Patience Cooper, an Anglo-Indian actress, acted in both Indian and later Pakistani films. Born in Calcutta (West Bengal) in 1905, she enjoyed a successful career in both silent and sound films and became an early superstar of Bollywood. Coooper credited with first double role of Indian cinema. She portrayed twin sisters in patni pratap, and mother and daughter in Kashmiri Sundari.
Career Beginnings
Stage Career:
Patience Cooper began her career as a dancer in Bandmann’s Musical Comedy, a Eurasian troupe, before signing with Madan’s Corinthian Stage Company. She later joined Jamshedji Framji Madan’s Corinthian Stage Company as an actress.
Filmography:
First Major Film: Nala Dayamanti
Patience Cooper’s starred in her first film, Nala Dayamanti, released in 1920. Cooper played the role of Dayamanti opposite Kelki Adajania as Nala. This film, directed by Italian Eugenio De Liguoro, known in Italy for his Orientalist spectacles like Fascino d’Oro (1919), was a big-budget production by Madan Theatre. Nala Damayanti was famous for its special effects at the time—Narada’s ascent of Mount Meru to heaven, the transformations of four gods into impersonations of Nala, and the transformation of Kali into a serpent, among others.
Expanding Roles and Mythological Films
Cooper appeared in her next film, Vishnu Avtar, in 1921. She also played the female lead, Suniti, in Dhruva Charitra (1921), directed again by De Liguoro. This mythological film is based on the legend of Dhruva, whose quest for eternal knowledge and salvation was rewarded when he became the brightest star in the heavens, the pole star, also known as Dhruvatara. The film was made as a bid for an international breakthrough for Madan Theatres and featured many Europeans.
Achieving Stardom with Pati Bhakt
Cooper’s biggest success was Pati Bhakt in 1922. Patience played the lead role of Leelavati, and this film was directed by J.J. Madan himself. He wanted to advocate that women should be devoted to their husbands. This movie is regarded as her greatest film but came with controversy in Madras, where censors demanded a dance number be removed because it was considered obscene.
Later Career and Final Films
Cooper continued to act through the 1930s. One of her last major films was Zehri Saanp (1933). This film depicted a medieval chieftain’s rebellion against the benevolent Nawab Bakar Malik. The nawab’s outlaw son vows revenge, and finally, all’s well that ends well. The dramatic conflict in the film sees the chieftain wanting to marry the princess, whom he had raised as his own daughter.
Retirement from Acting
She acted in 40 films and retired in 1944, with her last film being Iraada.
| Year | Film Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | Nala Damayanti | Dayamanti |
| 1921 | Vishnu Avtar | Unknown |
| 1921 | Dhruva Charitra | Suniti |
| 1922 | Pati Bhakt | Leelavati |
| 1922 | Laila Majnu | Laila |
| 1922 | Bhagirathi Ganga | Unknown |
| 1922 | Rajkumari Badar | Unknown |
| 1923 | Nurjehan | Nurjehan |
| 1923 | Matri Sneha | Unknown |
| 1924 | Patni Pratap | Twin Sisters |
| 1925 | Kashmiri Sundari | Mother/Daughter |
| 1925 | Adooray Chheley | Unknown |
| 1925 | Turki Hoor | Unknown |
| 1926 | Krishnakanter Will | Unknown |
| 1926 | Jaydev | Unknown |
| 1927 | Durgesh Nandini | Unknown |
| 1928 | Hoor-E-Arab | Unknown |
| 1928 | Vranti | Unknown |
| 1929 | Kapalkundala | Unknown |
| 1930 | Bharat Ramani | Unknown |
| 1930 | Rajsingha | Unknown |
| 1930 | Vaman Avatar | Unknown |
| 1931 | Alladin and the Wonderful Lamp | Unknown |
| 1931 | Bibhaha Bibhrat | Unknown |
| 1932 | Hathili Dulhan | Unknown |
| 1932 | Bilwamangal | Unknown |
| 1933 | Zehri Saanp | Unknown |
| 1934 | Khyber Pass | Unknown |
| 1935 | Khudadad | Unknown |
| 1936 | Noor-e-Wahadat | Unknown |
| 1944 | Iraada | Unknown |
Do You Know?
Cooper was often cast as a woman who was sexually troubled but innocent, the center of moral dilemmas caused by men in her life.
Appearance
Patience Cooper had a star image due to her successful achievement of the Hollywood look, despite different lighting or technical conditions. She had Anglo-Indian features, dark eyes, sharp features, ebony hair, and a light skin tone. To make her appearance more appealing, technicians experimented with the imported technique of eye-level lighting, creating a Hollywood look similar to stars of the silent era.
The low number of women, especially Hindus, in the film industry during the 1920s (due to conservative attitudes) meant Anglo-Indian actresses like Cooper were in demand. Her appearance in a string of successful films has led her to be called the first-ever female Indian film star.
Later Life
Cooper married Mirza Ahmad Ispahani Saheb (M.A.H. Ispahani), a well-known Indian businessman. In 1947, they migrated to Pakistan. She married M.A.H. Ispahani at the age of 21 and soon divorced him. Later, she married Gul Hamid Khan, one of the first early silent movie actors. He died six years later due to Hodgkin’s disease (cancer of the immune system). She remained friends with M.A.H. Ispahani until the end of her life. 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. Her foster daughter, Syeda Nafees Rizvi, lives in Houston, Texas, USA. She fostered and/or adopted 17 children during her lifetime. Cooper died in 1993.
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