Kamini Kadam was a well-known and beautiful actress of yesteryear who worked in Hindi, Kannada, and Marathi cinema and was remembered for her films like “Talaq, Santan, Maa Baap, Miya Bibi Razi, Yere Maazya Magalya, Sudharlelya Bayka, and many more.
Early Life and Career
Kamini Kadam was born Manik Kadam on August 3, 1933, in Bombay. She started her film career under the screen name Smita with Bhalji Pendharkar’s Marathi film 1955 in Yere Maazya Magalya (1955), with Ramesh Deo. Her performances in the film were praised, which led to her debut in Hindi films.
Her first film was Mahesh Kaul’s “Talaq (1958),” written by Pt. Mukhram Sharma. In the film, she starred opposite Rajendra Kumar, and she was credited as “Kamini Kadam.” The film director Mahesh Kaul tells the story of a loving couple who face grave misunderstanding due to the girl’s father.
C. Ramchandra gave the music for the film, which has songs like “Mere Jeevan Me,” “Nayi Umar Ki Kaliyon,” “Sambhalke Rehna,” and “Zuk Gayi Dekho Gardan.” The film gets a nomination for a Filmfare Award for Best Movie. Kaul was also nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Director.
Kamini Kadam – The Beauty
Her pairing with Rajendra Kumar was a hit, and they both went on to star in few more films. In 1959 she starred in Jyoti Swaroop’s Santan opposite Rajendra Kumar. The film also stars Nazir Hussain, David, and Manorama.
She again paired with Rajendra Kumar in VM Vyas’s “Maa Baap,” a film dealing with a dysfunctional family. The movie tells the story of two brothers, Sohan and Raju, and their family. Raju leaves his family due to disagreements with his brother. But a series of events eventually leads to the family reuniting. The film also stars Pran, Kuldip Kaur, Anwar Hussain and Leela Chitnis. Chitragupt gave the film’s music with lyrics from Rajendra Krishan. It has famous songs like Yeh Pehli Ghata Sawan Ki, Jo Dil Ko Chhod Surat Pe Mare, Jal Ja Parai Aag Mein, and many more.
Other Work
She also appeared in critically and commercially successful films such as “School Master” (1959) with Karan Dewan and Shakila, “Miya Bibi Razi” (1960) with Mehmood and Seema Deo, and “Sapne Suhane” (1961) with Balraj Sahni, Geeta Bali, and Chandrashekhar. Kamini Kadam had remarkable screen presence and acting ability. Despite doing only a handful of films, she made her presence felt in the industry. After so many years, her fans still remember her for her ability to breathe life into her characters, making each role memorable.
She also acted in the Marathi film “Sudharlelya Bayka” in 1965 and the Kannada film “Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna” in 1967.
Kamini Kadam married to Anil G. Kadam in early 60s. She passed away on June 29, 2000, in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Kamini Kadam on IMDB
