Cuckoo Moray Age, Death, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Other names	• Cuckoo • Cukoo
Profession(s)	Dancer, Actress
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	5' 3" (161 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Film (dancer) : Mujrim (1944) Film (actress): Andaz (1949) as Sheila
Last Film	Mujhe Jeene Do (1963)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	4 February 1928 (Saturday)
Date of Death	30 September 1981
Place of Death	Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai
Age (at the time of death)	53 Years
Death Cause	Terminal Cancer
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Mumbai
Controversy	Tax Evasion Reportedly, Income Tax Department charged a tax evasion against Cuckoo Moray. Maximum of her property was confiscated in this, including her Bungalow in Mumbai. This news became controversial because some sources claimed that it happened due to her boyfriend, who managed all her finances.
Relationships & More
Marital Status (at the time of death)	Unmarried
Affairs/Boyfriends	A Bollywood film director
Favourites
Cigarette brand	555

Some Lesser Known Facts About Cuckoo Moray

• Cuckoo’s birth took place in an Anglo-Indian family. She enjoyed dancing as a little girl and dreamt of becoming Indian cinema’s top-most dancer.

• She never took any professional dance training and learnt it all by herself through practice.

• Cuckoo started the trend of cabaret dancing in Bollywood, which became an important element in the Hindi films of the 1950s – 1960s. It specifically started after her hit performance in the 1946 Bollywood film ‘Arab Ka Sitara.’ After that, every Bollywood film was incomplete without a cabaret dance number.

• In Bollywood, her flexible dance moves earned her titles like ‘rubber girl,’ ‘the first item girl,’ and ‘the cabaret queen of the Indian cinema.’

• Some of her famous item numbers are – ‘Ek do Teen’ from the film ‘Awaara’ (1951), ‘Patli Kamar Hai’ from ‘Barsaat’ (1949), and a music number in the film ‘Anokhi Ada’ (1948).
  

  Cuckoo Moray in the iconic song Ek Do Teen

• Cuckoo used to charge Rs. 6000 per item song. This fee was too high, so much so that sometimes the fees of actors/actresses in the film used to be lower than her demand. Even Lata Mangeshkar‘s per-song fee charge at that time was just Rs.300-400.

• Due to her high fee demand, many producers called her arrogant and developed hate for her.

• In the film ‘Aan’ (1952), Cuckoo’s dance number was based only on music.

• Cuckoo was also a good singer. She sang the song ‘Neele Aasmani’ in Guru Dutt‘s 1955 film ‘Mr. and Mrs. 55.’ Her voice was also featured in the 1950 Bollywood film ‘Pardes.’

• Cuckoo was Bollywood’s best dancer before Helen and Vyjayanthimala came into the scene.

• Helen was introduced into the film industry by Cuckoo when Helen was just 13 years old. They were very good family friends and did a few dance numbers together in several Bollywood films including Yahudi (1958), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), and Heera Moti (1959). Their most famous dance number together is ‘Hum Tumhare Hain Zara’ from the film ‘Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi’ (1958).
  

  Cuckoo (left) and Helen in a still from the song Hum Tumhare Hain Zara

• She helped many by introducing them to the Indian cinema. The Bollywood actor Pran was also introduced to the Hindi films by Cuckoo Moray.

• She was famous for her extravagant lifestyle in Bollywood. She owned 3 luxurious cars, each for a specific purpose – 1 car for her dogs, 1 for Helen, whom she dearly admired, and 1 for herself. She possessed many expensive jewellery items and was known for her stylish outfits.

• She owned expensive breed dogs, used to drink expensive Scotch, and smoked costly cigarettes.

• In the tax evasion against her, Cuckoo lost her Mumbai bungalow, expensive jeweller items, and many other materialistic possessions. From then onwards, she had to live with financial hardships. Her boyfriend also left her.

• Reportedly, after she was diagnosed with cancer, she did not have the money to buy her medicines. She even had to struggle to eat food. Many friends from the Indian industry whom she launched, also turned their backs in her difficult phase.

• Despite all the financial and emotional difficulties, Cuckoo’s smile never faded. She used to make fun of her plight and say that it was happening because of her faults.

• Contrary to her young days, she died penniless and lonely. When she was nearing death, Bollywood had forgotten its once popular Cuckoo.