# Chanchal (actress)
**Chanchal** was the stage name of **Zeb Ataullah** (born 1934, Delhi, British India), a former Indian actress who appeared in Hindi-language films between 1950 and 1961[1](https://en.how-old.info/?name=Chanchal_%28actress%29). She was the sister of the star [Madhubala](https://www.edgepedia.org/madhubala) (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi), and she is known for the films *Mother India* (1957), *Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai* (1960), and *Jhumroo* (1961)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151266/bio/). Her strong physical resemblance to Madhubala was frequently remarked on, and the two sisters co-starred in *Naata* (1955)[3](https://bizli.net/meet-madhubalas-lesser-known-sister-who-was-as-beautiful-as-her-worked-in-an-oscar-nominated-film-was-raj-kapoors-her-name-is).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name and birth | Zeb Ataullah, born 1934 in Delhi, British India[1](https://en.how-old.info/?name=Chanchal_%28actress%29) |
| Occupation | Actress in Hindi-language films, active 1950–1961[1](https://en.how-old.info/?name=Chanchal_%28actress%29) |
| Family | Daughter of Ataullah Khan; sister of Madhubala; sister-in-law of singer-actor Kishore Kumar[1](https://en.how-old.info/?name=Chanchal_%28actress%29) |
| Known films | *Mother India* (1957), *Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai* (1960), *Jhumroo* (1961)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151266/bio/) |
| Debut | *Naata* (1955), produced by Madhubala, co-starring the two sisters[3](https://bizli.net/meet-madhubalas-lesser-known-sister-who-was-as-beautiful-as-her-worked-in-an-oscar-nominated-film-was-raj-kapoors-her-name-is) |
| Marriages | S.K. Prabhakar, who died; later Ibrahim[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151266/bio/) |
## Family background
Chanchal was one of the daughters of [Ataullah Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/ataullah-khan-film-producer), the father who managed Madhubala's career[1](https://en.how-old.info/?name=Chanchal_%28actress%29). Madhubala had four sisters: Kaneez Fatima (born 1925), Altaf (born 1930), Chanchal (born 1934), and Zahida (born 1949)[4](https://ndtv.in/bollywood/madhubala-sister-chanchal-unseen-photo-viral-was-no-less-than-her-sister-in-beauty-worked-together-in-this-film-7032138/amp/1). Of these sisters, Chanchal was the one who followed Madhubala into acting[3](https://bizli.net/meet-madhubalas-lesser-known-sister-who-was-as-beautiful-as-her-worked-in-an-oscar-nominated-film-was-raj-kapoors-her-name-is). Through Madhubala's 1960 marriage to the singer-actor [Kishore Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/kishore-kumar), Chanchal became his sister-in-law[1](https://en.how-old.info/?name=Chanchal_%28actress%29).
The resemblance between the two sisters was striking enough that it often led to confusion between them, and photographs of the two together still circulate on social media[3](https://bizli.net/meet-madhubalas-lesser-known-sister-who-was-as-beautiful-as-her-worked-in-an-oscar-nominated-film-was-raj-kapoors-her-name-is) • [4](https://ndtv.in/bollywood/madhubala-sister-chanchal-unseen-photo-viral-was-no-less-than-her-sister-in-beauty-worked-together-in-this-film-7032138/amp/1).
## Film career
**Debut in *Naata*.** Chanchal made her screen debut with the 1955 film *Naata*, made under the Madhubala Productions banner, in which she co-starred with her sister Madhubala alongside actor Abhi Bhattacharya[3](https://bizli.net/meet-madhubalas-lesser-known-sister-who-was-as-beautiful-as-her-worked-in-an-oscar-nominated-film-was-raj-kapoors-her-name-is). Madhubala produced the film herself and played the main role[5](https://cdn.ncw.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/REPORTPaperMuslimWomenJamia.pdf). Chanchal followed it with *Teerandaz* (1956)[4](https://ndtv.in/bollywood/madhubala-sister-chanchal-unseen-photo-viral-was-no-less-than-her-sister-in-beauty-worked-together-in-this-film-7032138/amp/1).
