हमीदा बानू

Hamida Banu (19 October 1928 – 9 November 2006) was an Indian classical, ghazal, and playback singer active in Hindi cinema from the 1930s through the 1960s. Born in Lahore, she and her younger sister were drawn to singing from an early age; her family moved first to Bombay and then to Calcutta in search of opportunities, where she began performing in stage dramas and theatre at Prithvi Theatre. She was noticed by Prithviraj Kapoor, who had her sing in his stage productions, and she later met a young Raj Kapoor, who heard her voice and encouraged her to pursue a film career.

She went on to work as a playback singer alongside major music directors of the era, including Naushad and Ghulam Mohammed, and recorded duets with contemporaries such as Suraiya and Geeta Dutt, her career overlapping with the early years of Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. Among her best-known recordings are "Kuch Bhi Na Kaha" from Parai Aag (1948) and "Dono Hain Majboor Pyare" from Bikhare Moti (1951). She also sang on All India Radio during this period.

In 1956, Hamida Banu relocated to Pakistan, where she continued her career at Radio Lahore and later Pakistan Television. She also worked as a film producer in 1967 and 1971, before retiring from public life in late 1971. She was married and had one son. She died in Lahore, Pakistan, on 9 November 2006, at the age of 78.