1. Patience Cooper was an Anglo-Indian actress, and one of the early superstars of Bollywood.
15 Facts About Patience Cooper
1. 2.
Patience Cooper was known as The Siren of the Silent Era, The Dancing Star and The Silent Screen Star during the silent era of films in Indian Cinema.
3.
Patience Cooper is stated to be one of the "prominent" leading ladies of the "pioneering era" of Indian cinema along with Mehtab, Bibbo, Durga Khote, Gohar, Devika Rani, Susan Solomon and Indira Devi.
4.
An Anglo-Indian born in Howrah, West Bengal, and baptised on 30 May 1905, Cooper had a successful career in both silent and sound films.
5.
Patience Cooper began her career as a dancer in Bandmann's Musical Comedy, a Eurasian troupe.
6.
Patience Cooper later joined Jamshedji Framji Madan's Corinithian Stage Company as an actress.
7.
Patience Cooper went on trips to several countries such as Germany, Poland, Austria, Paris, Europe, Japan, China, London and United States.
8.
Patience Cooper took part in a beauty contest in England which she won.
9.
The film was made as a bid for an international breakthrough for Madan Theatres and featured many Europeans in the cast along with Patience Cooper who played the female lead, Suniti.
10.
Patience Cooper played Leelavati in the film, directed by the great JJ Madan himself, advocating that women should be devoted to their husband.
11.
Patience Cooper acted in over 80 films until she retired in 1947, after performing in her last film, Khan Saheb.
12.
The low number of women, especially Hindus, in the film industry during the 1920s meant Anglo-Indian actresses like Patience Cooper, were in demand.
13.
Patience Cooper then married Gul Hamid Khan, one of the first early silent movie actors.
14.
Patience Cooper remained friends with MAH Ispahani until the end of her life.
15.
Patience Cooper changed her name to Sabra Begum and lived the last of her days with her two adopted daughters Zeenat and Haleema in Karachi, Pakistan.