**Mother India.** Chanchal's best-remembered role came in [Mehboob Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/mehboob-khan)'s *Mother India* (1957), the Oscar-nominated epic that ranks among the celebrated films of [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema)[6](https://oldisrj.lbp.world/UploadedBData/3809.pdf) • [7](https://time.com/6278237/deepika-padukone-bollywood-india-profile/). She played Roopa, the moneylender Lala's fun-loving daughter, who takes delight in teasing the rebel Birju in an ambiguous relationship; a retrospective review describes her as playing the part "with style"[6](https://oldisrj.lbp.world/UploadedBData/3809.pdf).
**Later films.** She appeared in [Raj Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/raj-kapoor)'s *Jis Desh Men Ganga Behti Hai* (1960) and in *Jhumroo* (1961)[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151266/bio/) • [8](https://seeinmyheart.blogspot.com/2011/02/life-of-madhubala.html). Her listed active years end in 1961[1](https://en.how-old.info/?name=Chanchal_%28actress%29).
## Personal life
Chanchal married S.K. Prabhakar, who died, and afterwards married Ibrahim[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151266/bio/). Her daughter is Nafisa Ebrahim[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151266/bio/). In a 2020 interview, her sister Madhur Bhushan said that Chanchal, then 83, was living in Dubai[9](https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/madhubalas-sister-madhur-bhushan-reveals-the-most-shocking-details-about-the-late-actors-life-25267.amp).
## Other people named Chanchal
The name Chanchal has been used in South Asian entertainment by several unrelated performers, and the Hindi-film actress discussed here should not be confused with them. A Malayalam film actress named Chanchal, from Kozhikode, played the character Kunjathol in the 1998 film *Ennu Swantham Janakikutty* and also acted in Lohitadas's *Ormacheppu* (1998) and *Rushy Vamsam* (1999); she later settled in the United States with her husband Harishankar and children Niharin and Nila[10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2457480/) • [11](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/07/10/chanchal-jomol-actress-mollywood-movies-mt-vasudevan-nair.html). Separately, the bhajan singer Narendra Chanchal (1940–2021) and the Bangladeshi actor Chanchal Chowdhury are distinct public figures who share the name[12](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/actor/narendra-chanchal) • [13](https://www.thedailystar.net/culture/entertainment/news/i-saved-my-tuition-money-years-buy-harmonium-chanchal-chowdhury-4263061).
## References
1. [Chanchal (actress) biographical data, how-old.info](https://en.how-old.info/?name=Chanchal_%28actress%29)
2. [Chanchal – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0151266/bio/)
3. [Meet Madhubala's lesser-known sister, Bizli](https://bizli.net/meet-madhubalas-lesser-known-sister-who-was-as-beautiful-as-her-worked-in-an-oscar-nominated-film-was-raj-kapoors-her-name-is)
4. [मधुबाला से खूबसूरती में कम नहीं थीं उनकी बहन चंचल, NDTV](https://ndtv.in/bollywood/madhubala-sister-chanchal-unseen-photo-viral-was-no-less-than-her-sister-in-beauty-worked-together-in-this-film-7032138/amp/1)
5. [Report on Muslim Women, National Commission for Women](https://cdn.ncw.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/REPORTPaperMuslimWomenJamia.pdf)
6. [Ashok Yakkaldevi, "Movie Review: Mother India (1957)", Indian Streams Research Journal, April 2012](https://oldisrj.lbp.world/UploadedBData/3809.pdf)
7. [Deepika Padukone Is Bringing the World to Bollywood, Time](https://time.com/6278237/deepika-padukone-bollywood-india-profile/)
8. [SEE IN MY HEART: Life of Madhubala](https://seeinmyheart.blogspot.com/2011/02/life-of-madhubala.html)
9. [Madhubala's sister Madhur Bhushan reveals details, Filmfare](https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/madhubalas-sister-madhur-bhushan-reveals-the-most-shocking-details-about-the-late-actors-life-25267.amp)
10. [Chanchal (III), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2457480/)
11. [Janakikutty, Kunjathol meet again after 25 years, Onmanorama](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/2023/07/10/chanchal-jomol-actress-mollywood-movies-mt-vasudevan-nair.html)
12. [Narendra Chanchal — Filmography & Biography, Indian Film History](https://www.indianfilmhistory.com/actor/narendra-chanchal)
13. [I saved my tuition money for years to buy a harmonium: Chanchal Chowdhury, The Daily Star](https://www.thedailystar.net/culture/entertainment/news/i-saved-my-tuition-money-years-buy-harmonium-chanchal-chowdhury-4263061)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of South Asia › Indian screen actors, silent to 1960s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license