Noor Jehan

For the Mughal empress, see Nur Jehan.

Noor Jehan (September 21 1926 or 1929 - December 23, 2000) was a famous singer and actress. She is revered in Pakistan by her title "Mallika-e-Tarranum" (Queen of Melody) and is widely considered one of the country's greatest singers.

File:Noor in Anarkali.jpg

Noor Jehan in the movie Anarkali (1958)

Childhood

She was born as Allah Wasai in a small house in Kot Murad Khan, Kasur, Punjab. Her parents were professional musicians and genealogists working for local landowning families, performing at life cycle events. The family also performed at local theatre at seasonal fairs. Her father was Madad Ali and her mother was Fateh Bibi and she was the seventh child of her parents in a family of fourteen. Noor Jehan had seven brothers - Mian, Nawab Din, Gul Muhammad "Gulloo", Muhammad Hussain, Muhammad Shafi, Siddique, and Inayat Hussain. Noor Jehan had six sisters - Eidan Bai, Haider Baandi, Gulzar Begum, Ameena Begum, Baharo, and Undam Begum "Machine". Sadly, three of her brothers ended up in mental institutions. She showed an unusual interest in music in her childhood and she had a melodious voice. Realizing her immense talent, her mother started her training in singing and dancing. She recieved early music lessons through Kajjanbai (a singer between 1920 and 1930) who made her do "riyaz" up to 12 hours a day. After her morning "riyaz", a teacher would come to help her learn to read and write. The family moved to Lahore from Kasur where her elder sisters Eidan Bai and Haider Baandi, began their stage career. In around 1930, she won a part in a silent movie called Hind ke Tare (1930) made by Indian Pictures, Calcutta. Thereafter, the family moved to Bombay where she made 11 silent films in 1931.

She received early training in classical singing under Ustad Ghulam Mohammed who instructed her in classical music and voice production within the framework of classical forms of Thumri, Dhrupad, and Khayal. She took up singing at 7 and started making stage appearances with her elder sisters for rural theatre companies called the Taka Theatre. She did not sing original songs but the famous hits of the day. She went to Lahore with her sisters and took part in live song and dance which usually preceded the actual film show. The sisters moved to Calcutta in 1934/1935, looking for a bigger stage. There Mukhtar Begum, the leading singing star of the day, encouraged the three sisters and recommended to them various producers. In later life, Noor Jehan adopted her style of performing and wearing of a sari. The sisters got permanent jobs with one of the Seth Sukh Karnani Companies, Indira Movietone. Their popularity grew as they became known as Punjab Mail. At this time director K.D. Mehra, was in the process of making a Punjabi film, and persuaded his producer to cast the three in Pind Ki Kudhi (1935). And so began the film career of Baby Noor Jehan. She next acted in a film called Missar Ka Sitara (1936) by the same company and sang in it for composer Damodar Sharma. Five films later, Baby Noor Jehan played the role of Heer as a child in the film Heer Sayyal (1937). The role of Heer in this film was played by Balo, mother of famous 1960s actress Sabiha Khanum. After four years in Calcutta, back in Lahore, it was Master Ghulam Haider who spotted her immense talent as a singer and composed songs that made her famous overnight. Baby Noor Jehan hit the nationwide with Gul-e-Bakavali (1939) for renowned Bombay producer Dalsukh M. Pancholi in 1939 where she recorded her first film song that was an instant hit. Baby Noor Jehan's appeal changed from a child struggling to play bit roles into a young woman with immense potential ready to take off and launch her singing and acting career. When it was decided to cast her as a heroine the basic problem with the producer and director was how to erase the impression of her being a child in public perception. They feared that she would not be accepted as a heroine by the audience that had billed her a few years of being a child star. The first step was to remove the "Baby" prefix from her name, and though she was young, she was burly and appeared older than her age. Her image on screen posed no problems to the director and so was born Noor Jehan, set to enter the adult world, barely in her mid-teens.

