A large number of Indian movie stars were born in Pakistan –the western region of the subcontinent, before partitioning of British India in August 1947:
- Dilip Kumar (Original name Yousaf Khan), 1922 – Peshawar
- Feroz Khan, 1939 – Peshawar
- Raj Kapoor, 1924 – Peshawar
- Amjad Khan, 1940 – Peshawar
- Suneel Dutt, 1929 – Jhelum
- Anand Bakhshi, 1930 – Rawalpindi
- Gulzar, 1934 – Dina, Jhelum
- Dev Anand, 1923 – Shakargarh
- Amitabh Bachan’s Mother, Teji Bachan, 1914 – Lyallpur
- Roshan (Music Director), 1917 – Gujranwala
- Pran, 1929 – Gujranwala
- Rajesh Khanna, 1942 – Burewaala
- Rajinder Kumar, 1929 – Narowal
- Raj Kumar, 1926 – Loralai, Baluchistan
- Qadir Khan, 1937 – Pishin, Baluchistan
- Balraj Sahni, 1913 – Bhera
- Kamini Kaushal, 1927 – Lahore
- Manoj Kumar, 1937 – Abbottabad
- Shah Rukh Khan’s Father, Taj Muhammad Khan, 1938 – Peshawar
- Vinod Khanna, 1946 – Peshawar
- Sadhna, 1941 – Hyderabad, Sindh
- Pirthvi Raj Kapoor, 1906 – Samundri, Lyallpur
- Meena Kumari, 1932- Bhera
- Madhu Bala, Year Unknown, Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
The two dozen of awesome personalities have played a major role in most of the outstanding movies, taking Bollywood to its height over the decades — the benchmark they set as standard has become a beacon for the region. And that includes not just South Asia but MENA also.
Amiss from the list is evergreen actor Rekha, but Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Nepalese, Afghans, etc. –even Middle Eastern countrymen love her too, specially the way she also sings…even sans music:
PS: Move over Madonna …your “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” has competition!
