Suraiya was born in Gujranwala, Punjab and was the only child of her parents. She was a dark plain looking girl and was not trained in music, however she went on to become a successful actress and singer.She debuted as a child star with Taj Mahal (1941). She did playback as a 13 year old for Mehtaab in Sharda (1942) under Naushad's direction. The barely-in-her-teens Suraiya had to stand on a stool to reach the mike!

She was lucky to star opposite the legendary K.L. Saigal in three of his later films - Tadbir (1945), Omar Khaiyam (1946) and Parwana (1947), the last remembered for her haunting rendition of Jab Tumhi Nahin Apne.
The 1948-49 phase saw her rise to her peak. With Pyar ki Jeet (1948), Badi Bahen (1949) and Dillagi (1949) she became the highest paid female star of her time. At her peak, Suraiya generated hysteria comparable only to Rajesh Khanna in the late 1960s and early 1970s.