Daisy Irani

**Daisy Irani Shukla** (born 17 June 1950) is an Indian actress in Hindi and Telugu language films. She was a popular child actor in the 1950s and 1960s. She is most known for films such as *Bandish* (1955), *Ek Hi Raasta* (1956), *Naya Daur* (1957), *Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke* (1957), *Jailor* (1958), *Qaidi No 911* (1959) and *Do Ustad* (1959). As a supporting actress, she acted in *Kati Patang* in 1971. She also worked in a popular TV show *Shararat*.

## Background and personal life

Irani was born into a Zoroastrian family and her mother-tongue is Gujarati. She is the eldest of three sisters, the other two being Honey Irani and Menaka Irani. Her younger sister Honey, who was also a child-star, went on to marry script-writer Javed Akhtar and is the mother of Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. Irani's other sister, Menaka, is married to the stunt film-maker Kamran Khan (film producer) and is the mother of film-makers Sajid Khan and Farah Khan.

Although born a Zoroastrian and married to a Hindu, Daisy grew interested in Christianity later in life. In 1975, she became a member of New Life Fellowship in Mumbai.

In 2018, Daisy revealed that she had been raped at the age of 6 by her "guardian" during the making of *Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke* (1957).

## Personal life

Daisy married screenwriter K. K. Shukla (a Hindu Brahmin) on 21 January 1971 at age 21. Her career as a child-star being at an end, she made no effort to pursue a career in films as an adult, but devoted herself to her husband and family. She has three children, a son named Kabir and two daughters, Varsha and Ritu. None of her children are involved with the entertainment industry in any capacity.

## Career

During the Golden Age (1950s–70s) of Hindi cinema, some child stars had great visibility. The Irani sisters, Daisy and Honey, who generally played boys with curly hair, became household names. The films that had both of them fetched the biggest openings. Stories were re-written to include them in the cast or increase their footage, and they were prominently publicized in the promos of their movies. Their most-remembered movies, together or separate, include *Bandish*, *Jagte Raho*, *Bhai Bhai*, *Naya Daur*, *Hum Panchi Ek Daal Ke*, *Musafir*, *Sahara*, *Duniya Na Mane*, *Do Ustad*, *Dhool Ka Phool*, *Soorat Aur Seerat* and *Chandi Ki Diwar*. Daisy, who was more popular than her younger sister as a child artiste, continued to act after growing up, though not in any significant roles.

She quit films after her marriage in 1971, with her last release being *Kati Patang* in 1971. In the 1980s, she worked in theatre for a while and started an acting school. After the death of her husband in the early 1990s, she returned to acting in the comedy TV series *Dekh Bhai Dekh* and films such as *Aastha* (1997), *Kya Kehna* and *Shararat* (2002).

She appeared in nephew Sajid Khan's 2010 *Housefull* and thereafter in niece Farah Khan's acting debut film *Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi* (2012), directed by Bela Sehgal.

## Filmography

* *Bandish* (1955)
* *Jagte Raho* (1956)
* *Ek Hi Raasta* (1956) Raja
* *Devta* (1956)
* *Bhai-Bhai* (1956) as Munna
* *Suvarna Sundari* (1957)
* *Naya Daur* (1957)
* *Musafir* (1957)
* *Hum Panchhi Ek Daal Ke* (1957) as Chatpat
* *Bhabhi* (1957) as Mithu
* *Yaar Paiyyan* (1957) as Poori
* *Talaaq* (1958)
* *Sahara* (1958)
* *Panchayat* (1958)
* *Jailor* (1958)
* *Detective* (1958)
* *Raj Tilak* (1958)
* *Qaidi No. 911* (1959) as Guddu
* *Kangan* (1959)
* *Duniya Na Mane* (1959)
* *Do Ustad* (1959) Raja
* *Dhool Ka Phool* (1959) as Ramesh
* *Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan* (1959)
* *Bhai Bahen* (1959)
* *Kumkuma Rekha* (1960) (Telugu)
* *Sharabi* (1964)
* *Arzoo* (1965)
* *Nawab Sirazuddaula* (1967)
* *Ankhen* (1968) as Lily
* *Talash* (1969)
* *Pehchan* (1970) as Rani
* *Kati Patang* (1970) as Ramaiah
* *Geet* (1970) as Laxminarayan's daughter
* *Jwala* (1971)
* *Gomti Ke Kinare* (1972) as Chandni
* *Ahankaar* (1995) as Naina's Mom
* *Aastha: In the Prison of Spring* (1997) as Reena
* *Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao* (2001)
* *Sanjivani* (2002) as Nurse Philo
* *Shararat* (2002) as Rani Devi
* *San Ge Hao Ren* (2005)
* *Anjaane* (2005)
* *Housefull* (2010) as Batook's mother
* *Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji* (2011) as June 's grandmother
* *Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi* (2012) as Nargis Pastakia
* *Happy New Year* (2014) as Tammy's Mother (Cameo Appearance)