe Jeene Do]]'' in 1963 after which, she had disappeared from the film industry.

Cuckoo died on 30 September 1981 due to cancer<ref name=cine/> at the age of 53. She was forgotten and unattended by the film industry at the time of her death.

==Selected filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
! Film !! Year !! Role
|-
||''[[Anokhi Ada (1948 film)|Anokhi Ada]]'' || 1948 || Stage Dancer
|-
||''[[Andaz (1949 film)|Andaz]]'' || 1949 || Sheila
|-
||''[[Shair (film)|Shair]]'' || 1949 ||
|-
||''[[Barsaat (1949 film)|Barsaat]]'' || 1949 || Ruby
|-
||''[[Patanga (1949 film)|Patanga]]'' || 1949 || Dancer
|-
||''[[Paras (1949 film)|Paras]]'' || 1949 || Dancer
|-
||''[[Arzoo (1950 film)|Arzoo]]'' || 1950 || Dancer
|-
||''[[Pardes (1950 film)|Pardes]]'' || 1950 || Dancer/Singer
|-
|[[Hanste Aansoo]]
|1950
|
|-
||''[[Hulchul (1951 film)|Hulchul]]'' || 1951 ||
|-
||''[[Awaara]]'' || 1951 || Bar Dancer
|-
||''[[Aan]]'' || 1952 ||
|-
||''[[Mr. and Mrs. 55]]'' || 1955 || Singer
|-
||''[[Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi]]'' || 1958 ||
|-
||''[[Yahudi]]'' || 1958 ||
|-
||''Bus Conductor''|| 1959 ||
|-
||''[[Girls' Hostel]]'' || 1962 ||
|-
||''[[Mujhe Jeene Do]]'' || 1963 ||
|-
|}

==References==

{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb name|id=0191002}}
* [https://www.fantastikindia.fr/site/Cuckoo,5672 Full filmography and biography of Cuckoo (in French)]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moray, Cuckoo}}
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian film actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema]]
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:Anglo-Indian people]]
[[Category:Indian female dancers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian actresses]]

Cuckoo Moray - Revision history

UpdateBot at 18:36, 7 February 2022