Way before Shashikala and Nadira, Kuldip Kaur played the bad girl to perfection. She will always be remembered for her 'vamping' acts in Kaneez (1949), Afsana (1951), Baiju Bawra (1952) and perhaps her most famous film, Anarkali (1953).

Kuldip, or 'KK' as she was known, came from a rich Sikh family of Attari in Punjab. She was making films in Lahore when the partition of India took place. Said to be involved with actor Pran at the time even though he was married, the two of them left Lahore together and came to Bombay. They left Lahore in such a hurry that Pran's car was left behind. Kuldip went back to Lahore even as rioting was in full swing, picked up the car and drove it all the way to Bombay!

While looking for work in Bombay, Kuldip landed up at Bombay Talkies where Savak Vacha took a look at her and requested their German cinematographer Josef Wirsching to take her screen test. Her screen test suggested that her pert nose and highly expressive face would be ideal for casting her as the 'other woman.' She was cast in a supporting role in the Dev Anand - Kamini Kaushal starrer, Ziddi (1948), produced by Bombay Talkies.

Kuldip broke through and scored heavily as the other woman opposite Munawar Sultana's suffering wife in Kaneez (1949). She played a sexy urban socialite called Darling (!) who causes problems in Munawar Sultana's marriage to Shyam forcing Sultana to live as a servant in her own house.

With films like Samadhi (1950) and Afsana (1951), Kuldip became the top vamp in Hindi films. Samadhi, a patriotic drama, addressing Subash Chandra Bose and the Indian national Army  saw her as part of a British spy ring as the dancer Dolly. In one of her most enduring images, Kuldip, in pants and all, dances with Nalini Jaywant in the all time hit Gore Gore O Banke Chhore. Afsana saw her cast typically as Ashok Kumar's adultrous wife having an affair with his friend, played by Pran.  With her colourful role, Kuldip easily stole a march over the bland goody-two-shoes heroine, Veena. Be it the flirtatious coquette or pretending to be the grieving widow, Kuldip was spot on making Afsana one of her most memorable films.

Other films in which Kuldip made a major impact include Baiju Bawra  where she played  a strong dacoit queen who takes Baiju away with her and Anarkali as Bina Rai's rival doing her best to thwart the legendary Salim - Anarkali romance.  Baaz (1953) saw her playing a Portuguese woman (!) trying to seduce an Indian prince played by Guru Dutt. She keeps pouting "Huzoor" at him only to be met with his classic rebuff - "Zara Door." She has the sexiest song of the film - Taare Chandni Afsane, rendered brilliantly by Geeta Dutt, picturized on her as she plays up to Dutt.

Kuldip continued to do films steadily but post Anarkali but none of her subsequent roles had the sort of impact of Afsana or Anarkali.

Kuldip also courted controversy when she was charged with spying for Pakistan a few years after Independence. She died under mysterious circumstances with some of her films like Yamla Jatt (1960) releasing after her death.