Bollywood’s First ever Comedienne

Uma Devi Khatri alias Tun Tun, was the first female comedian in Bollywood. During an era in which male comedians dominated Bollywood, Tun Tun boldly presented a new angle to Bollywood comedy with her excellent comic timing.

Hindi Cinema’s First-ever Comedienne

Bollywood has historically brought to the limelight an endless reservoir of talent. However, even until 1950, it lacked female comedians, which soon changed when a female playback singer decided to try her hand at acting. Uma Devi Khatri, popularly known as Tun Tun, was the first female comedian in Bollywood.

Uma was born in a small village in Uttar Pradesh, India on 11 July 1923. She lost her parents at an early age and lived with her brother, who also passed away soon after. The difficult circumstances prevailing in her life forced her to live with her relatives, who comfortably turned her into a servant in exchange for her daily meals. Though she was leading a poor life, Uma had bigger dreams. She learned to read and write Hindi all by herself. Ultimately, she travelled to Bombay to try her luck in the film industry.

Early Career as a Singer

To pursue her dreams, Uma ran from home and went to Bombay. With the help of her friends and their contacts, she got to meet with the famous composer Naushad Ali. Uma tried hard to convince Naushad that she could sing well. In fact, as she was not well-versed with the protocol of the music industry, rumor says that she fearlessly told Naushad that she would throw herself into the ocean if he didn’t give her a chance. Impressed by the level of determination she displayed, Naushad agreed to take her audition, and eventually, Uma got her first break in Nazir's film, “Wamiq Azra” in 1946. Soon after, she also signed a contract with director A. R. Kardar.

Over the course of her lifetime, Uma Devi Khatri gave her voice to many hit songs like "Afsana Likh Rahi Hoon Dil-e-Beqarar Ka", "Aaj Machi Hai Dhoom Jhoom Khushi Se Jhoom", "Yeh Kaun Chala Meri Aankhon Mein Sama Kar" and more. In the meantime, Uma met with her old friend and inspiration, Akhtar Abbas Kazi, who had relocated to Pakistan after the partition. But like a fairytale, they both found their way back to each other and got married.

Uma Devi was at her career's peak when she sang songs for director S. S. Vasan's Chandralekha in 1948, which was also one of her greatest hits. However, in an unfortunate twist, she was caught in a breach of contract as she had already signed a contract with Kardar. Coupled with increased competition due to emerging talented singers like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, it led to her downfall as a singer.

Comeback as a Comedian

As the popular adage goes, fighters never lose and something similar occurred with Uma Devi when her all-time mentor Naushad Ali appreciated her bubbly personality and great comic timing. He advised her to try her luck as a comedian. He aided her in getting a role in Dilip Kumar’s movie ‘Babul’ in 1950. In this manner, emerged the first female Bollywood comedian — Tun Tun.

In the 1960s, Tun Tun became a familiar name in Indian households. She received mass appreciation for her roles in films like ‘Aar Paar’, ‘Mr & Mrs ‘55’, ‘Pyaasa’, ‘Mom ki Gudiya’ and many more. Her substantial overweight played a significant role in her success as a comedy actor. Dark skin, unique facial expression and weight, combined with excellent comic timing helped Tun Tun grow as a comedian in the 1960s.

In her past interviews, Tun Tun said, “My bulk is my trump card. I don’t regret that I am fat. I’m lucky I was born this way. However, that does not mean that I am not in favor of dieting. I agree dieting is essential to maintain a slim and healthy body. But where is the need for me to be slim and ravishingly beautiful?”

In her career as a comedian, Tun Tun acted in nearly 190 films and caused hundreds of thousands of people double up with laughter. Her audience was generous in showering their love on India’s first female Bollywood comedian and bid adieu to her in 2004 when she passed away at the age of 80.

Image Pictured: Uma Devi Khatri on screen