Pre-Partition India

Noor Jehan was first cast as a heroine in Khandaan (1942) opposite Pran (who later became one of India's Most Hated Villians) as the hero. The film was also a debut for director Syed Shaukhat Hussain Rizvi. Pancholi had recently involved Rizvi in the editing of Gul-e-Bakavali (1939), Yamla Jatt (1940), and Chaudhry (1941). The songs of Khandaan (1942) composed by Ghulam Haider became instant hits and established her as the leading singer in films in India. On the sets of Khandaan (1942) a relationship developed between Syed Shaukhat Hussain Rizvi and Noor Jehan. Their turbulent love affair took place during shootings at Pancholi Studios (Lahore) and lasted 2 years between 1941 and 1943. They were married in 1943 after a much publicized and denied romance. The marriage produced three children. They were Akbar, Asghar, Zill-e-Huma.

Khandaan's success saw her immigrating to Bombay where she shared melodies with the singing star Shanta Apte in Duhai (1943). After that there was hit after hit with songs from Naukar (1943), Nadan (1943), Dost (1944) and Lal Haveli (1944). By now her popularity outsripped all others. She was the darling of masses, recognized and adored both for her singing and acting. After taking the leading role in Nadan (1943), she was presented with second lead in Naukar (1943), while Shobhana Samarth took the lead opposite Chandramohan. Dost (1944) directed by Rizvi, had the extremely gifted Motilal as the leading man opposite Noor Jehan with Rizvi (now her husband) playing her brother. It was in this film that Noor Jehan lent her voice for the first time, to another actress named Husn Bano. It was in Lal Haveli (1944) that Noor Jehan starred opposite singing star Surendra (they later made Anmol Ghadi (1946) together). Lal Haveli was also noted for the fact that Meena Kumari then a child star, played Noor Jehan as a child.

The year 1945 was a turning point for Noor Jehan. In Master Vinayak's Badi Maa (1945) she played lead with "Baby Lata Mangeshkar" and "Baby Asha Mangeshkar" in supporting roles. During breaks in shooting, she would ask the then unknown Lata to join impromtu singing sessions and said to the composers, "Mark my words, this girl will one day become a tremendous singer". Noor Jehan's influence on the early songs of Lata are still discernible. Lata has always respected Noor Jehan and considers her one of her favourite singers. The year 1945 also brought Noor Jehan her first superhit in Bombay, Zeenat (1945). It was her inimitable rendition of songs that gained her the title Mallika-e-Tarranum or Queen of Melody. She dethroned reigning singing star Khursheed and rendered obsolete nautch girl style of Zohrabai Ambalewali and Amirbai Karnatki. She also achieved another milestone, when she sung a Qawwali with Zohrabai Ambalewali and Kalyani which was "Aahen Na Bhareen Shikave Na Kiye" - the first ever female Qawwali in subcontinent films.

In 1946, Noor Jehan acted in the enduring classic Anmol Ghadi (1946). The title was a fitting description of the magical moments in this film with superhit songs composed by Naushad making her the undisputed queen of films if there was any doubt left about her being a diva. Composers and lyricists vied to have their creations rendered by Noor Jehan. In the film Anmol Ghadi (1946), she played a poetess named Lata caught in a love triangle, featuring the other two singing stars of the era, Surendra and Suraiya. So popular was the film that Noor Jehan's other two films released that year, Dil (1946) and Humjoli (1946), were pale in comparison. In Jugnu (1947), she starred with then rising star Dilip Kumar. The music of the film catapulted the then struggling Mohammed Rafi. Noor Jehan had very few duets as her voice did not require the support and enhancement of others. Her effortless emotive capabilities and fluid grasp over the substance and essence of the lyrics is amazing, even to this day. Noor Jehan's last film in India was Mirza Sahibaan (1947) which starred Prithviraj Kapoor's brother Trilok Kapoor and brought some of her last musical hits.

