Cuckoo Moray

Cuckoo Moray, also credited as Cuckoo or Cukoo (1928 – 30 September 1981), was an Anglo-Indian dancer and actress in Indian cinema.[1] Cuckoo was the queen of film dancing in Hindi cinema of the 1940s and 1950s. Though unfamiliar in name, she was known as the "rubber girl" of Hindi cinema and her talent made cabaret dancing a must in the Bollywood films during the 1940s and 1950s. It has been recently confirmed that Cuckoo's real name was Cuckoo Moray.[2]

Cuckoo Moray
Cuckoo in the film Singaar (1949)
Born1928
Died30 September 1981 (aged 52–53)
Occupation(s)Actress, dancer
Years active1946–1963

Early career

Cuckoo made her screen debut in the film Arab Ka Sitara in 1946. Soon after in Stum Chandi, directors and greater audiences noticed her dancing abilities for the first time. Then, the turning point in Cuckoo's career was in Mehboob Khan's films. Her dance number in his film Anokhi Ada (1948) established her as the lead dancer of the era and in Andaz (1949), a romantic drama starring Nargis, Dilip Kumar, and Raj Kapoor, gave the dancing star an opportunity to display her acting skills. In Mehboob Khan's 1952 technicolor film Aan, which was her first colour film, she had a brief cameo in a dance sequence. She only appeared in 2 colour films in her career Aan & Mayurpankh. She would charge Rs 6,000[3] for a dance number, an enviable fee in the 50s.[4]

Later life

Cuckoo remained the best dancer in Hindi films until dancers such as Helen and Vyjayanthimala came into the industry. Cuckoo was a family friend of the Anglo-Burmese dancer and actress Helen. She was also known for helping unknown actors get their break in Bollywood, such as Pran in Ziddi. Cuckoo had introduced a 13-year-old Helen into films as a chorus dancer in films such as Shabistan and Awaara (both 1951). Cuckoo and Helen most notably appeared in song and dance sequences together, such as in Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) and Yahudi (1958). Her last film appearance was in Mujhe Jeene Do in 1963 after which, she had disappeared from the film industry.

Cuckoo died on 30 September 1981 due to cancer[3] at the age of 53. She was forgotten and unattended by the film industry at the time of her death.

Selected filmography
FilmYearRole
Mirza Saheban1947
Anokhi Ada1948Stage Dancer
Vidya1948Dancer
Andaz1949Sheila
Shair1949
Barsaat1949Ruby
Ek Thi Nishani1949
Patanga1949Dancer
Singaar1949
Bazar1949
Paras1949Dancer
Dilruba1950Dancer
Arzoo1950Dancer
Bebas1950
Pardes1950Dancer/Singer
Hanste Aansoo 1950
Hulchul1951
Awaara1951Bar Dancer
Aan1952
Laila Majnu1953
Mr. and Mrs. 551955Singer
Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi1958
Yahudi1958
Bus Conductor1959
Girls' Hostel1962
Mujhe Jeene Do1963

References
  1. Rishi, Tilak (2012). Bless You Bollywood!: A tribute to Hindi Cinema on completing 100 years. Trafford Publishing. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-466-93962-2.
  2. "Cuckoo's cineplot profile". Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
  3. The Tragic ending of Cuckoo Moore – Helen remembers Cuckoo, CinePlot, retrieved 14 January 2016
  4. Sandip Pal (20 August 2015). "Forgotten gems of Bollywood - The Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
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