SHYAM Sundar Chadha was a popular leading man in films during the 1940s. He is especially known for his handsome appearances in films like Dillagi, Bazaar and Samadhi. Father of Sahira Kazmi, he was a close friend of Saadat Hasan Manto, and the two used to spend a lot of time together. During shooting of Shabistan in 1951, Shyam fell from a horse and died prematurely at the age of 31.

Surprisingly, the other day, there was an exchange of messages in our local WhatsApp group, emphasising the singing prowess of Shyam, with most concluding that the early death of Shyam had deprived his fans of a singer, who could have even excelled the legendary K.L. Saigal. To my horror, I later came to know that this perception is actually quite common.

The reality, however, is quite different. While Shyam Chadha could not sing, his contemporary Shyam Kumar (Sayed Gul Hamid Ali; 1913-80) was a trained singer who performed playback in the 1940s and early ’50s. He even sang duets with prominent singers of the era, including Ameerbai Karnataki and Madam Noor Jehan. A popular duet by Shyam Kumar and Surraya in Dillagi — Tu Mera Chand, Mein Teri Chandni — was picturised on Shyam Chadha and Surraya. This is how people started assuming that male voice in this duet was that of Shyam Chadha.

As for comparison with the iconic Saigal, forget Chadha, even Kumar could not come anywhere remotely close to the master who was in a class of his very own.

Parvez Rahim
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2026