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Shyam: The Big Heart behind the Swashbuckling Hero

April 25, 2018 | By

Shyam – the screen idol of the forties with his irresistible charm, good looks, style and panache left behind a brief but redoubtable repertoire of films. Even 67 years after his untimely death, Indian cinema remembers this actor with awe and affection. In an interview with Silhouette Magazine, Bimal Chadha, the nephew of Shyam, (eldest son of Shyam’s younger brother Harbans Chadha), revealed the other facet of the flamboyant hero. Shyam (born Sunder Shyam Chadha) had a heart of gold with abundant love, compassion, affection and caring for his family, friends, co-workers and even the starry-eyed fans. Bimal ji and his family have lovingly treasured Shyam’s memories, photos, letters, handwritten cards, books and belongings.

Shyam hero in Hindi films

Shyam (Sunder Shyam Chadha – February 20, 1920-April 25, 1951)

He radiated style, charisma and chivalry. The tall, strapping, stunningly handsome man, with razor-sharp features, neatly brushed hair and trimmed moustache is one name which will invariably make it to the list of most striking heroes of Hindi films. In the eighties, this writer remembers, the lone Chitrahaar on Doordarshan would typically have one of his hit songs (usually Tu mera chand main teri chandni), although compared to his contemporaries, his repertoire of films was much smaller, as his career was cut short abruptly with his untimely death on 25th April, 1951, at the age of 30. Shooting for the Filmistan production Shabistan at China Creek in Ghodbunder, Shyam, an expert at riding horses, accidentally fell from his horse. The fall turned fatal.

The manner in which The Times of India news item of his death began its lead paragraph speaks volumes about the star’s aura. “High, wide and handsome Shyam, most popular of the Indian screen’s male stars, idol of millions of film-goers throughout India and adored by lakhs in Bombay where he was mobbed at every appearance, went laughing off to work from his Chembur home on Wednesday morning. By afternoon, he was dead.” (Source: The Times of India, 26th April, 1951)

His sudden death sent shockwaves across the film industry and his fans. People thronged the streets, pulled chains to stop trains to catch a glimpse of him and joined the massive procession as the star set off on his last journey.

Tu mera chand main teri chandni (Dillagi, 1949) Naushad / Shakeel Badayuni / Shyam and Suraiya

Shyam, the Family Man

Shyam and Naseem Bano

Shyam and Naseem Bano in Chandni Raat

Shyam, the actor, the star and the swashbuckling hero of several hits in the forties, lived life large and beautiful, like the dreams he spun on screen. But little did the world know that there was another side to him, a heart that had immense love and compassion for all people dear to him – his family, his friends, his colleagues and yes, even the obscure unit people, the humble lightboys, the gawky-eyed young aspirants… the list is vast.

“He was an out-an-out ‘family first’ man. His career came second,” says Bimal Chadha, the nephew of Shyam, who has deeply fond and vivid memories of his uncle, their home, the eclectic environment that sparkled with laughter, creativity, family time, playfulness and bonhomie with the legends of the film world walking in without a hitch for some relaxed fun.

Though the polish and style of a star was his persona for the world at large, at home, he was still the boy of a simple, rural lifestyle. The eldest of four brothers and one sister, Shyam was born in Sialkot and grew up in a loving household of closely knit siblings and affectionate parents.

Shyam had the looks and pizzazz of a Hollywood star. (news item in Film India, dated Feb. 1943, announcing his debut in Mann Ki Jeet)

“An all-rounder, Shyam took to theatre in a big way, while studying in Gordon College, Rawalpindi. He became the President of the Dramatics Society, excelling in plays and had a passion for playing tennis. When he passed out of college, he had built up name as a good actor with loads of stage presence,” says Bimal ji. “When he moved to Lahore, in search of films or theatre, his reputation followed him. And a lot of people who went to see him in his plays were people from the film industry. They spotted him. But he did have to struggle a lot,” he adds. And acting wasn’t his only expertise. An extremely well read person, Shyam excelled in English and Urdu. He used to write weekly columns in both languages for newspapers.

