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If we look back at the pages of the golden history of Indian cinema, we come across the names of many great artists whose art and talent immortalized the silver screen forever. One such versatile artist was Surendra Nath Sharma, who is mainly known as ‘Surendra’ in the Hindi film industry. At a time when the world of Indian music and acting was ruled by legendary artists like KL Sehgal, a young man from the soil of Punjab left his law degree and advocacy profession and moved to the city of dreams, Bombay (Mumbai). The position he achieved in the film industry overnight on the basis of his melodious and soulful voice is an example for today’s generation as well. When famous filmmaker Mehboob Khan noticed him, he launched this talented artist in his films as both an actor and singer. This journey of Surendra is proof that when true dedication and ancestral art come together, history gets created automatically.
This veteran artist of the early era of Indian cinema was born on 11 September 1910 in Batla village of Punjab. Talking about his early life and education, he completed his academic studies with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a law degree i.e. LLB. (LL.B.) examination. At the beginning of his career, he was preparing to make a strong mark for himself in the world of advocacy, but the musician and artist sitting within him was constantly calling him. Since childhood, he had a special passion for singing, and one of his close friends advised him to make this gifted talent his main career. What happened next, a little advice from a friend changed the direction of his life. He left everything and came to Mumbai to turn his dreams into reality. In that era, it was not easy for new artists to make their place, but a visionary personality like Mehboob Khan recognized the precious gem hidden within him, who was going to become a shining star of Hindi cinema in the future.
Surendra’s film career formally started with the 1936 film ‘Deccan Queen’, in which Mehboob Khan launched him as a lead actor and singer. He was seen as a strong and powerful alternative to KL Sehgal in the industry. His lucky star shone when he sang a parody of KL Sehgal’s very popular song ‘Balam Aaye…’ in his unique and husky voice in the name of ‘Birha Ki Aag Lagi…’. This song became so popular with the audience that it became popular across the country overnight. After this, he gave a series of classic songs one after the other. The songs sung by him like ‘Tumhi ne mujhko prem sikhaya…’, ‘Bhanwar Madhuban mein ja..’, ‘Bhiksha de de maa..’, ‘Allah naam ras peena prani..’ and ‘Prem bina sab suna..’ became the heartbeat of every music lover of that era. The depth of his voice and clarity of articulation enthralled audiences, and he became one of the most loved singers of his generation.
The most golden chapter of Surendra’s singing journey was written when he spread the magic of his voice with the great and popular singer of his time, Malika-e-Ternum Noorjahan. Almost all his duet songs with Noorjahan went on to become ‘cult classics’ in history. The most popular and evergreen song of their magical duo ‘Awaaz De Kahan Hai..’ is still alive in the minds of music lovers. Apart from this, he enriched the cinema world with heart touching songs like ‘Kyun yaad aa rahe gujar hue zamane..’ and ‘Ab kaun hai mera..’. Another very famous song of his, ‘Teri Yaad Ka Deepak Jalta Hai Din Raat’ remains a cult following even after more than seven decades, without losing its sweetness and relevance. Not only Noorjahan, but she also sang many superhit songs with other eminent singers and actresses of her time, which are still considered a very important part of the heritage of Indian music.
Along with his excellent singing, Surendra was also a very brilliant and experienced actor. He played important roles in many iconic and historical films in his long career, including classics like ‘Mughal-e-Azam’, ‘Dil Deke Dekho’ and ‘Rani Roopmati’. In whatever films he acted, his singing skills always proved to be icing on the cake. Very few people would be aware that Mehboob Khan’s iconic film ‘Mother India’, which proved to be a milestone in the history of Indian cinema, was actually a Hindi remake of an earlier film of Surendra. In the year 1940, Surendra played a very important and powerful role in the film ‘Aurat’ directed by Mehboob Khan. Seeing the tremendous success of that film and the impact of its story, Mehboob Khan later recreated it as ‘Mother India’ with new dimensions and grandeur. This journey of Surendra, who has left his indelible mark on the canvas of cinema from the books of advocacy, is not only an important part of the glorious story of Indian cinema, but it is also a proof that art is not limited to any particular scope.