Happy Birthday Saira Banu!

Banu was born to Indian actress, Naseem Banu and film producer, Mian Ehsan-ul-Haq. She spent the majority of her childhood in London and is a graduate from a finishing school.

She first made her entry into Bollywood at the mere age of 16 in 1960. Initially, Banu lacked experience or talent in dancing unlike the top actors and actresses of that time. After taking lessons for both Kathak and Bharata Natyam to improve herself, she became a more fluent dancer, hence the focus on her dance in her films.

At 17 years old, Saira made her acting debut opposite late Shammi Kapoor in the 1961 film, Junglee, which earned her a well deserved Best Actress Filmfare Award. Although Junglee went on to make Banu a renowned actress, her rom-com, Padosan, happened to be the turning point for her career.

Acting in several more movies, Banu left the industry after her marriage to Dilip Kumar in 1976. Her last film was Faisla which released in 1988, having filmed it in the mid-70s. In 1984, she was seen in a cameo role opposite husband Dilip Kumar in the movie, Duniya. Recently, she was seen on the big screen again in Telugu movies in a supporting role.