Fate can take anyone anywhere, and that was the case with this 40s actress, who had never imagined that her life full of twists and turns would land her in front of the cameras.
She came from Tibet and was raised in an orphanage. After she made her debut in Hindi cinema, she went on to work with legends like Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar. Any guesses who she was?
Her screen name was Latika. She was born as Hungu Lamu. Her father was an Australian, and her mother was from Tibet.
She lost her father at a young age. Then, her mother remarried, and she was placed in a Scottish missionary orphanage, where she converted to Christianity.
Her life took a turn when her stepfather moved the family to Mumbai for his transfer.
While Latika never had any aspirations of becoming an actress, a neighbour of hers, who was a Kathak dancer, piqued her interest. She soon dreamt of entering the film industry.
One fine day, she reached the Minerva Studio with the same dancer, who had inspired her. There, she met actor, director, and producer Sohrab Modi, a popular figure in the industry during the ‘30s and ‘60s.
Sohrab Modi was the one who had named her Latika. He offered her the 1944 film Parakh.
Latika’s acting impressed people, and soon she was roped in for several projects. Over the course of her career, Latika worked with legendary actors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar.
Between 1944 and 1949, she appeared in films such as Jugnu, starring Dilip Kumar, Noor Jehan, and Shashikala Jawalkar. The film was directed by Shaukat Hussain Rizvi.
She worked in the 1948 film Gopinath, starring opposite Raj Kapoor. The film, directed and produced by Mahesh Kaul, also featured Tripti Mitra.
A few years after her stint in the industry, she married popular comedian Gop and chose love over limelight. She bid adieu to the world of cinema.