Life in Pakistan

The Partition of India was the partition of the film industry. During the partition in 1947, Noor Jehan decided to migrate to Lahore in newly created Pakistan, despite Bombay being the real centre of show business. What was then the heartbeat of India was that Noor Jehan became Pakistani. This must have been a momentous decision for her. She was undoubtedly at the height of her career both as an actress and a singer and she did not forsee any competition of any kind in the near future. Her husband, Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi, too did not hail from that part of the subcontinent. He was from Uttar Pradesh and there was no compulsion to shift to Lahore. Many of the Muslim performers who were struggling then to make a place for themselves did not opt for Pakistan and stayed behind in Bombay as it was the real centre for film-making. Many of them flourished in later years and earned the kind of money and fame that would not have been possible in the new country. Movement in the opposite direction was led by Dalsukh Pancholi who had to abandon his beloved Lahore and move to Bombay. Noor Jehan was not a struggling artiste who found her rise to the top blocked by popular stars. She had found her place at the top. She needn't have come to Pakistan. She could have stayed in India and enjoyed her reign at the top. Yet she opted to come to Pakistan along with her husband to set up Shahnoor Studios in the outskirts of Lahore on the vandalised remains of Shorey Studios. This can only be attributed to her commitment to the new country.

After the holocaust of the partition as things settled down, the film industry in Pakistan picked up pieces and made use of whatever was available. With the splitting of India in two, so was the labour force, many technicians, music directors, actors, and actresses either stayed in India or shifted to Pakistan. The richness and variety of music directors in Bombay could not be matched with the Punjabi dominating directors of Lahore and this was sorely felt as a limiting factor in the growth of the film music in the early years of the country. It also limited the richness and variety for Noor Jehan to exploit. Being a singer of great creative ability, she made a virtue of her limitation and began exploring different styles. Three years after settling in Pakistan, Noor Jehan starred in her first film in Pakistan, Chanwey (1951), opposite Santosh Kumar, which was also her first Punjabi film as a heroine. Shaukhat and Noor Jehan directed this film together making Noor Jehan Pakistan's first female director. The film was a runaway hit. Most of the songs rendered by Noor Jehan and composed by Feroze Nizami became instant hits, not only in Pakistan but also in India. The film itself ran to packed houses in major cities in East Punjab, proving that Noor Jehan was still loved by millions of cinegoers and listeners of film music on both sides of the border. Indeed, the three year gap in her career did not make a dent whatsoever in her popularity.

Noor Jehan's second film in Pakistan was Dopatta (1952) which turned out to be an even bigger success than Chanwey (1951). Such was the popularity of musical score that no song based programme on Radio Pakistan, All India Radio or the newly introduced Hindi Service of Radio Ceylon, seemed complete without 1 or 2 of the film's numbers. In 1953 another Rizvi produced film, Gulnar (1953), directed by Imtiaz Ali Taj, though a well made film, proved to be grosser at the box office. However, its songs, penned by Qateel Shifai and composed by Ghulam Haider were highly appreciated by music connosieurs. Also, after the release of Gulnar (1953), Noor Jehan divorced Syed Shaukhat Hussain Rizvi. She then fell in love with 25 year old actor Ejaz Durrani and married him in 1954. She had three daughters with him. They were Hina (b. 1955), Shazia (b. 1956), and Nazia (b. 1963).

After a years break, Noor Jehan returned with another Punjabi film, Patey Khan (1955) opposite Aslam Pervez, which was another hit. Composer Akhtar Hussain scored some of his finest compositions of his career, all faultlessly rendered by Noor Jehan. In fact, Indian music director O.P. Nayyar was so moved when he heard "Kali Kali Jaan Dukh" that it brought tears to his eyes and he insisted on hearing it again and again. Two films released in 1956 with Santosh in the main lead. One of which was Lakht-e-Jigar (1956). The film faired below average at the box office but the film's music is considered to be the best of composer G. A. Chisti's long and illustrious career. Composing for a Noor Jehan starrer for the first time, Chisti nonetheless managed to come up with one of the most captivating tunes he ever scored. Noor Jehan immortalised Chisti's compositions. The second Noor Jehan starrer of 1956, was undoubtedly one of the most significant musicals in the Pakistani film industry. Directed by Masud Pervez, Intezar (1956), was ace composed by Khwaja Khurshid Anwar who made his first release in this film after he returned in the early 1950s. This film was also the first time Noor Jehan worked with the musical giant and what a combination that was to be. Almost every song he composed for her and she rendered became a rage. Lata Mangeshkar, while recording an interview for the Urdu Service of All India Radio in the 1970s, referred to Intezaar (1956), as one of her favourite Pakistani musical hits. Small wonder then that Noor Jehan was given the first President's Award in 1957 for best actress and best singer.

