SPECIAL FOCUS ON FAVOURITE GENRE OF OUR CINEMA!

Sunil Dutt, Rehman, Prithviraj Kapoor & Meena Kumari on poster of 'Gazal' (1964).

"Rang aur Noor ki baarat kise pesh karoon..
Yeh muraadon ki hasin raat kise pesh karoon.."

"Rang aur Noor ki barat kise pesh karoon.."
Sunil Dutt-Meena Kumari in 'Gazal's(1964) song!

Progressiv writer express this emotions.. when sees his love getting marry to nawab!

This is my twelfth picture or focus on the Muslim Social cinema.. which shows the struggle of young generation to live life..
they prefer and with whom they want.. through films like this 'Gazal'!

Urdu poet Agha Jani Kashmiri & Majnu Lucknowi wrote classic film 'Gazal' (1964) which produced & directed by Ved-Madan! Story set in Agra where editor of 'Inquilab' Ejaz (Sunil Dutt) loves Naaz Ara Begum - (Meena Kumari) and her singing; but her Nawab father (Prithviraj Kapoor) arrange her nikah with Umrao Akhtar (Rehman). 

Sahir Ludhianvi wrote the ghazals of this film and Madan Mohan composed the music for them! In this Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar sung (male-female versions) title song and "Naghma o sher ki saugaat.." And Duttsahab & Meena Kumariji's tragic performance in it..lajawaab!

Munawar Sultana & singer-actor Surendra 

in Mehboob Khan's film 'Elaan' (1947).

Now we go in flash back and see two pioneering films of this 'Muslim Social'..made by our great filmmaker Mehboob Khan! In 1947 he made.. 'Elaan' which was the first film to look at Indian Muslims from the inside. This film critisized.. traditional thinking and backwardness! This - successful film wrote by Zia Sarhadi who made good films in India and went to Pakistan after partition! Munawwar Sultana and singer-actor Surendra were the lead artists of this film and Naushad Ali composed the music for it!

Ashok Kumar & Veena in 'Mehboob -

Productions' first film 'Najma' (1943).

Before that in 1943 'Mehboob Productions' made first film 'Najma' was like a blueprint for this genre! This emphasized importance of education and necessity for development within Muslim community! But this film's upper class Lakhnawi protagonists follows
the traditions & tehzeeb! This film was also written by Agha Jani Kashmiri and Anjum - Pilibhiti wrote the lyrics which composed by Rafiq Ghaznavi! Veena portrayed wealthy - girl Najma and Ashok Kumar did the role of medical student in it! For this, Khansahab - paid Dadamuni one lakh which was a record at that time!

Anyway, these films started this sensitive genre which became a special identity of our Indian cinema!!

- Manoj Kulkarni