Siddhant Babu at 03:07, 30 April 2026

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{{Short description|Indian film producer}}
{{about|the Indian film producer|the DC Comics character|Solstice (character)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kiran Singh
| image = Kiran Singh.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1947|11|17|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Bombay]], India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2005|7|10|1947|11|17}}
| death_place = [[Mumbai]], India
| occupation = Producer and Story Writer
|parents = Prakash and [[Santram Varma (film producer)|Santram Varma]]
|birth_name = Kiran Varma
|spouse = {{marriage|[[Sujit Kumar]]|1970}}
|children =Daughter: Henna Nathani <br />Son: Jatin Kumar

}}

'''Kiran Singh''' (1947-2005) was a Bollywood film producer and story writer. She was one of the founders/partners of Shiv Bhakti Films, a company predominantly involved with the production of Indian films. After the Shiv Bhakti Films banner was retired in the early 1990s, Kiran Singh continued her film production activities with Shree Shiv Bhakti Films.

==Family background==
Kiran was raised in the Bollywood film industry and stayed affiliated to this industry throughout her life. Kiran's father and his five brothers founded [[Varma Films]], known for box-office hits like [[Suhaag Raat (1948 film)|Suhaag Raat]] (1948), [[Patanga (1949 film)|Patanga]] (1949) and [[Baadal (1951 film)|Badal]] (1951). ''Suhaag Raat'' was the seventh highest-grossing film of 1948;<ref>{{cite web|title=Top Earners 1948|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=153&catName=MTk0OA==|access-date=1 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012171051/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=153&catName=MTk0OA%3D%3D|archive-date=12 October 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> ''Patanga'' was the seventh highest-grossing film of 1949;<ref>{{cite web|title=Top Earners 1949|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=154&catName=MTk0OQ==|access-date= 1 January 2022 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016234445/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=154&catName=MTk0OQ==|archivedate=16 October 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and finally,
''Badal'' was the eighth highest-grossing film of 1951.<ref>{{cite web| title=Top Earners 1951
|url=http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=156&catName=MTk1MQ==| access-date= 1 January 2022
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131030033107/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=156&catName=MTk1MQ==|archive-date=30 October 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref> One of Kiran's uncles, [[Munshiram Varma]], was the producer of four films : ''Suhaag Raat'', [[Thes (1949 film)|Thes]] (1949), [[Neki Aur Badi (1949 film)|Neki Aur Badi]] (1949) and [[Aurat (1953 film)|Aurat]] (1953). Another uncle, [[Bhagwan Das Varma]], was producer of ''Badal'' and [[Baghi Sipahi (1958 film)|Baghi Sipahi]] (1958) as well as the director of three films: ''Aurat'',<ref>{{cite web|title= Aurat (1953) Cast - Actor, Actress, Director, Producer, Music Director | url= https://www.cinestaan.com/movies/aurat-1995/cast-crew | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210721221805/https://www.cinestaan.com/movies/aurat-1995/cast-crew | url-status= live | archive-date= 21 July 2021 |publisher=Cinestaan|access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref> [[Pooja (1954 film)|Pooja (1954)]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/pooja-2/cast/ |title=Pooja (1954) |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]]|date=January 1954 | access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref> and ''Baghi Sipahi''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/baghi-sipahi/cast/ |title=Baghi Sipahi (1958) |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]]|date=January 1958 | access-date=11 November 2021}}</ref> Other relatives in the Indian Film industry include Aroon Varma, Kiran's brother, who was the producer for the film [[Balidaan (1971 film)|Balidaan]] (1971).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/balidaan-2/cast/|title=Balidaan (1972) |website=[[Bollywood Hungama]]|date=January 1972 | access-date=23 June 2023}}</ref> Also, Sheena Varma, Kiran's niece, is married to [[Zulfi Syed]], a film and TV actor.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/Zulfi-Syeds-all-set-to-tie-the-knot/articleshow/11362639.cms |title= Zulfi Syed all set to tie the knot |publisher = Times of India| first1=Piyali|last1=Dasgupta|date= 5 January 2012|access-date=1 January 2022}}</ref>

