#GoldenFrames: Purnima, the actress from the 40s & 50s who reigned the Bollywood industry

Purnima Das Verma was a popular actress in Hindi movies from the late 40s to 50s. She appeared in many movies, including 'Patanga' (1949), 'Jogan' (1950), 'Sagai' (1951), 'Jaal' (1952) and 'Aurat' (1953). She acted in more than two hundred movies.

She was born as Meherbhano Mohammad Ali on March 2, 1934, to a Muslim mother from Lucknow and Tamil Brahmin father, Ram Sheshadri Ayangar. Her father worked as an accountant with a film director and producer, Kikubhai Desai.

Purnima had five siblings, including four sisters and one brother. Shirin, one of her sisters, was a Hindi film actress who married film director Nanabhai Bhatt. Shirin suggested Meherbano go by the screen name of Purnima.

Purnima started working in Hindi and Gujarati movies during her schooling days. She was hardly sixteen years old when she debuted in two movies in the same year—'Manager (1947) and 'Tum Aur Main' (1947).

Her neighbour and filmmaker Raman B Desai offered to cast her as Radha in his movie 'Radheshyam' (1948). She played the second lead alongside Bharat Bhushan and Shashikala in Kidar Sharma's movie 'Thes' (1949).

Purnima worked in 'Narad Muni' (1949) and Bhagwan Das Varma's 'Patanga' (1949). The latter proved to be very successful. Music was composed by C.Ramchandra, and the two songs—"Dil se bhula do tum humein" and "O jaane waale tune armanon ki dunyia loot li" were filmed on Purnima.

Purnima continued to play lead and second lead roles in movies such as 'Jogan' (1950), 'Badal' (1951), 'Parbat' (1952), 'Jaal' (1952), 'Shole' (1953) and 'Pooja' (1954).

In 1954, Purnima married for the second time to filmmaker Bhagwan Das Varma, a famous producer-director of his time who had many successful movies like 'Patanga', 'Sagai', 'Badal', 'Aurat', 'Parvat' and 'Pooja' under his banner of 'Varma Films'. Her previous husband, a journalist, Syed Shauqat Hashmi, left for Pakistan during the partition while Purnima stayed back.

From her first marriage, Anwar Hashmi, her son is Emraan Hashmi's father, Bollywood's successful actor.

(In photo: Rajesh Khanna with Purnima)

Purnima took a break from the film industry only to return after three years in 'Chamak Chandni' (1957) to help with finances at home. She continued to work on whatever projects came her way.

(In photo: Prem Nath with Purnima)