MCM101 Lecture 28

LESSON 28 FILM MEDIA IN SUBCONTINENT AND PAKISTAN (II) & ITS EFFECTS

More activities of foreigners made Bombay the centre of film world right in the beginning. But the part of the subcontinent which spearheaded in film arts was Lahore. It will not be wrong to say that most talent in direction, acting and singing was generated in the Lahore film studios before partition.

Here we will talk in detail how the film art flourished in Lahore before partition and how this one distinguished mean of mass communication fared in Pakistan after independence.

Pakistan film history from 1896-1947

Pakistan shared its film history with India (Bharat) from 1896 to 1947. Lahore produced many films and a big number of Pakistani artists debuted in this period.

Pakistani artists before 1947

The first silent film from Lahore was The Daughter of Today released in 1924 and the inaugural Punjabi or talkie film from Lahore was Heer Ranjha in 1932. (Alam Ara was released in 1931, which means Lahore was going as fast and one top film-home after Bombay in the subcontinent.

Some Memorable Movies from 1913-47

Raja Harishchandra The Daughter of Today Alam Ara

Khazanci Anmol Gharri Jugnu

First film made with cultural taboos- sans women

Raja Harishchandra was released for public viewing in Coronation theatres, Bombay. The first Indian motion picture, D. G. Phalke’s mythological boasted of an all-male star-cast. Even the female lead was played by a man since no woman was willing to be part of the cast.

First ever silent feature film from Lahore

Premier Film Company

The Daughter of Today

The first ever silent film from Punjab Actors: A.K.Kardar, Wilayat Begum, M. Ismaeel, Vijay Kumar, Heera Lal and Master Ghulam Qadir, G.K. Mehta. M. Ismaeel started his film career from the first ever Lahore made silent film and he was an automatic choice in the first talkie film from Lahore too. Assistant Director: Mian Abdur Rasheed Kardar, was the man who started film making in Lahore. He was hero in first silent film and director of first talkie film.

Inaugural Urdu/Hindi Indo-Pak feature film

Imperial Film Company Presents

Alam Ara

Urdu/Hindi (124 minutes, black & white) Released on: Saturday, March 14, 1931 (Capital Cinema Lahore) India's first talkie film was released at Bombay's Majestic cinema hall. It had seven songs and was 10,500 ft. long and ran for seven weeks. It was a costume drama and romantic film. Story: A period fantasy that told of the ageing king of Kamarpur, and his two rival queens, Navbahar and Dilbahar, and their rivalry when a fakir predicts that Navbahar will bear the king's heir. Dilbahar unsuccessfully tries to seduce the army chief Adil (Vithal) and vengefully destroys his family, leaving his daughter Alam Ara (Zubaida) to be raised by nomads. Eventually, Alam Ara's nomad friends invade the palace, expose Dilbahar's schemes, release Adil from the dungeon and she marries the prince of the realm. Actors: Zubaida (Alam Ara), Master Vitthal (Adil), J. Sushila (as Sushila), Jillo Bai, Prithviraj Kapoor, Elizer, Wazir Mohammed Khan, Jagdish Sethi and L.V. Prasad Music: Feroz Shah and B. Irani Singers: Zubaida, W.M. Khan

First ever Punjabi feature film

Punjabi Realesed in: 1932 The first ever Lahore made film. Actors: Anwari Begum, Rafiq Ghazniv, Gul Hameed, Lala Yaqoob, M. Ismael, Fazal Shah, Walait Begum. Anwari Begum and Rafiq Ghaznavi - the grand parent of Salma Agha - played title roles in this memorable film. Rafiq Ghaznavi was a famous musician in the 30s and 40s and Anwari Begum appeared in many films, one of them was Anmol Ghari. Music: Rafiq Ghaznavi

Folk music comes to films

Pancholi Art Pictures

Khazanchi

Realesed in: 1941 Actors: Ramola, Naring, M. Ismael, Manorma, Ajmal, Janki Das, Durga Khote Music: Revolutionary music director Master Ghulam Haidar changed the whole style of film music from classical Bengali to folk Punjabi music in this mega hit film from Lahore. Master Ghulam Haidar introduced Baby Noor Jehan as playback singer in this film first time. (He also introduced Indian diva Lata Mangeshkar in film Majboor in 1948).

