Became orphan in childhood(childhood)

Tun Tun: Whenever the Laughter Queen is talked about, only one name comes to people’s (childhood)  mind and that is Bharti Singh, but do you know the name of India’s first Laughter Queen, who was a multi-talented person. She was none other than singer actor Tun Tun. Today we will tell you everything about her, starting from her real name.

The real name of comedian of yesteryears Tun Tun is Uma Devi Khatri. Today is Uma Devi’s 101st birth anniversary. Uma Devi Khatri’s life was no less than an emotional film. Her life was a mixture of both inspiration and tragedy, it was made up of threads of many emotions. Despite giving her melodious voice to 45 songs and giving her voice in about 180 films, her legacy is still unknown to many people. Uma was a resident of a village near Amroha in Uttar Pradesh. Her family was murdered due to a land dispute, leaving her orphaned at a young age. Her parents’ faces were already erased from her memory, as she was raised by relatives who treated her more like a maid than a family member.

Started her career with radio

Amidst these challenging circumstances, Uma found solace in radio, which became her closest companion. She would escape the clutches of her relatives and immerse herself in the tunes of the radio, singing the songs of her childhood. It was during these moments that her dream of becoming a playback singer for films was born. Wanting to turn her desires and aspirations into reality, Uma fled to Bombay at the age of 23 in search of her new reality. With her bubbly and cheerful personality, her sense of humor and simple speaking style, she became very popular. These qualities proved to be invaluable assets in her career as they marked two of the most important points of her life in the entertainment industry.

Achieved her own success
In 1945, driven by her determination and passion for singing, Uma presented herself at Naushad Ali’s doorstep and made a bold declaration. Threatening to throw herself into the sea next to his bungalow, she demanded an opportunity to prove her worth. Naushad Ali, to his surprise, allowed her to audition which changed her life forever. Despite her lack of formal musical training, Uma had a unique sweetness in her voice that mesmerized listeners. It was her singing debut when she gave voice to the song ‘Afsana likh rahi hoon dil-e-beqarar ka’ composed by Naushad himself in the 1947 film Dard.

Singing was her love
The success of ‘Dard’ and her remarkable singing talent brought Uma many song offers. However, her collaboration with director SS Vasan in ‘Chandralekha’ brought her to the pinnacle of her career as a singer. It is worth noting that Uma never took formal training in music or singing. Yet her seven songs in ‘Chandralekha’, including the popular track ‘Saanjh ki Bela’ remain the pinnacle of her singing career. She achieved all this despite having a limited vocal range and following an outdated singing style that had gone out of fashion.

When she became an actor from a singer

After this era, Uma decided to take a break from the industry to focus on her family and domestic responsibilities. When she returned in the 1950s, another important moment awaited her. Returning to Naushad Ali’s doorstep, he encouraged her to take up acting, recognising her mischievous personality and impeccable comic timing. Uma made a pact with Naushad that she would work in a film only if Dilip Kumar shared the screen with her. This film was ‘Baabul’, released in 1950.

This is how she got the name Tun Tun
Her wish came true and with it came a new name that was forever associated with her comic personality, this was Tun Tun and with this Uma became Tun Tun forever. A name coined by Dilip Kumar himself. Adopting this name, Uma acquired the position of the first female comedian in Hindi cinema. Though she played comic roles in more than 200 films, Uma never got the recognition she deserved. During her five decade long career she acted in films in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi and other languages, acting alongside big comedians of her time like Bhagwan Dada and Sundara. She left her indelible mark in films like ‘Awara’ (1951), ‘Mr. and Mrs. ’55’ (1955) and ‘Pyaasa’ (1957) and established herself as a permanent artist in the comedy landscape of Bollywood. Uma Devi Khatri’s last Hindi film was ‘Kasam Dhandhe Ki’ (1990). After this, she decided to retire from Hindi cinema.

This is how her last moments passed

It is important to note that during this time, there was a lack of discussion about obesity in comedy. However, she wholeheartedly embraced the title of Tun Tun and brought her unique comedy style and flair to the screen. Tun Tun’s popularity was unmatched and her name became synonymous with plus-size characters in India. It is sad to note that Uma never received any awards for her career despite her extensive contributions and being acclaimed as an enduring comedian. In an interview with Shashi Ranjan, she expressed her regret that she had spent her entire life in the industry