Siti Mariam binti Ismail ( Jawi: سيتي مريم اسماعيل ; 20 April 1933 – 1 December 2015), better known by her stage name Mariani, was an early Malaysian-Singaporean

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

actress, singer and model popular during the 1950s and 1960s. She was the older sister of Biduanda

Saloma Salmah binti Ismail (Jawi script, Jawi: سلمه بنت إسماعيل; ‎ 22 January 1935 – 25 April 1983), better known by her stage name Saloma, was a Malay Singaporean-Malaysian singer, film actress, trendsetter and a fashion icon ...

and sister-in-law of P.Ramlee. Mariani was one of the most popular actresses at

Jalan Ampas Jalan Ampas is a street near Balestier Road in Singapore where the movie studios Malay Film Productions and Shaw Brothers were located. Etymology and history The name Jalan Ampas owes its heritage as a sugar cane plantation in the early days. In ...

Studios in Singapore at the time, dubbed the "Golden Age of Malay Cinema" at the time. She starred in more than 30 films over her 63-year career span.

Career

Mariam's career began after winning the Singapore Queen Contest in 1951 when she was 17. She was the first lady to ever hold the title. However, she did not represent Singapore at that time. The show has been a stepping stone for her to engage in acting. After that, she was offered an act by Studio Jalan Ampas, but she refused because her ambition was to be a doctor. After two years, it was after being persuaded by

, then Mariani agreed to act. Her first film was ''Chemburu'' directed by S. Ramanathan in 1952. After the success of the movie, Mariani was offered another acting in the company's films including ''

Palace of Dreams ''Palace of Dreams'' is a 1985 Australian fictional mini series about a Jewish family running a hotel in working class inner city of Sydney in the 1930s.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p221 S ...

'', ''A Return'', ''Labu Labi'', ''Nasib Si Labu-Labi'' and ''Tiga Abdul''. After the closure of Jalan Ampas Studios and the separation of Singapore from Malaysia, she continued her acting career at Studio Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. She has starred many films in the studio like ''Sweet Mashed Film'' and ''Discouraged''. In her later years, Mariani continued to act and her latest appearance in films was ''

Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam 2 ''Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam 2'' is a 2005 Malaysian horror movie directed and written by Shuhaimi Baba released in Malaysia on 24 November 2005. It is the sequel to '' Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam'' (2004). Starring Maya Karin, the film is dis ...

'' directed by

Shuhaimi Baba Yang Berbahagia Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba (born 27 January 1967), is a Malaysian film director. She was born in Negeri Sembilan. Filmography Film Television Honours * : ** Knight Companion of the Order of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah ...

in 2005. She also starred in various dramas such as ''Nur Qalesya'', ''Bila Larut Malam'' and others more. In 2007, she along with her husband, founded a production company, Kus Semangat Sdn. Bhd., which she owned with her husband, until her death in 2015.

Death

On 1 December 2015, Mariani died after battling with colon cancer, at her home in Taman Kosmo Jaya, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. She was 82 years old. Her body was sent to Al-Hidayah Mosque in Jalan Sentul and was buried in

Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery The Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery ( ms, Tanah Perkuburan Islam Jalan Ampang; Jawi: تانه ڤرقبورن اسلام جالن امڤاڠ) is a cemetery at the Kuala Lumpur city centre, Malaysia. It is located at Jalan Ampang near Kuala Lumpur Ci ...

, Kuala Lumpur.Seniwati Mariani Meninggal Dunia
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Filmography

Film

Television series

Telemovie

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mariani 1933 births 2015 deaths Deaths from colorectal cancer 20th-century Malaysian women singers Malaysian film actresses Malaysian Muslims Malaysian people of Malay descent Singaporean emigrants to Malaysia 20th-century Singaporean women singers Singaporean film actresses Singaporean Muslims Singaporean people of Malay descent