Shyam stepped into films with the Punjabi film Gowandi (1942), co-starring well-known actors such as M Ismail, Veena, Manorama and Asha Posley but returned to Lahore after it. Two years later, his break into Hindi films came with Mann Ki Jeet (1944) when W Z Ahmed, the owner of a beautiful studio in Poona, launched Shyam under the banner of Shalimar Films. And the person cast as Shyam’s heroine was none other than Ahmed’s wife Neena. Such was the trust the impeccably well-mannered and courteous Shyam had built up among the people who came to know him. Singing star Suraiya’s uncle Zahoor Rana, had no qualms about allowing his niece to work with Shyam and the duo went on to do several films together including Char Din and Naach and among the biggest hit of Shyam’s career, Dillagi.

The Bombay Talkies production Majboor (1948) was Shyam’s first big hit. Shyam went on to work with the lead actresses of the era, delivering a string of hits in the late forties. With Naseem Bano, described as “Beauty Queen of the Silver Screen” he did M. Ehsan’s Chandni Raat; with Nargis it was Meena Bazar and Chhoti Bhabhi; with Nigar Sultana it was Patanga, Sangeeta, K Amarnath’s Bazar and Shaheed Lateef’s Shikayat, with Munawar Sultana it was the hit Kaneez and Raat Ki Rani.

Shyam and Nigar Sultana

Shyam and Nigar Sultana worked together in several hit films

The Famed Friendship: Shyam and Manto

Saadat Hasan Manto (Pic courtesy: Mid-Day)

It was in Bombay Talkies that his friendship with renowned writer Saadat Hasan Manto struck firm roots. “Manto and Shyam were two bodies, one soul,” says Bimal ji. In his book Stars from Another Sky (a translation from Urdu of Manto’s experiences of the Bombay film industry), Manto dedicated the most poignant and heart-warming chapter to Shyam titled ‘Murli Ki Dhun’ (Shyam: Krishna’s Flute). Manto was then an employee with Bombay Talkies where Shyam had got a contract for a film but the money came in as a trickle. Those were the days of struggle and the two buddies shared an apartment and expenses.

Murli Ki Dhun is replete with incidents that bring to life the large-heartedness of Shyam and their deep, intense friendship. One day when Shyam had received a tidy sum and Manto had no money on him, while returning on a train, Shyam halved a wad of ten rupee notes and asked his friend to take one bundle. Manto took one and got down at the station. Shyam had to go to meet another friend and as the train moved away Shyam waved some money at his friend and shouted, ‘for safety’s sake I had kept this money away’, laughing at his own joke.

Dillagi 1949

An advertisement of Dillagi in The Times of India (dated 15 October 1949), promoting the film with figures of its box-office collections.
(Pic courtesy: The Times of India)

Manto and Shyam shared their thoughts, works and dreams. If Shyam would be privy to the stories Manto wrote, Manto would know everything about the films he was doing and his co-stars and colleagues. Shyam’s home in Poona saw a steady stream of visitors from the world of films and literature including screenwriter and author Krishan Chander, poet-lyricists Rajinder Krishan and Raja Mehdi Ali Khan among others. Some of their rollicking drinking sessions led to hilarious incidents which Manto detailed in ‘Murli Ki Dhun’. “Shyam bahut buland baan thha. Uski har baat, uski har harkat, uski har ada, oonche suron mein hoti thhi,” writes Manto.

When success secured Shyam’s financial status, he made sure that the whimsical and spendthrift Manto should have enough money to take care of his small kids and wife.

“After Manto migrated to Pakistan, Shyam would pine for his friend, and write letters to him. Manto would not reply. Shyam would get worried and send messages to his distributors, asking them to send money to him on his behalf,” says Chadha. Manto never had to ask, Shyam would intuitively know his friend’s needs.