Compared to 1956, the following year was much less eventful. The one release was Nooran (1957), another Punjabi film, with Sudhir playing the main lead. Though the film had some enchanting numbers, the film failed to click at the box office. The year 1958, brought Noor Jehan two superhits. The first was a Punjabi film, Choomantar (1958), with Aslam Pervez as the leading man, that had excellent songs rendered by Noor Jehan under the direction of Rafiq Ali. The next was Anwar Kamal Pasha's Anarkali (1958) in which Noor Jehan played the title role opposite Sudhir who played Prince Salim. Despite the miscasting for both central roles, the film went on to be jubilee solely on the popularity of Noor Jehan's song composed by two music directors. Master Inayat, the original composer of the film, opted out of the film as the result disagreement with the director after the recording of just three songs. The task of composing the rest of the film's music was handed to Rashid Attre who composed some of the most memorable hits.

Noor Jehan bade farewell to acting in 1961 after a career of 26 years (1935 to 1961). The pressure of being a mother of 6 and the demanding wife of a hero forced her to give up her career. Her last films after 1958 were the musical hit Koel (1959), Pardaisan (1959), Neend (1959) and Ghalib (1961). After she quit acting she took up playback singing and was the most famous one through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. She made albums and even though she wasn't acting, she was still a hit. Her popularity was further boosted with her patriotic songs during the 1965 War between Pakistan and India. The music, lyrics and style of singing those songs made her a real "Queen of Hearts" for all Pakistanis at the time.

In 1971, Noor Jehan divorced Ejaz Durrani, who had treated her badly and left her for the sake of ephemeral sexual conquests when he lay in a jail in England on a drugs smuggling charge. She divorced Ejaz because of his affair with the actress Firdaus which lasted from 1967 to 1971. Since then she has received many awards, including with the highest Pakistani honour in entertainment Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (The Pride of Performance), Pakistan's top civil award and countless cultural awards. Noor Jehan had done some of her finest singing in Pakistani films. The diva revisited India in 1982 to attend a function celebrating the golden jubilee of the Indian Talkie. The Mallika-e-Taranum or Queen of Melody as she was called, enthralled her fans on this side of the border with her evergreen voice.

In 1998, Noor Jehan recorded her last song in Pakistan which was "Ki Dham Da Bharosa"? and stopped singing. She stopped singing due to failing health and newer trends in music. Her singing career came to an end after 59 years (1939 to 1998). She became sick after a protracted illness and visited several hospitals for treatment. She was sent to Karachi for treatment, where her sickness became a heart attack. On Saturday evening, December 23 2000, Noor Jehan passed away after suffering from a Heart Attack. She died on the night of Laylat al-Qadr (27th Ramadaan), which is a very important night for Muslims. The funeral prayers were offered at Jamia Masjid Sultan, Karachi. Quran Khawani was held at Shanoor Studios and her daughter Zill-e-Huma's residence in Lahore. She is buried in Karachi.

Affairs and Scandals

Noor Jehan lived her life on her own terms going through good times and bad, marriages, divorces, heartbreaks, casual and serious love affairs, fame, fortune and, loneliness. Noor Jehan said to Khalid Hassan in an interview that " I need a man in my life, otherwise I lose my music". Noor Jehan had many men in her life starting with her first affair at a young age with Hassan Amin, but broke up with him after falling in love with S.H. Rizvi. Her wrote a scurrilous book about her accounts with him in their life together. In that book, he wrote about many of Noor Jehan's affairs (some true some not). Also, some resources claim that Noor Jehan was married more than twice, but it is not known whether this is true or not. If she was married more than twice, than one of her additional husbands would be Aqeel Butt.

