The Unlikely Star: Spunky & Talented, How Tun Tun Won Over B-Town

A tribute to the first female comedian in Bollywood on her birth anniversary.

We think of Tun Tun and we start laughing. Such remains the hold of Uma Devi Khatri - that’s her real name - on any Bollywood buff even after so many years. The first female comedienne in Bollywood, Tun Tun actually began her career as a notable playback singer. She only switched to acting later in life and made a huge success of it. We pay tribute to the spunky actor-singer on her 99th birth anniversary (11 July) with a jukebox of some of her best comedy scenes, even as we get to know her a little better.

(This story is from The Quint’s archives and is being republished to mark the legendary comedienne's birth anniversary.)