Explains Bimal ji, “Shyam was completely against Manto’s decision to move to Pakistan and tried to persuade him to change his mind but Manto would not budge. The two friends stopped talking to each other.”

Meena Bazar was another Nargis-Shyam starrer

In Murli Ki Dhun, Manto fondly recalls the goodbye the two friends bid each other, as he set sail for Karachi. The day Manto was to leave, Shyam had come back from the shooting to see his friend off. He shared two drinks with his friend, not speaking a word, and then stood up and said, ‘Chalein’? He helped him with his luggage and kept cracking jokes all the way to the Mumbai seaport. When Manto was boarding the jetty at the ship’s whistle, Shyam shook his friend’s hand, cried, Hiptullha! and walked away down the gangway in firm strides without looking back.

And if you are wondering what is ‘Hiptullha!’, it was a word coined by Manto, spun from an odd-sounding name of a cricketer he had noticed in a newspaper and he used it liberally as an exclamation or an expression of excellence till the coinage became popular in the film circles with several derivatives such as something that needs to be “hiptullized” or something is not “hiptullha enough”. When in a gathering, a curious Ashok Kumar had asked Shyam what it meant, a guffawing Shyam had simply termed it as a “Mantoism”.

Bimal ji explains, when Shyam visited Lahore for a premiere of a film, the day he landed he sought out the whereabouts of his friend. By that time he had become a star and was hounded by fans. Though Manto met up with him and the two friends hugged each other in delight, the steady stream of visitors and crowds of fans did not let them spend much time with each other.

Bolo ji dil loge (Patanga, 1949) C Ramchandra / Rajinder Krishan / Shamshad Begum and Rafi

It was an Era of Creativity and Excellence

Suraiya and Shyam

Naach poster starring Suraiya and Shyam

That was Shyam, a happy-go-lucky man, a caring, affectionate, and doting friend, son, brother, father, husband, uncle – showering his love and laughter on everyone dear to him. Among his closest pals from Lahore and Rawalpindi was actor Om Prakash. Their bond of friendship prompted them to buy houses opposite each other in Union Park (named Shyam Park after the actor’s death and now renamed as Maitreyi Park), off the Chembur Naka Road. A narrow path connected the Union Park road locality with RK Studios. Along the same stretch of road were the homes of actor-director Kishore Sahu, filmmaker Ramesh Saigal, Trilok Kapoor, actress Nalini Jaywant and further down, around the turn, lived Ashok Kumar. The era and the environment would be thriving with creativity.

“I have very strong memories of those days as I was the first born of our generation in the family and the most loved one,” says Bimal ji. When Shyam took on a negative role for Ramesh Saigal’s Samadhi, it was much debated among his friends who were aghast about how can a hero, a star, play a negative role. Shyam got his green signal from his mother as Ramesh Saigal was a close friend. Samadhi, woven around Netaji Subhas’ Indian National Army, starring Ashok Kumar and Nalini Jaywant in the lead, was a superhit with an iconic song Gore gore o banke chhore topping the charts. Shyam’s role earned much appreciation too. Music director C Ramchandra scored hit music for several of Shyam’s films including Samadhi, Patanga, Sangeeta and Shabistan. They were all friends and very happy for each other. It was a different era.

Shyam was deeply in love with his wife Mumtaz Qureshi (nicknamed Taji), a beautiful lady and aspiring actress. The apple of his eye was his daughter Sahira. When Shyam passed away, she was one year old and his son Shakir (named Shekhar at birth) was born two months later in June.

Bimal Chadha

Bimal Chadha, nephew of Shyam, currently engaged in writing a book on his Uncle

Taji migrated to Pakistan and the two children grew up there. Sahira went on to become a popular TV actress with her famed husband the producer-director-actor Rahat Kazmi, making popular television serials such as Dhoop Kinare and Parchhaiyyan, starring her. Sahira’s son is also an actor and is now working in Hollywood. Shakir, who is said to resemble his father, lives in London. Says Bimal ji, “Shyam was most loved by the entire family. Not a day went without my parents remembering him. There are pictures of him in all our homes. He lived and loved and spread happiness.”

