In a newly independent India, Bollywood was flourishing, entering what was later called its Golden Age. In the late-1940s and early-50s, many young actors embarked on their journey of stardom. The biggest among them were the three original superstars – Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, and Raj Kapoor. But there was one star who shone brighter. However, that was brief, ended by a ghastly death.
Independent India’s first superstar
Actor Shyam was the first to taste stardom in new India. Born in 1920, Shyam’s career began in 1942 with the Punjabi film Gowandhi. He began his career in Hindi films two years later after he moved to Bombay. Over the next few years, he established himself as the top star of the industry, working with all the biggest heroines of the time, including Nargis, Suraiya, and Nalini Jayawant. With hits like Aaj Aur Kal (1944), Chandni Raat (1948), and Bazaar (1949), he was independent India’s first true blue star, even bigger than his contemporaries Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Dev Anand.
Shyam’s untimely death
In 1951, Shaam was filming a movie called Shabistan, which starred Naseem Bano opposite him. During the shoot, one scene required his character to ride a horse. As he filmed the scene, Shyam lost his balance and fell, cracking his skull. The actor was immediately rushed to the hospital but he did not make it. Shyam, the reigning Bollywood star, was only 31. By his death, Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor had moved ahead of him in terms of box office pull but many believe to this day that had the star lived, he would given them tough competition.
Shyam’s legacy in Bollywood
Shyam was the inspiration for many youngsters in the 1940s, some of whom even followed his footsteps into Bollywood. Dharmendra was one such star. He idolised Shyam, one of the first Punjabi actors to make it big. Shyam was a friend of screenwriter and novelist Saadat Hasan Manto. In Manto’s biopic directed by Nandita Das in 2018, Tahir Raj Bhasin played Shyam.
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