17 Facts About Meena Shorey

Meena Shorey was a Pakistani film actress who worked first in Indian cinema and later Pakistani cinema.

Meena Shorey started her acting career playing a character role, as Ambhi, Raja of Taxila's sister in Sohrab Modi's Sikandar.

Meena Shorey was acclaimed as the "Lara Lappa Girl", from the song of same title in the film.

Meena Shorey was one of the first women to be recognised in Indian cinema as a "comedienne of calibre".

Meena Shorey was popularly known as The Droll Queen of Partition as she worked as a comedienne [Droll] in both in India and Pakistan.

Meena Shorey was born Khurshid Jehan, on 17 November 1921, in Raiwind, Punjab, British India, the second of four children.

Meena Shorey's family was poor and her father struggled to support the family.

Sikandar in 1941 was the first film Meena Shorey acted in, which had her in the small role of King of Taxila's sister.

Meena Shorey then went on to act as the second lead in three more films under Modi's Minerva Movietone banner, Phir Milenge, Prithvi Vallabh and Pattharon Ka Saudagar.

Meena Shorey finally freed herself from the contract by taking Modi's wife Mehtab's help, getting the amount of money asked for by Modi, lowered.

The playback singing was provided by Lata Mangeshkar, and though it's counted as one of Lata's earliest hits, the person mainly remembered for the song is the actress lip-syncing it in the film, Meena Shorey, who became "known thereafter as the Lara-Lappa Girl".

In 1953, in Ek Do Teen, Meena Shorey tried to recreate the magic of Ek Thi Ladki, by continuing with the same "Lara Lappa" theme.

Meena Shorey was paired with Motilal, and music was provided by Vinod.

Meena Shorey was well received in Lahore and she decided to stay back when her husband returned to India.

Meena Shorey went on to become the "first Pakistani actress to model for Lux" and became known as the "Lux Lady of Pakistan".

Meena Shorey had three children including two sons from one of her marriages later she adopted a girl.

Meena Shorey died on 3 September 1989, in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.