Shyam, born Sunder Shyam Chadha on February 20, 1920, in Sialkot, Punjab, British India, was an Indian actor known for his striking good looks and charisma. After graduating from Gordon College in Rawalpindi, he began his career in 1942 with the Punjabi film Gowandhi and moved to Bombay in 1944 to act in Hindi cinema. He quickly rose to prominence in the late 1940s, acting alongside top actresses like Nargis, Suraiya, and Nigar Sultana, with one of his most famous films being Bazaar (1949). Tragically, his career was cut short on April 25, 1951, when he died at the age of 31 after sustaining a fatal head injury from a fall off a horse while filming his last movie, Shabistan.

Filmography