As Manto describes Shyam with soul-touching affection in Murli Ki Dhun:

Woh har khubsoorat cheez pe marta thha.
Mera khayal hai ki maut zaroor khubsoorat hogi, warna woh kabhi na marta.
Usko tapish aur hiddat se pyar thha. Log kehte hain ki maut ke haath thande hote hain. Main nahin manta.
Shyam thande haathon ka bilkul kaayal nahin thha. Agar wakai maut ke haath thande hote to usne bas yeh kehkar ek taraf jhatak diye hote, ‘Hato Badi Bi. Tum mein khuloos nahin’.

Kaho ek baar (Shabistan, 1951) C Ramchandra / Qamar Jalalabadi / Geeta Dutt and Talat Mahmood

Shyam’s Filmography

Gowandi (1942) (Punjabi) – with M Ismail, Veena, Manorama and Asha Posley
Khamoshi (1942) – with Ramola
Man Ki Jeet (1944) – with Neena, Rajkumari
Room No. 9 (1946) – with Geeta Nizami
Aaj aur Kal (1947) – with Nita, Nayantara
Majboor (1947) – with Munawar Sultana
Shikayat (1948) – with Nigar Sultana
Bazaar (1949) – with Nigar Sultana
Chandani Raat (1949) – with Naseem Bano
Chaar Din (1949) – with Suraiya
Dada (1949) – with Munawar Sulltana
Dillagi (1949) – with Suraiya
Kaneez (1949) – with Munawar Sultana and Kuldip Kaur
Naach (1949) – with Suraiya
Patanga (1949) – with Nigar Sultana
Raat ki Raani (1949) – with Munawar Sultana
Sangeeta (1949) – with Nigar Sultana
Chhoti Bhabhi (1950) – with Nargis
Meena Bazar (1950) – with Nargis
Nirdosh (1950) – with Kuldip Kaur
Samadhi (1950) – with Ashok Kumar and Nalini Jaywant
Suraj Mukhi (1950) – with Rehana
Wafa (1950) – with Nimmi
Kale Badal (1950) – with Meena Shorey
Madhuban (1950)
Dharkan (1951)
Bhaiyya Ji (1951)
Shabistan (1951) – with Naseem Bano

Murli Ki Dhun (Mahmood Farooqui reads reminiscences of Shyam by Saadat Hasan Manto published in Manto’s collection of essays Stars from Another Sky

Pictures used in this article are courtesy Bimal Chadha, unless otherwise attributed.

Books by Saadat Hasan Manto

Creative Writing

Whether you are new or veteran, you are important. Please contribute with your articles on cinema, we are looking forward for an association. Send your writings to amitava@silhouette-magazine.com

Editor in Chief, Learning and Creativity; Consulting Editor, Silhouette Magazine. A former business journalist, Antara writes extensively on the changing trends of music, direction and filmmaking in cinema. Her articles aim to provide well-researched information on the legends of cinema for the movie and music enthusiast. She is also the Founder-Editor of Blue Pencil, a New Delhi-based publishing house. She edited and published Incomparable Sachin Dev Burman, the biography of SD Burman written by HQ Chowdhury. She has co-authored a chapter on Hemant Kumar's Bengali music in the acclaimed book The Unforgettable Music of Hemant Kumar, written by Manek Premchand. Her articles have also been published in Dearcinema.com and Du-kool.com. Antara is Editor-Creative Director of Wisitech InfoSolutions Pvt. Ltd.
All Posts of Antara Nanda Mondal

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30 thoughts on “Shyam: The Big Heart behind the Swashbuckling Hero

  • Silhouette Magazine

    Some comments received on Facebook on this article:

    Sundeep Pahwa: Excellent is one word for this article.

