M. Kumar

Kumar, originally Syed Ali Hasan Zaidi, popped into the world in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, smack dab in one of those old-school, respected Shia Syed families. People close to him just called him Mir Mujjan—feels way more personal, right? He didn’t start out as “Kumar” though; that happened after a couple of film gigs. He kicked off his acting journey at New Theatres in Calcutta, jumping into movies like "Subah Ka Tara" and "Zinda Lash" back in 1932. In both, he played second fiddle while K. L. Saigal and Rattan Bai were stealing the spotlight. But then came "Pooran Bhagat," where he really started getting noticed and the name “Kumar” stuck. After that, he was everywhere—"Yahudi Kee Larki," "Watan," "Suhag," "Shehr Ka Jadoo," "Maa Ka Pyar," the legendary "Mughal-e-Azam," and a bunch more. Somewhere along the way, he married Pramella, an actress who was kind of a big deal herself. Together, they cranked out movies under their banner, Silver House—think "Naseeb," "Jhankar," "Barey Nawab Sahab," and "Devar." Not too shabby for a family business. Then, in 1963, Kumar packed his bags for Pakistan and didn’t waste a minute before diving back into films. His son, S. A. Hafiz, later directed "Tauba," a film that blew up, starring Kamal and Zeba. Kumar himself kept acting in Pakistani movies—"Head Constable," "Azad," "Shabnam," "Naela," "Saiqa," "Sajda," and more. He kept at it until his death in 1982, leaving a legacy that stretched across borders.