- Anita Delgado
Anita Delgado Briones was a Spanish
flamenco dancer and singer fromAndalusia .She was born on
February 8 ,1890 inMálaga . The family emigrated to Madrid, where her beauty and that of her sister were welcomed. PaintersJulio Romero de Torres andRicardo Baroja asked that they model, but Anita refused being only 16.During the festivals for the marriage of king
Alfonso XIII of Spain inMadrid , the Maharaja SirJagatjit Singh Bahadur ofKapurthala watched her performances in acafe-concert . He attempted to court her, but his approaches were rejected, and he left after the bombing of the royal couple (May 31 ,1906 ). Later, however, her friends Romero de Torres, Ramón María del Valle-Inclán andPastora Imperio convinced her to answer his messages and meet him in Paris.He had her educated (including in French) and married her on28 January 1908 . After marriage she changed her name to Maharani Prem Kumari.They later travelled in Europe and India, and she wrote a book about this time called "Impresiones de mis viajes a las Indias".She also gave the Maharaja a son,Maharajkumar Ajit Singh (born 26th April 1908, educated at Cambridge University and at the Military Academy, Dehra Dun. Assistant to the Indian Trade Commissioner in Argentina, died in 1982).During the first World War, her husband worked in Franco-British hospitals.The Maharaja and she fell apart as a result of her extramarital affairs, including her affair with a son of the Maharaja from another wife.They separated and Anita stayed in Paris with her son.She died on7 July 1962 inMadrid .In media
A movie on Anita's life titled "
La princesa de Kapurthala " starring the Spanish actressPenélope Cruz was slated to begin shooting in 2006.However a descendent of Jagatjit Singh,Shatrujit Singh , has opposed the filming since he considers thatJavier Moro 's novel on which it is based distorts truth, especially the allegations of the Maharajah forcing Anita to an abortion." [http://cine.wanadoo.es/noticias/la_princesa_de_kapurthala__153800_1.html Las autoridades indias, contra Penélope Cruz] ".]Literature
*Javier Moro. "Pasión india". (2005) Editorial Seix Barral ISBN 84-322-9663-5
*OCON DUEÑAS, Manuel: "Anita Delgado". Ed. Arguval. 1986.References
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