Mehoboob Production Ltd. (Bombay-Lahore) Anmol Gharri (Urdu/Hindi)

Actors: Noor Jehan, Surender, Surayya, Zahoor Raja, Leela Mishra, Anwari Begum, Bhudo Anvari, Murad Director: Mehboob Khan, one of the greatest film director in the history, was not formerly educated. This film is special because it brought almost a revolution in subcontinent film world. Music: One of the most memorable and melodious film by Noushad Ali from the 40s. Naushad Ali is regarded as one of the greatest Music Directors of Indian Cinema. Assistent: Ghulam Ahamd (Pakeeza fame) Lyrics: Tanvir Naqvi was a relative of Madam Noor Jehan and a very successful lyricist.... Singers: Noor Jehan was the most impressive film personality in the Indo-Pak film history. She was dominating since her debut as a child star (1935).

Surayya was another famous singer/actress from the 40s and 50s. Born in Lahore, she debuted as a child star with Taj Mahal (1941). Shamshad Begum was the first generation of top Punjabi film singers (followd by Zubaida Khanum (in the 50s) and Madam Noor Jehan (from 40s-90s), respectively). One can’t forget Shamshad's mega hit Punjabi songs as:

• Batti baal ke Banerey utte rakhni aan
• Meri lagdi kise na wekhi, te tutdi nu jugg janda
• Ni tutt jaye Rail Gadiye, too rok leya Chann mera
• Jutt Kurdian toon darda mara

Mohammad Rafi and Surindra – all from Punjab, Lahore.

Film songs:

Tera Khilona tuta Balik, hai qismat ne tujh ko... Mohammad Rafi Aaja meri barbad mohabbat ke sahare ... Madam Noor Jehan Mere bachpan ke saathi mujhe bhool na jana... Madam Noor Jehan Jawan hai mohabbat, haseen hai zamana... Madam Noor Jehan Kya mil geya Bhagwan tumhe dil ko dukha ke… Madam Noor Jehan

The Last Big "Pakistani" film before partition

Shoukat Arts Productions

J U G N U

Urdu/Hindi Released on: 1947 This film was the last big film by Madam Noor Jehan and her husband director Shaukat Hussain Rizvi before partition. It was a big musical and romantic film. Madam Noor Jehan was on peak of her film career as singer and film heroine. Dillip Kumar and Mohammad Rafi got breakthrough from this film. Actors: Dilip Kumar - the acting legend - got breakthrough from this mega hit film. He was born in Peshawar... Music: Feroz Nizami, completed hat trick of three great musical film, first Jugnu in 1947, then Chann We in 1951 and Dopatta 1952 - all with Noor Jehan, & G. A. Chishti was a legendry musician in Punjabi films. He dominated Pakistani film music until the beginning of the 70s. Singers: Madam Noor Jehan, Shamshad Begum.

Mohammad Rafi was a legend and he left behind a rich legacy of songs in Urdu/Hindi, Punjabi and many other languages. Started his singing career from Lahore... Roshan Ara Begum was acclaimed the best exponent of Kirana gharana style of khayal singing in the subcontinent...

Pakistani artists started their film careers before 1947

A.R.Kardar (actor/director) Daughters of Today 1924 M. Ismael (actor) Daughters of Today 1924 Rafiq Ghaznavi (musician) 1932 Ghulam Mohammad (actor) Madhuri 1933 Zahoor Shah (actor) Majnoo 1935/1933 Mukhtar Begum (singer/actress) Naveli Dulhan 1933 Noor Mohammad Charlie (comedian) Nadra 1933 A. Shah Shikarpuri (comedian) Fadaye Toheed 1934 Nazir (actor/director) Aab-e-Hayyat 1934 Master Ghulam Haidar (musician) Sanjog ki Seerhi 1935 Najmul Hassan (actor) Jawani ki hawa 1935 Noor Jehan (singer/actress) Pind di Kurri 1935 S.M. Yousuf (director) Bharat ka Laal 1935 Rekha (actress) Neela 1935 Kumar (actor) Hamari Betian 1936 Ajay Kumar (actor) Mard ka Bacha 1936 G.A.Chishti (musician) Sohni Mehinwal 1937 Agha Salim Raza (actor) Gul Bakawli 1939 Ajmal (actor) Gul Bakawli 1939 Khursheed Anwar (musician) Kurmai 1940