Kiran married Indian film actor and producer [[Sujit Kumar]] in 1970 soon after she got her undergraduate degree. The couple remained married until her death in 2005. Sujit's death trailed Kiran's death by about five years.<ref>{{cite news
| url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Character-actor-Sujit-Kumar-no-more/articleshow/5541318.cms| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120515221511/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-06/india/28127277_1_bhojpuri-celluloid-amitabh-bachchan | url-status = live| archive-date = 15 May 2012| work = [[The Times of India]] | title = Character actor Sujit Kumar no more| date = 6 February 2010 }}</ref> Their son, Jatin Kumar, continued their legacy in the film industry when he became the co-producer of the film [[Aetbaar]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/2002/jun/17ait.htm|title= Careless whispers:John and Bipasha romance on the sets of Aitbaar | work = rediff.com | first1=Sukanya|last1=Verma| first2= Priyanka |last2= Bhattacharya|date= 17 June 2002|access-date=1 January 2022}}</ref>

==Film career==
In the early 1980s Kiran Singh commenced her film career with her spouse [[Sujit Kumar]] when they jointly founded Shiv Bhakti Films. The company debuted in film production through the 1984 Bhojpuri film ''[[Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamaar (film)|Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamaar]]'', directed by Sujit Kumar and also starring Sujit in the lead role. The film's story was written by Kiran and marked her debut as a story writer in the Indian film industry.''Paan Khaye Saiyan Paan Hamaar'' has been classified as a “modestly popular” film of the Bhojpuri cinema in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Abbi |first=Kumool |title=Politics of Linguistic, Cultural Recovery and Reassertion: Bhojpuri Migrant Population and Its Films |journal=Economic and Political Weekly |volume=48 |issue=33 |pages=55 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23528090 |jstor=23528090 |date=17 August 2013 |access-date=7 March 2026}}</ref>

The company's second project was [[Anubhav (1986 film)|Anubhav]] which was released in 1986. Once again Sujit played an important acting role in the film, but this time it was a character role. The leading roles in the film were performed by [[Shekhar Suman]], [[Padmini Kolhapure]] and [[Richa Sharma (actress)|Richa Sharma]]. The film marked the first Hindi-language film made by Shiv Bhakti Films. It also marked the introduction of Kiran Singh as a producer together with Sujit Kumar. In 2015, almost 19 years after it was released, ''Anubhav'' was included in the list of Bollywood's five best sex comedies by the Daily News & Analysis (DNA), a newspaper affiliated with [[Zee News]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-five-of-bollywood-s-best-sex-comedies-2073224|title=Five of Bollywood's best sex comedies - Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis|date=30 March 2015|website=dnaindia.com|access-date=1 January 2022|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821114729/http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-five-of-bollywood-s-best-sex-comedies-2073224|archive-date=21 August 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Both of the above two films, ''Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamaar'' and ''Anubhav'', were low-budget films that did well at the box-office. Subsequently, Shiv Bhaki Films started making films with higher budgets and more star power. [[Asmaan Se Ooncha]] (1989) featured well-known stars like [[Jeetendra]], [[Raj Babbar]], [[Anita Raj]] and [[Govinda (actor)|Govinda]]. Also, renowned stars like [[Anil Kapoor]], [[Madhuri Dixit]], [[Anupam Kher]] and [[Mala Sinha]] played the lead in [[Khel (film)|Khel]] (1992). ''Khel'' was the nineteenth highest-grossing film of 1992.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top Grossing Movies of 1992|url=http://muvyz.com/boxoffice/byyear/y4/1992/2|access-date=1 January 2022|archive-date=1 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101182909/http://muvyz.com/boxoffice/byyear/y4/1992/2|url-status=dead}}</ref> For his role in ''Khel'', Anupam Kher got the [[Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role|Filmfare Award for Best Comedian]].<ref name=kiran2/> Like ''Anubhav'', both ''Asmaan Se Ooncha'', and ''Khel'' were produced by Kiran together with her spouse Sujit.

