Zeb Ataullah[1] (born 1934), better known by the stage name Chanchal,[2] is a former Indian actress who appeared in Hindi-language films. The sister of Madhubala,[3] she is best known for portraying Rupa in Mehboob Khan's blockbuster Mother India (1957).
Early life
Born as Zeb Ataullah[1] in 1934 in Delhi, Chanchal was one of eleven children of Ataullah Khan and Ayesha Begum. Her parents were of Muslim Pathan descent.[2] Chanchal's five sisters included Mumtaz, better known by her stage name Madhubala, who became one of the most celebrated Bollywood actresses of the 1950s and 1960s.[4][5]
Career
Chanchal appeared in four films headlined by Madhubala: Pardes (1950), Naata (1955), Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960) and Jhumroo (1961).[6] Of these, Naata and Mehlon Ke Khwab were produced by Madhubala and Ataullah Khan. Chanchal's work in the former was praised by critics, with a reviewer for Thought noting her "lively" performance despite poor direction.[7][8] However, in Mehlon Ke Khwab she drew criticism from filmindia's Baburao Patel, who remarked that she "just fills the role of a crazy looking filly".[9] In 1960, Chanchal finished another film produced by Khan, Ghar Jawai, opposite Kishore Kumar; however, it failed to garner any distributor interest and remained unreleased.[10]
Chanchal's most prominent roles were in Mehboob Khan's Mother India (1957), as Sukhilala's "wild and tempestuous" daughter Rupa,[11][12] and in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960), in which she played the village belle Bijli.[6][13][14][15]
After Madhubala became ill in the early 1960s, Chanchal completed the filming of Boy Friend (1961) as Madhubala's body double.[16]
Personal life
Chanchal first married S. K. Prabhakar, a film director and editor, of Hindu background.[17] Prabhakar had worked alongside Madhubala in the films Kal Hamara Hai and Do Ustad (both 1959).[18] He died early due to a ventricular septal defect.[18]
Chanchal later married Ibrahim.[19] As of 2017, she resided in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[4]
Filmography
- Pardes (1950) as Chanchal
- Nazneen (1951)
- Naata (1955) as Beena[8]
- Teerandaz (1955)
- Mother India (1957) as Rupa
- Mehlon Ke Khwab (1960) as Bela
- Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960) as Bijli
- Jhumroo (1961) as Chamki[20]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Asian Film Directory and Who's who{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}(1952)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 मधुबाला की बहन ने राज कपूर के साथ किया था काम, सुनील दत्त की बनी थी पत्नी, ऑस्कर के लिए गई थी फिल्म. NDTV. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
- ↑ Take-2: 50 Films That Deserve a New Audience{{#if:Gahlot|, Gahlot}. Hay House, Inc(2015-10-01). ISBN 978-93-84544-85-0
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Madhubala's sister, Madhur Bhushan, reveals the most shocking details about the late actor's life | Filmfare.com. www.filmfare.com. Retrieved 2025-09-06.
- ↑ India's Past and Present{{#if:Jain|, Jain}. Blue Rose Publishers(2023-10-31)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Madhubala: Her Life, Her Films{{#if:Akbar|, Akbar}. UBS Publishers' Distributors(1997). ISBN 978-81-7476-153-8
- ↑ Thought{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Siddhartha Publications(1955)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Swatantra{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}(1955)
- ↑ Filmindia{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Filmindia Publications(1960)
- ↑ Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography, Winner of the National Award for Best Book on Cinema, 2022{{#if:Dhar|, Dhar}. Harper Collins(27 October 2022). ISBN 978-93-5629-172-0
- ↑ Mehboob, India's DeMille: The First Biography{{#if:Reuben|, Reuben}. Indus(1994). ISBN 978-81-7223-153-8
- ↑ Mother India{{#if:Chatterjee|, Chatterjee}. Bloomsbury Publishing(2020-05-14). ISBN 978-1-83871-967-8
- ↑ Raj Kapur, the Fabulous Showman: An Intimate Biography{{#if:Reuben|, Reuben}. National Film Development Corporation(1988). ISBN 978-81-85304-03-8
- ↑ बड़ी बहन मधुबाला की तरह छोटी ने भी सिनेमा में किया था राज, ऑस्कर के लिए नॉमिनेट हुई थी फिल्म, Rajendra, Ashish. Dainik Jagran(25 February 2025). Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ↑ Madhubala की बहन की वो फिल्म, जो Oscar के लिए हुई नॉमिनेट, साइड रोल से जीता था दर्शकों का दिल, Tomar, Nancy. News24 Hindi(25 February 2025). Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ↑ Bollywood's Top 20: Superstars of Indian Cinema{{#if:Patel|, Patel}. Penguin UK(2016-01-15). ISBN 978-81-8475-598-5
- ↑ The Mystery and Mystique of Madhubala{{#if:Deep|, Deep}. Magna Books(1996)
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Kal Hamara Hai (1959). K. Amarnath Productions(17 November 2018). Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ↑ Did You Know Indian Film Industry Interesring Facts Circa 1913 And After{{#if:Kumar|, Kumar}. OrangeBooks Publication(2025-01-29)
- ↑ Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Routledge(2014-07-10). ISBN 978-1-135-94325-7