Alka Nupur is a former Indian actress who was best known for her contributions to

Hindi cinema Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

throughout the 1980s. She appeared in many films throughout her career, including ''Laawaris'' (1981), ''Brij Bhoomi'' (1982), '' John Jani Janardhan'' (1984), and '' Mohabbat Ke Dushman'' (1988).

Career

In her early years, Nupur first began her career as a

Kathak ''Kathak'' is one of the eight major forms of Classical Indian dance, Indian classical dance. Its origin is attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern India known as ''Kathakar'' ("storyteller"), who communicated stories from the ...

dancer. She had also been taught by

Birju Maharaj Pandit Birju Maharaj (born Brijmohan Nath Mishra; 4 February 1938 – 17 January 2022) was an Indian dancer, composer, singer, and exponent of the Lucknow "Kalka-Bindadin" Gharana of Kathak dance in India. He was a descendant of the Maharaj fa ...

and Rani Karnaa, professional dancers. She received Government's National Cultural Scholarship at the age of 21. Throughout her career, she would sometimes be credited as "Alka Noopur", "Alka Napoor" (in Mr. X) and "Alka Kapoor" (in Yaadon Ki Kasam). She made her first appearance in films with '' Ek Aur Suhagan'' in 1979, and then went to make guest appearances in films such as '' Chashme Buddoor'' (1 minute's appearance). In 1981, she made an uncredited appearance dancing in '' Laawaris'' for "Apni To Jaise Taise." She gained fame for her dancing as the song and movie were hits. In 1982, her debut in the first "Brij Bhasha" movie (Chiefly a Hindi Dialect of the Northern UP i.e. Agra, Mathura, Vrindavan, Aligarh region) film, became the pioneer in North Indian regional blockbuster Her starring role in '' Brij Bhoomi'' as the leading lady "Radha". She also launched in this film as a co-producer and co-distributor in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India. She launched this film making it first Brij-bhasha regional mega hit movie. And she helped make it tax free by the then U.P. Chief minister Shri V.P. Singh in 1980s. Following this,2nd innings, she went back to Bollywood and starred in many other films such as '' Purana Mandir'' and '' John Jani Janardhan'' with Actors like Shatrughan Sinha, Mohnish Behl, She made more guest and side appearances in films like '' Zakhmi Sher'', and also starred as Chitkari in '' Pataal Bhairavi''. In 1988, she starred in a major role as Amina Bai in '' Mohabbat Ke Dushman''. She had produced & directed and starred in the main role of Chintamani the court dancer in '' Chintamani Surdas''. In the final years of her Bollywood career, she was cast in '' Jaadugar'', and appeared in '' Mil Gayee Manzil Mujhe as Sonia,'' which was her last film before she retired from the film industry in the 1990s to pursue teaching and research initiatives in Kathak Classical Dance school in Gurgaon. Her major professional association was with the music director, lyricist and singer Ravindra Jain. Both of them belonged to same Home Town Aligarh. Together they did 6 films:- Brijbhoomi, Mr. X, Mhara Peehar Sasra, Harishchandra Shaibya. And in Jai Karauli Maa & Chintamani Surdas, also as a Producer & Director debut. Presently, she is married to Mr.Behl and runs Noopur Centre of Performing Arts in Gurgaon which is affiliated to IGNOU where CPABN(Certificate of Performing Arts-Bharatnatyam) and CPAKT(Certificate of Performing Arts-Kathak) courses are taught. She lives in Delhi. She was awarded 'Braj Ratn' award in 2016.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nupur, Alka 20th-century Indian actresses Indian film actresses Living people People from Aligarh 1957 births