Meet Bollywood's first female composer who was born in a 'Kotha', daughter, son-in law were superstars, grandkids are..

The means of entertainment in India 100 years ago were different. For rich people, a 'Kotha' used to be the only means of watching dance and singing. But gradually, the fame of a 'Kotha' started declining and films took up the responsibility of entertainment. Time passed and the medium changed and the medium of films started becoming stronger. In the 1930s, the fire of revolution was burning in India as there was a war against British rule. During this period, the film business also started to reach its peak. A female musician also entered the film world. This musician was very beautiful and had taken music training in a brothel since childhood. She was also born in a brothel. This female musician sowed the seed of her art which is still growing like a lush green tree even after 100 years. The grandson of this first female musician of Bollywood is a superstar today. By now you must have known that we are talking about Jaddanbai, superstar Nargis' mother and Sanjay Dutt's grandmother. 

Jaddanbai Hussain was born around 1892 to Mia Jaan and Daleepabai in then-Banaras. Miyan Jaan died when she was five. Jaddanbai moved to the city and became a singer. Jaddanbai then approached Shrimant Ganpat Rao (Bhaiya Saheb Scindia) of Calcutta to learn music and became his student. After his death, she completed her training under Ustad Moinuddin Khan along with Ustad Chaddu Khan Saheb and Ustad Laab Khan Saheb. With time, her music became popular and she became an even more famous tawaif than her mother.

Jaddanbai who was already a successful singer later began acting when the Play Art Photo Tone Company of Lahore approached her for a role. Jaddanbai, after working in a few films, then started her own production company called Sangeet Films. She produced the film 'Talashe Haq' in 1935 and also introduced her daughter Nargis as a child artist. 

Jaddanbai fell in love and got married thrice in her lifetime. Her first marriage was to a wealthy Gujarati Hindu businessman Narottamdas Khatri who converted to Islam upon marriage. Together, the couple had a son named Akhtar Hussain.

Her second marriage was to Ustaad Irshad Meer Khan with whom she had her second son, actor Anwar Hussain. Jaddanbai then got married a third time to Mohanchand Uttamchand Tyagi who also converted to Islam and adopted the name Abdul Rashid upon marriage. Film actress Nargis was their daughter.

After Nargis' marriage, Jaddanbai became the mother-in-law of Sunil Dutt and the maternal grandmother of Priya, Namrata, and Sanjay Dutt.

Jaddanbai died on April 8, 1949. As a mark of respect to this pioneer of Indian cinema, the shooting of films was cancelled and studios were closed for a day.