Kajjanbai

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Jehanara Kajjan
Born1915
Died1915 (aged -31–-30)
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Occupationsinger/actress
Years active1930–1945

Jehanara Kajjan, also known as Kajjanbai (1915–1945), or "Miss Kajjan",[1] was a singer and actress in India during the 1920s and 1930s, often referred to as the "Nightingale of Bengal".[2]

Starting her career from stage, she moved to films, joining J. J. Madan's Madan Theatres. Two of her early Talkies becoming instant hits, Shirin Farhad (1931) and Laila Majnu (1931) both Madan Theatre productions.[3] Her co-star in the two films was Master Nissar and the duo became popular singing sensations, with Kajjan being known as "the lark of India".[4]

Early life and career

Her mother was a "tawaif" with important connections.[5] Jehanara was educated at home, where she learned English and Urdu; she wrote poetry, some of which was published. She received a classical music training from Ustad Hussain Khan.[1] She began appearing on stage in the years when women were first allowed to perform in the Indian theatre.[5]

Aside from acting, she and Ghulam Mohammed also taught Noor Jehan when the latter was young, making her do riyaz up to 12 hours each day.[6] Kajjan stopped singing in 1930,[citation needed] however, she continued to star in movies such as Shirin Farhad and Layla Majnun opposite Nissar, becoming a symbol of on-screen romance in the cinema of India.[2]

Notable films

Shirin Farhad (1931), the second Indian Talkie to be made, was released two months after the landmark Alam Ara,[7]which released on 11 March 1931.[8] The story centred on a folk-legend from the Shahnama, and was already a success on the Parsi stage. J. J. Madan adapted it to film form with Master Nissar and Kajjan playing the lead roles. According to author Gooptu, the film "created a box-office record".[9] It was "twice as successful" compared to Alam Ara, and had 17 (out of the 18) songs sung by Jehanara Kajjan and Master Nissar.[10]

Death

Kajjan died in 1945 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India.[11]

Films[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c Plan Neville (24 December 2015). "A gem called Jahanara Kajjan". The Hindu. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b Orsini 2006: 272
  3. ^ Manoj Srivastava (6 December 2017). Wide Angle: History of Indian Cinema. Notion Press. pp. 20–. ISBN 978-1-946280-48-0. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  4. ^ Rani Burra; India. Directorate of Film Festivals (1981). Looking back, 1896-1960. Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  5. ^ a b Uwe Skoda; Birgit Lettmann (30 October 2017). India and Its Visual Cultures: Community, Class and Gender in a Symbolic Landscape. SAGE Publishing India. pp. 67–. ISBN 978-93-86446-69-5.
  6. ^ PTV World News
  7. ^ Ashok Damodar Ranade (2006). Hindi Film Song: Music Beyond Boundaries. Bibliophile South Asia. pp. 94–. ISBN 978-81-85002-64-4. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  8. ^ Sen, Shomini. "100 years of Indian cinema: The first talkies and era of taking risks". ibnlive.in.com. ibnlive.com. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  9. ^ Sharmistha Gooptu (November 2010). Bengali Cinema: 'An Other Nation'. Routledge. pp. 39–. ISBN 978-1-136-91217-7. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  10. ^ Nair, Roshni. "The man who missed the train". thebigindianpicture.com. thebigindianpicture. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  11. ^ Neville, Pran (24 December 2015). "A gem called Jahanara Kajjan". The Hindu. The Hindu. Retrieved 13 April 2018.

Sources

External links

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