When the Shiv Bhakti Films banner was retired in the early 1990s, Kiran and Sujit started a new company called Shree Shiv Bhakti Films. The first film made under this banner was [[Daraar (film)|Daraar]] (1996) starring [[Juhi Chawla]], [[Rishi Kapoor]] and [[Arbaaz Khan]]. For her role as an abused wife, Juhi Chawla was nominated for the [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress]] and for his role as the abusive husband, Arbaaz Khan, in his debut performance, received the [[Filmfare Best Villain Award]].<ref name=kiran2>{{cite web|title=All Filmfare Award Winners |url=https://www.filmfare.com/awards/filmfare-awards/winners |work=Filmfare.com |access-date=5 February 2022}}</ref>

The second film made under the Shree Shiv Bhakti Films banner was [[Champion (2000 film)|Champion (2000)]]. It starred [[Sunny Deol]], [[Manisha Koirala]] and [[Rahul Dev]]. ''Champion'' received four awards, all for [[Rahul Dev]]’s performance in his debut, yet breakthrough role in a Hindi-language film. Specifically, Rahul was nominated for: the [[Screen Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role]], the [[Screen Award for Best Male Debut|Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer Actor- Male]], the [[Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Negative Role|Filmfare Award for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Negative Role]] and Rahul was the winner of the Award of the [[IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – Male|International Indian Film Academy Award for Best Male Debut]].

Finally, for the film [[Aetbaar]], produced initially by Shree Shiv Bhakti Films, an impressive ensemble was assembled, including megastar [[Amitabh Bacchan]]. However, the production of the film stalled because of financial challenges faced by Kiran and her spouse, Sujit. When the [[Tata Group]] decided to enter the film production business, ''Aetbaar '' was rescued by this group.<ref name=kiran1>{{Cite web|title= Tata Infomedia To Co-produce Film Starring Big B |access-date=4 February 2022|url= https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/tata-infomedia-to-co-produce-film-starring-big-b/56435/|date=22 August 2002|work=financialexpress.com }}</ref> Cutting Edge Entertainment, a new division set up by Tata Group, became the new production company of ''Aetbaar'' with Jatin Kumar, son of Kiran and Sujit, being a co-producer.<ref>{{Cite web|title= India's Tata Steps In To Film Production |access-date=4 February 2022|url=
https://www.screendaily.com/indias-tata-steps-in-to-film-production/4012439.article |date=26 February 2003 | first1=Bhuvan|last1=Lall |work=screendaily.com
}}</ref>

Kiran died a year after the release of ''Aitbaar'' in 2004 and Sujit died a few years later in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Actor-Producer Sujit Kumar Dead |access-date=4 February 2022|url= http://www.indianexpress.com/news/actorproducer-sujit-kumar-dead/576300/
|date=6 February 2010|newspaper=Indian Express}}</ref> Subsequently, their son Jatin Kumar announced that he would revive their original banner, Shiv Bhakti Films, with the production of Bhojpuri- and Hindi-language films.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Jatin Kumar signs Ravi Kissen |access-date=4 February 2022|url=
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/regional/movie-details/news-interviews/jatin-kumar-signs-ravi-kissen/articleshow/8646633.cms
|date=30 May 2011 |newspaper=Times of India }}</ref>

==Filmography==
{|border="1" cellpadding="5"
!Year||Film|| Role
|-
|1984||''[[Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamaar (film)|Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamaar]]''|| As Story Writer and Partner/Founder of Shiv Bhakti Films
|-
|1986||''[[Anubhav (1986 film)|Anubhav]]''|| As Producer and Partner/Founder of Shiv Bhakti Films
|-
|1989||''[[Asmaan Se Ooncha]]''|| As Producer and Partner/Founder of Shiv Bhakti Films
|-
|1992||''[[Khel (1992 film)|Khel]]''|| As Producer and Partner/Founder of Shiv Bhakti Films
|-
|1996||''[[Daraar (film)|Daraar]] ''|| As Partner/Founder of Shree Shiv Bhakti Films
|-
|2000||''[[Champion (2000 film)|Champion]]'' || As Partner/Founder of Shree Shiv Bhakti Films
|-
|2000||''[[Aetbaar]]'' || As Partner/Founder of Shree Shiv Bhakti Films, an impressive ensemble was initially assembled by Kiran & Sujit but due to financial challenges, production was taken over by [[Tata Group]]'s Cutting Edge Entertainment.<ref name=kiran1/>
|-
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|nm2111013|Kiran Singh}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Kiran}}
[[Category:1947 births]]
[[Category:2005 deaths]]
[[Category:Hindi film producers]]
[[Category:Indian women screenwriters]]
[[Category:Indian women film producers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian screenwriters]]
[[Category:Film producers from Mumbai]]

Kiran Singh - Revision history

Siddhant Babu at 03:07, 30 April 2026