    Antara: Thank you Sundeep ji 🙂 _()_

    Lakshmi Priya: I like Shyam very much. He looked like a Hollywood hero. I feel very sad that he passed away tragically. If only he lived on to do many films. Such a heart touching article . Thank you Bimal Chadha for your personal involvement in this article. We got to know so much more about him as my knowledge was only from what Manto wrote.

    Sundeep Pahwa: A lot many are looking forward to the book he is writing on his late uncle,i literaly have to push him to complete. Lets all ask Bimal Chadha to complete the unfinished task

    Lakshmi Priya: Yes indeed !!!

    Antara: Yes, we are all eagerly looking forward to it 🙂

    Bimal Chadha: Lakshmi you have been a part of sourcing material for me. Thank You

    Bimal Chadha: Lakshmi Priya, Having spent time with her for the article and earlier history, she is a deep rooted Editor. Her works are her testimony. A thorough professional with a style of her own.
    She has a long way to go, a very long way to go. My blessings

    Antara: Thank you so much Lakshmi Priya, Sundeep ji, Bimal ji…. i am deeply humbled and grateful at such wow words of appreciation. 😊🙏For once I am falling short of words 🙂 Delighted! All your blessings and good wishes are my fuel and inspiration… Thank you truly. Must say interviewing Bimal ji was an enriching and enlightening experience which will remain with me always… to be cherished

    Bimal Chadha: Antara Nanda Mondal, I am humbled 🙏

    Antara: Bimal ji… you opened up new, amazing vistas for me. It was a surprising and delightful journey towards understanding the heart behind the star 🙂 🙏

    Uday Dravid: Unke har filmke sabhi ke sabhi gaane superhit rahe hai.

    Taiyeb Shaikh: My memories with Shyam is the movie Dillagi which I saw may be in 60s and later few times. I read in film magazines about his accidental death that time. This is a very informative post on a great legend of Indian Cinema. Manto is a big name in Urdu literature. I read him in school days. It’s very heart touching to hear Murli ki dhun by Manto. It’s nice to know that Maitri Park was Shyam Park. I never knew it as since 1971 I know it’s Maitri Park. Another Classic Post Antara ji, Salutes.

    Antara: Thank you so much Taiyeb Shaikh ji….Delighted to know you liked the article. Even I was not aware of the deep connection between Shyam and Manto before I spoke to Bimal ji. Working on the article was a learning experience 🙂

    Taiyeb Shaikh: Coincidentally I saw most of plays of Rahat and Sahira Kazmi. We used to call Rahat Dilip Kumar of Pak Serials for his personality & powerful dialogue delivery. We started watching Pak dramas after Ankahi which was very popular those days. All these dramas are beautifully written by Hasina Moin a big name in dramas those days since her first superhit Ankahi serial. Rahat was not in Ankahi or Tanhayian. Haseena Moin was popular for writing strong female characters like in Ankahi and Tanhayian. Shehnaz Sheikh and Marina Khan left mark as wonderful actresses on us. From Golden memories of Saudi Arabia.

    Bimal Chadha: Yes both are very talented and loving warm persons

    Taiyeb Shaikh: Yes very true

    Rani Vadlamannati: Beautiful and informative post

    Sanjay Banerjee: Wow!! What a tribute Antara!! You do a lot of research work..Such a detailed analysis of a great hero ,his association with Manto was a surprise to me ,my best regards to him, his family and specially to Bimalji.. Thanks once again for a wonderful treat Antara..!!👍👍💐💐

    Antara: Thank you Sanjay Da! The research and the insights I owe to Bimal ji… a never seen before look at Shyam 🙂

    Nutsure Satwik: My heartfelt tribute to Shyam and his extended family including Bimal ji. I have had the privilege of attending the first of ‘Murli ki dhun’ a dastangoi by Mahmood Farouqui. I always wondered why Shyam was so far missing from your archives. Excellent piece which has nullified all my queries and heartaches with bonus. Hundreds of wow to you Antara di. Keep it up. ..

