Zeenat (1945 film)

Last updated

Zeenat
Directed by Shaukat Hussain Rizvi
Written by Wajahat Mirza
Screenplay byKhadim Mohy-ud-din
Story by Wajahat Mirza
Produced byShirazali Hakim
Ramzanali S. Lakhani
Starring Noor Jehan
Yakub
Karan Dewan
Himalayawala
Nasseem
CinematographyP. Isaac
Edited byMohsin T. Bangriwal
M. P. Kulkarni
D. N. Patel
Music byMeer Saheb
Hafiz Khan
Rafiq Ghaznavi (Background Music)
Production
company
Eastern Pictures
Distributed bySalma Talkie Distributors
Release date
  • 16 November 1945 (1945-11-16) [1]
Running time
178 minutes
Country India
Language Hindustani

Zeenat is a 1945 Indian Muslim social melodrama film directed by Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi and starring Noor Jehan, Yakub, Majid, Himalayawala, and Karan Dewan. It was produced by Shirazali Hakim and Ramzanali S. Lakhani. The film's story and dialogue was written by Wajahat Mirza Changezi. The music was composed by Meer Saheb and Hafiz Khan while the background music was provided by Rafiq Ghaznavi. [2]

Contents

It is the story of a young girl who loses her husband a few days after her wedding as a result of a fall from a horse but not before they have spent a night together unbeknownst to others, leaving her pregnant. Her travails following the death of her husband and the music of the film made it the highest grossing Indian film of 1945. [3] Zeenat was the highest-grossing movie of the year 1945 and is known for its famous qawwali "Aahen Na Bharin Shikwe Na Kiye".

Story

Zeenat (Noor Jehan) is marrying the youngest of the Hussain brothers, Sharafat. During Rukhsati (departure of the bride) the horse on which the bridegroom Sharafat is sitting shies away from the sound of firecrackers, causing the groom to fall and sustain critical head injuries. The groom is put in a room with his middle brother Liaqat Hussain (Yakub) but somehow manages to spend that night with Zeenat without anyone knowing. The only person to see him there is Liaqat who leads a wandering life and only visits the house because of his younger brother. Next day Sharafat suffers a paralytic attack from cerebral haemorrhage and exhaustion, but not before he writes about the night he passed with his new bride in his diary. He finally succumbs to his injuries leaving Zeenat a young and helpless widow. Liaqat leaves the house following his younger brother's death as now there is no reason for him to stay there. He takes Sharafat's diary with him.

When it is found that Zeenat is pregnant no one believes her story of being with her husband on their wedding night. She is asked to leave the house by the oldest Hussain brother who doubts her morality. She gives birth to a daughter who she leaves on her husband's grave following disturbing comments by people and tries to commit suicide. However, the cry of her child, Sayida, makes her return to the grave only to find her missing.

The child has been picked up by Liaqat who regularly visits his brother's grave. He has no idea of the child's parents but decides to look after her to the extent of giving up his idle life and taking up a job in order to stay put in one place. A friend of his, Hakim Sahib, suggests that Yakub give the child to him and his wife as they've been childless even after fifteen years of marriage. Liaqat agrees. Zeenat sees the child in a pram in the park and insists it's her child. Hakim Sahib calls Liaqat to settle the issue. Zeenat recognises Liaqat and though he finds her face familiar he cannot remember her. Faced with Liaqat and her past history Zeenat denies that the baby is hers but stays on in the house as an ayah (domestic help) in order to be close to her daughter.

Fifteen years later Sayida (Nasseem) is a young girl in love with Akhtar Hussain (Karan Dewan), who comes to study Persian from her teacher father, Hakim Sahib. Akhtar is also the son of Liaqat and Sharafat's older brother. Sayida's friend Jamila has a brother, Afzal (Himalayawala) who is also enchanted by Sayida. Soon, a marriage is fixed between Akhtar and Sayida. During the wedding Hakim and his wife find out about Zeenat being the real mother of Sayida and she tells them the father's name. At the wedding the bridegroom's family discover that Sayida is not Hakim's real daughter. However they agree to continue with the wedding but the Qazi needs to know the name of the girl's father. By the time Liaqat shows the family Sharafat's diary as proof of Zeenat's purity and morality, she has consumed poison. She lives just long enough to hear her daughter call her ‘Mother’.