Noor Jehan's affair with debonair opening batsman Nazar Muhammad began during the filming of Chanwey (1951). Nazar who was related to music director Feroze Nizami, would come to Shahnoor Studios where the movie was being made. He could carry a tune and obviously had an eye out for her, as she did for him. The affair continued even after it was completed. Noor Jehan, who had a curfew pass, would put on a white burqa and go to Hira Mandi to meet Nazar. One day Rizvi's driver Amir Hasan told Rizvi that he had just dropped Noor Jehan at Islamia Park, where she and Nazar had a place of assignation. Rizvi went with a carload of helpers to the house identified by the driver. It belonged to an old man who sold amulets and traditional medicines. Rizvi knocked at the door and when it was answered, he demanded to know where Noor Jehan was. The old man who answered pretended he didn't know who she was. Rizvi brushing the man out of the way, began to climb the stairs to the upper floor which only had one room. The old man began to shout so the lovers would be warned of the raid. Rizvi saw the two of them lying in bed. Nazar jumped out of bed and leapt out of the window to the ground and broke his arm after falling on it. Nazar was caught by Rizvi's helpers and he never played cricket again.

In the book Rizvi wrote he accused Noor Jehan of affair after affair. He accused her of having an affair with the hero of her first film, Anwar Jahangir Khan and cinematographer Raza Mir. Also M. Naseem, owner of Popular Pictures, Royal Park, Lahore. The last affair she certainly had and it lasted quite a few years. Rizvi wrote that Noor Jehan also had an affair with film director Anwar Kamal Pasha who once gave her some brandy to drink, and when it hit her she tore of her shirt. He also accused her of having a casual affair with the brother of a studio employee by the name of Gul Zaman. She asked him to press her feet one day and led him on. Once she was through with him, she told him to get lost. She also tried to have an affair with the actor Santosh Kumar, who said that he respected Rizvi as his father, and would prefer death than have an affair with her. She told him, according to Santosh, in English "I love you and I love others". She also had an affair, claimed Shaukhat, with music director Nazir Ali. She also had a one-night stand, charged Rizvi, with a crockery merchant in Dhani Ram Road, Lahore as well as actor Mazhar Shah. She also had a serious affair with actor Yusuf Khan and a PIA pilot by the name of Ijaz Alam. She may have had none, some, or all of these affairs, but it is not known.

Filmography

• Anarkali (1958)
• Hulchul (1971)
• Koel (1959)
• Pardaisan (1959)
• Anarkali (1958)
• Neend (1959)
• Intezar (1956)
• Lakht-e-Jigar (1956)
• Patey Khan (1955)
• Gulnar (1953)
• Anarkali (1953)
• Dopatta (1952)
• Chanwey (1951)
• Do Bhai (1947)
• Jugnu (1947)
• Mirza Sahibaan (1947)
• Anmol Ghadi (1946)
• Badi Maa (1945)
• Gaon Ki Gori (1945)
• Zeenat (1945)
• Dost (1944)
• Lal Haveli (1944)
• Duhai (1943)
• Nadaan (1943)
• Khandaan (1942)
• Gul-e-Bakavali (1939) (as Baby Noor Jehan)
• Sholay (1984) (playback singer)
• Mastana Mahi (1971) (playback singer)
• Dosti (1971) (playback singer)
• Heer Raanjha (1970/II) (playback singer)
• Rangeela (1970) (playback singer)
• Andaleeb (1969) (playback singer)
• Ab Dilli Dur Nahin (1957) (playback singer)
• Gulnar (1953) (playback singer)
• Dopatta (1952) (playback singer)
• Chanwey (1951) (playback singer)

Director

• Chanwey (1951) (as Noorjahan)

Music

Reference^[1]

• Golden Collection
  • Chalo Acha Hua
  • Dil Kay Afsanay
  • Hamari Sansoun Mein
  • Hum se badal geya
  • Humari Saanson Mein
  • Jalte hain armaan
  • Kis Naam Se Pukaroon
  • Kuch Log Ruth Ker
  • Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat
  • O Janay walay re

• Punjabi Collection
  • Kainday Nay Naina
  • Mein Tay Mera Dilbar Jani
  • Sone De Taveetri
  • Sunn Vunjli Di
  • Tu Jo Meray Koal

See also

• Lata Mangeshkar

• Dilip Kumar

• Pakistani music

References

1. ^ Songs by Noor Jehan on itsPakistan Music. Retrieved 2005-04-02. Includes a photgraph of Noor Jehan, presumably from 2004

External links

• www.kasur.20fr.com
• www.kasur.gov.pk