    Antara: Thank you Nutsure Satwik ji… Bimal ji introduced me to Murli Ki Dhun, which was new to me. And I was amazed at the deep friendship they shared. And the gold nuggets of information came from Bimal ji himself… I will remember this beautiful experience.

    Bakshish Singh: Wonderful tribute to the GREAT HERO and Great research Antara. Thanks

    Antara: Thank you Bakshish Singh ji… Bimal ji helped me develop this story with all the rich information from all angles.

    Kalyan K: Great article. Manto has also written about him.

    Antara: Thank you Kalyan ji… Yes, I have mentioned Manto’s tribute to Shyam in detail. It was an eye opener for me 🙂

    Mahesh Sagar: A vey well researched article and a wonderful tribute to Shyam … great work.. Antara

    Antara: Thank you so much Mahesh ji 🙂 🙏deeply grateful!

  • Monica Kar

    Wow! A name that had just been associated with “another” hero of yesteryears for me – Shyam – was just brought to life, in many dimensions, thanks to this beautifully covered article.
    Many, many thanks, Antara and Bimal Chadha ji. Not only for bringing Shyam to life, but also a dimension of Manto to life that had been unknown to me before to me – that of a friend.
    Antara – Heptullah!

  • Vispy R Saher

    What wonderful memories and such a handsome man. Afraid I wasn’t much into regional or Hindi cinema then, but the song “Tu mera chand…….is memorable and I remember it from my youth

  • Vijay Chadha

    I thank my Brother Bimal for his efforts.

    We have fond memories of Shyam Daddy …that is how we addressed him. Our memories of our childhood have been shared with our children and grand children too. One could write volume after volume on the person he was.

    Our lives are influenced by his personality in many ways….
    A star in the true sense….He will live with always.

  • Gurpreet Singh Anand m

    Befitting tribute by one of his own Bimal ji has had an inner cord with his uncle that when I meet him invariably our discussions veer around to his father and his uncle Shyam.

    It has been my honour to research and find their ancestral home in Rupwal to recall their glorious past that still stands out in the village in Chakwal .
    These travails of 1947 displacement brought out best in those uprooted and Shyam is well remembered for his big heartedness by those who became recipient of his magnanimity .

    I am grateful for having read this post and recalling my small association with legendary Chadha family of Rupwal where Shyam was born.

    1. Bimal Chadha

      Many thanks Gurpreet Ji.
      You have been instrumental in connecting the whole Chadha clan to its roots from Roopwal where we all originated, including Shyam
      A correction Shyam was born in Sialkot

  • Shikha Biswas Vohra

    I didn’t see any films of Shyam. But I have a vivid memory of the day Shyam died although I was barely four years old. My mother, an actress and producer in her own right, was crying inconsolably. She took my hand and said she was taking me to see the most handsome man in. India. We drove far to a hospital, I think it was Bombay Hospital where miles of people were in a queue, sobbing. It took us the entire day to enter a lobby where his body had been kept for darshan. It was darkening by the time we left. Such was his popularity. And the magnitude and fame of the man. My first encounter with the far reach of films and how it could make unknown people your own. So I am glad that Bimal’s book will bring the legend to us

  • Adv. Vikram Swaran Singh Chadha

    Tayaji was a well read man.
    On a chance meeting with Music director Naushadji and Actor Janki Das ji i found them deeply moved by a just mention of the legend.

  • Ganapathy Subramanian

    My heartfelt tributes to Hero Shyam, his family and also Bimal Chadhaji.
    As they say…. Deep Diving only get you Pearls…. The information provided in this article are pearls for keeps…..
    Antara…. A Well researched and a lucid presentation. His close friendship with Manto dwelt in detail was a revelation.An illuminous career in a life unfortunately snuffed too early…. My Bows to Late Hero Shyam

  • Gopal Pillai

    In every age, in every field of human endeavour there are transcenders who set new benchmarks. They are venerated and eulogised. But there some unfortunate ones who become the bridge for others to traverse to glory.