Cast

Music

The film credits two music directors: Meer Sahib and Hafiz Khan. There were four lyricists: Nakshab Jarchvi, Mahir Ul Qadri, Shewan Rizvi, Anjum Pilibhiti. [5] [4] However the qawwali ‘Aahein Na Bharin’ was written by Nakshab.

NumberSongSingerComposer
1."Naacho Sitaro Naacho" [4] [5] Noor JehanHafiz Khan
2."Dulhan Ban Jao" Zohrabai Ambalewali, Kalyani and MenakaMeer Saheb and Hafiz Khan
3."Bulbulo Mat Ro Yahaan"Noor JehanHafiz Khan
4."Haaye Re Duniya Jhoothon Ka Durbar" Mohd. Rafi Meer Saheb, Hafiz Khan
5."Aandhiyan Gham Ki Yun Chali" [4] [5] Noor JehanHafiz Khan
6."Aaja Ri Aa Nindiya" [4] Noor JehanHafiz Khan
7."Sakhi Aaya Saawan Aaya" Zohrabai, Amirbai and KalyaniMeer Saheb, Hafiz Khan
8."Aahein Na Bhari Shikwe Na Kiye" [4] [5] Zohrabai, Kalyani and Noor JehanMeer Saheb, Hafiz Khan

Qawwali

The qawwali "Aahein Na Bhari Shikve Na Kiye" sung by Zohrabai Ambalewali, Noor Jehan, and Kalyani was very popular then and remains so even today. It was the first all-female qawwali and picturised on the then very young Shashikala, Baby Khurshid, Rehana, Zohrabai, Zebunnissa, Yasmin and the singer Kalyani herself. The qawwali was written by Nakhshab Jarchavi and music was composed by Meer Saheb and Hafiz Khan. [4] [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noor Jehan</span> Pakistani singer and actress

Noor Jehan, sometimes spelled Noorjehan also known by her honorific title Malika-e-Tarannum, was a Pakistani playback singer and actress who worked first in British India and then in the cinema of Pakistan. Her career spanned more than six decades. Considered to be one of the greatest and most influential singers in the Indian subcontinent, she was given the honorific title of Malika-e-Tarannum in British India. She had a command of Hindustani classical music as well as other music genres.

Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi was a Pakistani actor, film producer and director. He is widely considered as a pioneer of the Pakistani film industry.

Rajkumari Dubey, better known by her first name, Rajkumari, was an Indian playback singer who worked in Hindi cinema of 1930s and 1940s. Best known for her songs, "Sun Bairi Baalam Sach Bol Re" in Bawre Nain (1950), "Ghabaraa Ke Jo Hum Sar Ko Takraayan" in Mahal (1949) and "Najariya Ki Maari" in Pakeezah (1972).

The Shahnoor Studios is the studio taken over by Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi and his first wife, Noor Jehan in the aftermath of the independence of Pakistan in 1947. The studio is one of the oldest studios in Lahore, Pakistan and was previously known as Shori Studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shashikala</span> Indian actress (1932–2021)

Shashikala Saigal, better known by her first name, was an Indian film and television actress, who played supporting roles in hundreds of Bollywood films beginning in the 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shyama (Hindi actress)</span> Indian film actress (1935–2017)

Shyama was an Indian actress who appeared in Hindi films. She was active between 1945 and 1989, and is best known for her roles in Aar Paar and Barsaat Ki Raat.

Dama Dam Mast Qalandar is a spiritual Sufi qawwali written in the honour of the most revered Sufi saint of Sindh, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar (1177–1274) of Sehwan Sharif. The origins of the poem is unknown, since no recordings or written documents exist mentioning it prior to the 1950s. However, legends around the Shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan suggest that the original poem was initially written by the 13th-century Sufi poet Amir Khusrow, then further modified by Bulleh Shah in the 18th century. The poem includes a reference to the town of Sehwan, and the word "Lal" can refer to Lal Shahbaz Qalandar as a young man, his legendary ruby glow, or his red dress. Bulleh Shah gave an entirely different color to the qawwali, adding verses in praises of Shahbaz Qalandar and giving it a large tint of Sindhi culture. It also venerates Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad.

