Madam Azurie | |
|---|---|
| Born | Anna Marie Gueizelor 1907/1916 |
| Died | August 1998 |
| Nationality | British India (1907/1916-1947) Pakistani (1947-1998) |
| Occupation(s) | Dancer and actress (film) |
| Years active | 1934-60 |
| Spouse | Sayyed Allauddin Ahmed Gelani [1] |
Anna Marie Gueizelor better known as Azurie [2] or Madam Azurie [1] (1907, Banglore - 1998, Rawalpindi) was a classical dancer and actress in British India and later Pakistan. She starred in many Indian, Pakistani and Bengali films and is considered the first item dance r of the Indian film industry. [3] [4]
Azurie was born as Anna Marie Gueizelor in 1907 (some accounts put it as 1916) in Bangalore, British India (now in Karnataka, India). [2] Her mother was a Hindu Brahmin [2] nurse while her father was a Jewish German doctor. When her parents separated, she lived with her father who encouraged her to study ballet but not eastern dance. [1] He let his daughter study ballet and piano with a group of Russian emigrants. Azurie and her family moved to Bombay when she was in her adolescent years. Her father became a part of Three arts circle which allowed Azurie to interact with its organizer, Begum Atiya Fyzee-Rahamin. With Atiya, Azurie studied eastern arts and dance. [5] Azurie moved with Atiya when her father died. [6] [7] Azurie died in August 1998. [8]
Azurie explored different dances of the subcontinent and studied under different masters. She soon became a part of the Bombay film industry. Her first film was Nadira. After that, She starred in many films like Pardesi Saiyaan, Qatl-e-Aam, The Bombay talkies and Naya Sansar. Azurie starred in more than 700 films and was well known for her dances. Movies were sold for Azurie's dance and she became a well-known item number dancer. She was also invited to Buckingham Palace for a dance performance. [9] Azurie also acted in Bengali films like Maya, Sonar Sansar and Lagna Bandhan. [1] [10]
During this time she married a Muslim man and settled in Rawalpindi, Pakistan after independence. [11] [12] There she opened the academy of classical dance where Azurie taught for many years. Azurie also acted in a few Pakistani films but retired from it soon. [13] [14] She travelled with a group of artists and performed in different places. [15] [16]
In Islamabad, Azurie was a member of the board of the National Council of the Arts. She was founding member of the Pak-American Cultural Centre, in Karachi, where she taught classical dance for many years. [17] [18] [19]
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