    Suraiya did it for Lata. G M Durrani for Rafi. If you gather what I mean. This is not to belittle the later achievements of Rafi or Lata. They had it in them, but the audience taste was tempered to accept their voice by their forerunners

    In the same context, it was Motilal and Shyam who departed from the old style of dramatic stage acting to modern cinematic method acting. The suave debonair actor Shyam did it to a larger extent for his next generation of actors. We owe him that respect and recognition, otherwise we fail as true cineaste.

    KalyanMusicClubGroup@facebook

    1. Bimal Chadha

      Thank you for your critique, friend.
      You yourself are a stalwart, who has plethora of knowledge, we learn from you.
      Yes you have brought out very well the two artistes, who broke away from the conventional old theatrical form of acting.

  • Monica Mehta

    Wow! What a well researched and written article.
    Have grown up listening to this legends anecdotes from my grandfather, so full of life and energy, for whom family meant everything. Pity he left the world when he did.

    1. Bimal Chadha

      Yes, you grew with the pictures of his in the house.
      You also heard the memories of him from both Daddy and Mummy, as you grew up.
      Antara is a deep rooted Editor who helped me with the research, called the shots.

  • H. L. Chadha

    Dear Bimal Ji,
    A heart warming description of a legend who had roots in Roopwal, the place of my birth. It brought tears to my eyes. The writer as well as the providers of facts have done a commendable job.

    I can imagine the sharp features, fair complexion of a well built youth in 40s would have brought upheaval in the film industry. That his habits and behaviour were a reflection of a great family he belonged to. His acting was perfect to the role. I believe he used to sing himself. I can go on and on of what I heard about him.

    Just one instance that brings out the attributes of him. A distant relation from Delhi reached his house in Bombay and was stopped at the gate. The person told the guard to go and tell Shyam Ji that Mr Bhasin from Delhi has come and the next moment Shyam Bhai Sahib came running out to receive him. This reminds me of Krishan Sudama episode and probably a book about him is correctly named Murli Ki Dhun. I knew late Harbans Chadha Ji (Bans Bhapa Ji as we fondly used to call him) very well but about him on another occasion. May their souls rest in peace.

    1. Bimal Chadha

      Yes, you originate from our roots from the same village.
      Your description of the village is locked in my proposed book.
      You have been most gracious in your comments as a tribute to the departed brothers.
      A minor correction: Shyam did not sing the songs.
      There was another Shyam Kumar who sang for him and other actors.

  • Radhika Kapoor

    Incredible write up of an evergreen legend Shyamji. What an enigma who achieved so much and gave back to the society in his short life span.

    His place and stature in Hindi film world is unshakable and unparalleled.

    This biography on Shyam Ji from a personal perspective will revive the beauty of that era when men were proud to be gentlemen. I salute and cherish his memory!

  • Javed D Rana

    Dear Bimal Chadha ji
    I have been a great admirer of late Shyam JI and I drove liking from my late uncle (chacha) who himself was a great fan of him and had many personal memories about great Shayam ji My request to Bimal ji for an update about the book he said was under his pen if that has been published please let me know where it is available ? The last note of Birmal Chadha dates April 29, 2018 on this page by now I hope book shall be in market . with best regards to Chadha family I am J D Rana From Toronto Canada March 31. 2022

  • Javed D Rana

    Dear Bimal Chadha ji

    I am J D Rana from Toronto Canada and request you to update me if the book you were writing in memory of your uncle is available now . I see your last insertions dated April 29 , 2018 and I hope by now that book on life of great Shyam Chadha must have been in market . Wish you best of health and state of life affairs.
    Kind regards J D Rana 30 March 2022

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