Sajjad Hussain was an Indian film score composer. He was also an accomplished mandolinist, playing the mandolin as a "Top Grade" player for the Indian film industry in Mumbai for more than five decades, reputed to have played more than 22,000 songs, including title-songs and background music. Besides the music for movies, he was known to play Indian classical music (Hindustani), as well as Arabic music and Sufi music.

<i>Khandaan</i> (1942 film) 1942 Indian film

Khandaan (transl. Family), also spelled as Khan Daan, is a 1942 muslim social Bollywood film directed by Shaukat Hussain Rizvi and produced by D.M. Pancholi, starring Pran, Noor Jehan, Ghulam Mohammed and M. Ajmal.

<i>Badi Maa</i> 1945 Indian film

Badi Maa , also called Bari-Ma, is a 1945 Indian Hindi-language war drama film. It was produced and directed by Master Vinayak. Made under the banner of Prafulla Pictures, Kolhapur, it had story written by V. S. Khendekar. Zia Sarhadi wrote the screenplay and lyrics for six songs. The other lyricists were Anjum Pilibhiti and Raja Badhe. The music director was K. Datta.

Altaf Hussain Tafu Khan, better known as Ustad Tafu or simply Tafoo, is a Pakistani musician from Lahore, Pakistan known as a 'master tabla player'. Ustad Tafu is especially adept at playing the musical instrument Tabla. Ustad Tafu has also been associated with Coke Studio in Pakistan.

Khawaja Pervez, (28 December 1930 – 20 June 2011) was a prominent Pakistani film composer- lyricist and film songwriter for both Urdu and Punjabi language films. His real name was Khawaja Ghulam Mohiuddin. His professional career span was over 40 years.

Abdul Rasheed Attray, also known as Rasheed Attre, was a Pakistani film score composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zohrabai Ambalewali</span> Indian singer

Zohrabai Ambalewali was an Indian classical singer and playback singer in Hindi cinema in the 1930s and 1940s. She was considered one of the most popular female playback singers of early and mid 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bibbo (actress)</span> Hindi and Urdu film actress (1906 – 1972)

Bibbo was a music composer, singer and actress who worked in both Indian and Pakistani films. She acted in Indian cinema from 1931 to 1947 before moving to Pakistan, following Partition of India in 1947. She started her acting career with Ajanta Cinetone Ltd. in 1933, working with directors like M. D. Bhavnani and A. P. Kapoor. She was one of the top leading ladies of the 1930s along with actresses like Devika Rani, Durga Khote, Sulochana, Mehtab, Shanta Apte, Sabita Devi, Leela Desai and Naseem Banu. She was referred to as "one of the most important female stars of the 1930s and 1940s". Her fame had her featured in the lyrics of a popular song from the film Gharib Ke Lal (1939) sung by Mirza Musharraf and Kamla Karnataki, with music by Sagheer Asif and lyrics by Rafi Kashmiri. "Tujhe Bibbo Kahoon Ke Sulochana", where Sulochana referred to another popular actress of the time. This was the first time a song featuring famous actors was used in the lyrics of a film song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karan Dewan</span> Indian actor

Karan Dewan was an Indian cinema actor in Hindi films. He worked in over seventy films from 1941 to 1979. He started as a journalist while still in college, editing a film-based magazine in Urdu. His brother was the film producer and director Jaimani Dewan.

Asghar Hussain Deobandi was an Indian Sunni Muslim scholar who co-founded Madrasatul Islah.

References

  1. "FilmIndia (1946)". Bombay. 1946.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Zeenat (1945 film) on indiancine.ma website Retrieved 7 November 2020
  3. "Top Earners of 1945". BoxOffice India website. 16 January 2012. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Zeenat (1945 film) on Hindigeetmala.net website Retrieved 8 November 2020
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Zeenat (1945 film) on MySwar.com website Retrieved 8 November 2020