The Hindi film industry has lost another towering figure. Kamini Kaushal, born Uma Kashyap, one of Indian cinema’s earliest leading ladies who passed away at the age of 98. The news was confirmed by senior journalist Vickey Lalwani, who said a family source verified the development.
Kaushal’s family, known to be extremely private, has not issued an official statement yet. The cause of death remains unknown.
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Born on February 24, 1927, in Lahore, Kamini Kaushal was a celebrated performer whose career began with Neecha Nagar (1946), which went on to win the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Between 1946 and 1963, she headlined several landmark films, working with icons such as Raj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raaj Kumar.
Her performance in Biraj Bahu earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 1956, cementing her place among the greatest actors of her era.
After marrying Braham S. Sood, a chief engineer with the Bombay Port Trust, Kaushal briefly stepped away from films before making a memorable return to the screen. She played Shah Rukh Khan’s grandmother in Chennai Express (2013) and later appeared in Kabir Singh (2019) as Shahid Kapoor’s grandmother. Her last screen appearance was a cameo in Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha.
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Born into an academically distinguished family, she was the youngest child of Prof. Shiv Ram Kashyap, often regarded as the father of Indian botany.
The industry continues to mourn the loss of one of its warmest, most enduring voices.
