Dr. Amjad Parvez

Noor Jehan used to start all her live concerts by singing the letter song. Tanvir Naqvi also shot to fame after being the lyricist of this movie. Due to the success of this film, all heroines were left behind barring Suraiya in Bombay and Jamuna and Kanan Bala in Calcutta. During this time Noor Jehan used to leave her son Syed Akbar Hussain Rizvi with her maid for shooting. The same year another Noor Jehan film ‘Dil’ by Calcutta-based Fazli Brothers and directed by Husnain Fazli was released. The music was by Zafar Khurshid. He made excellent use of Noor Jehan’s voice. This was his only venture in India after, which he moved to Karachi and was never heard of again. Noor Jehan sang six songs for this movie. It is believed that new hero Abdul Latif did not click despite the side cast of WAM Khan, Ghori, Geeta Bose and Anis. Last movie is this spell was ‘Hamjoli’. It was directed by Luqman and later by Ismail Memon. The latter was never heard of again but Luqman made use of this film’s publicity and directed many movies thereafter in Pakistan. Music was by Hafeez Khan and was released in Pakistan after Independence. Jai raj acted as hero opposite Noor Jehan. Actress Zeenat was in the support cast who later acted in many main and character roles. Agha was in the support cast too. Anjum Peeli Bheeti was the lyricist.

Now was 1946. The Independence Movement was at its peak. Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi announced his independent production company namely Shaukat Art Productions and announced a movie ‘Jugnu’. The problem for searching for hero was resolved by Luqman who introduced slim and young Dilip Kumar to Rizvi. He was immediately selected. Noor Jehan was expecting her second baby then but Rizvi shot the scenes in such a manner that the difference of appearances was concealed. The moment Feroze Nizami composed songs were released, they were shot into fame. Five songs by Noor Jehan turned out to be super hit. A duet by Rafi and Noor Jehan “Yehan badla wafa ka bewafai kei siwa kaya hai” still resounds in our ears.

Noor Jehan’s last film in India was ‘Mirza Sahibaan’ (1947), which starred Prithviraj Kapoor’s brother Trilok Kapoor. Despite six super hit songs by Noor Jehan in this 1947 film, it failed at the box office. The support cast was Gulab Misra, Ameer Bano, Gope and Cuckoo. The music was by Master Amar Nath. The first song was rendered jointly by Noor Jehan and Zohra Bai Ambalewali. Qamar Jalali was the lyricist. The second song was a duet with GM Durrani. One can argue that this movie was victim of riots preceding creation of independent Pakistan but that argument did not hold true for ‘Jugnu’ that clicked on the box office. After Pakistan was created, the film’s prints had arrived. On August 14, 1947 the release of director Mahbub’s movie ‘Elaan’ became victim of riots. Even ‘Jugnu’ could not be released in Pakistan. Since all the agreements made at the time of undivided India were null and void, Chaudhry Eid Muhammad released ‘Elaan’ in his Rattan Cinema. Since this release was illegal, the India Film Bureau informed Mahbub in Bombay who came to Lahore and tried to stop its exhibition. It was due to the efforts of Agha GA Gul, Syed Attaullah Shah Hashmi Mian Rafi Akhtar and Khurshidul Hasan that Chaudhry Eid Muhammad agreed to stop the exhibition of ‘Elaan’ in exchange for ‘Jugnu’, the latter did Silver Jubilee alone in this cinema. By now all those have allegiance to Muslim League reached Lahore from Bombay like WZ Ahmad, Sibtain Fazli, Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi, Noor Jehan, Sworenlata, Nazir, Sharif Nayyar, Nazir Bedi, Alla uddin, Ilyas Kashmiri, Ragini, Zuhoor Raja, Tanvir Naqvi, Luqman and alike!

Noor Jehan stayed in India before the creation of Pakistan was a mix of successes and failures but she sang 127 songs in Indian films and the number of talking films she made from 1932 to 1947 was 69. The number of silent movies was 12. Fifty-five of her films were made in Bombay, eight in Calcutta, five in Lahore and one in Rangoon (now Yangon), Burma (now Myanmar).

The Return: Noor Jehan and Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi traveled through sea and landed in Pakistan in Karachi. The couple was allotted a bungalow in Garden East. They remained busy for some time preparing for the release of ‘Jugnu’ in Karachi, Sindh and Balochistan. Mahbub and Kardar too came to Karachi but after finding the environment not congenial for them, soon returned to Bombay. Rizvi too decided to move to Lahore after settling down his sister in his house. In Lahore the couple was allotted building ‘Sheesh Mahal’ on Davis Road. Trying to find directorial jobs failed, so his friends advised him to set up a studio. Continued

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