Hamida Banu (singer)

Hamida Banu was an Indian classical singer and playback singer as well a ghazal singer in Cinema of India in 1930s till 1960s.

Early life
Hamida was born on 19 October in 1928 at Lahore during British India. Hamida and her younger sister loved singing and then a person advised her that she should move to Bombay and try singing in films.

Hamida and her family then moved to Bombay but she couldn't find work so then her family went to Calcutta there she started to act and sing in stage dramas and theatre plays at Prithvi Theatre. She was spotted by Prithviraj Kapoor, he liked her singing and he had her sing in his plays. She met Raj Kapoor in a stage play and he told her that she had a good voice and should act in films then she acted in few films.

She and Shashi Kapoor worked together in stage plays and dramas which were written by Agha Hashar Kashmiri.

Career
Hamida also sang ghazals and geets at stage plays and later she started singing ghazals in films. Then she started singing at All India Radio.

Later actor Bhagwan Dada recommended her to director C. Ramchandra later she sanged Kaun Gali Ka Chhora Pukare in film Sanjog the song was composed by Naushad.

Then she worked in films Raunaq (1944), Nagma-E-Sahara (1945), Amar Raj (1946), Duniya Ek Sarai (1946) Zevaraat (1949), Chor (1951), Rajput (1951).

In 1945 she and Suraiya sanged a deut song in film Main Kya Karoon. In 1948 she did playback singing in film Parai Aag in which she sanged Kuch Bhi Na Kaha the song was composed by Ghulam Mohammed. In 1951 she worked with Geeta Dutt by singing a duet song in Rajput later she did playback singing in film Bikhare Moti by singing Dono Hain Majboor Pyare the song was composed by Ghulam Mohammed.

In 1956 she moved to Pakistan and there she worked at Radio Lahore Pakistan later she started singing songs on musical programs that aired on PTV.

In 1967 she worked as a producer in film Pyar Ki Baazi and then in 1971 she worked as producer in film Gehra Raaz.

In late 1971 she retired and went to live with her son at Lahore.

Personal life
Hamida was married and she had one son.

Death
She died on 9 November 2006, at Lahore, Pakistan.