WHEN SAADAT HASAN MANTO ACTED IN A FILM PRODUCED BY HIS FRIEND ASHOK KUMAR up

                                 

WHEN MANTO ACTED IN A FILM PRODUCED BY  HIS FRIEND ASHOK KUMAR ..

(  Photo.. Manto as Air  Force Officer  Kripa Ram in 'Eight Days ')

Not many of us know that Saadat Hasan Manto  has also acted in a Mumbai movie  'Aath Din'  ( Eight Days ) produced in 1946 by his friend and actor Ashok Kumar. Well known writer Upendra  Nath Ashk also acted in this movie. Ashk was a  friend of Manto since AIR days . He was  a Punjabi from Jalandhar . Ashk was associated with 'Filmistan' company  as screenplay, story  and dialogue writer. Consequently ,he was  well known to Ashok Kumar and Sashadhar Mukherjee (S. Mukherjee ). Manto and Ashk first worked together in AIR Delhi along with Krishan Chander and other Hindi/Urdu writers. Manto quit his job and came to Bombay to write for films. 

In ' Aath Din (Eight Days ) ' , Manto performed the role of Air Force Officer Kripa Ram while   Upendra Nath Ashak  did  the role  of Pandit Tota Ram. The movie was produced by FILMISTAN  that had Manto and Ismat Chugtai in its  story department . 

 Devika Rani and her husband Himanshu Rai had started Bombay Talkies in 1934.  Actor  Ashok Kumar was  a salaried employee of   Bombay Talkies  for about five years. Himanshu Rai died in 1940 and  later in 1943,  Shashadhar Mukherjee, Rai Bahadur Chunilal, Ashok Kumar, and Gyan Mukherjee left Bombay Talkies and founded Filmistan Studios . 

For the movie  ‘ Aath  Din (Eight Days) ’  , Manto wrote the  screenplay and dialogues apart from performing the role of Air Force Officer Kirpa Ram.  S D Burman, who headed the Music Department of  FILMISTAN  ,   scored the music for the movie .  Gopal Singh Nepali and Qamar Jalalabadi wrote songs for the movie  . Apart from Amirbai Karnataki ,Binapani Mukherjee and some more singers,  Burman Dada also sang two songs for the movie .

                                       

                     ( Upendra Nath Ashk) 

In his book , "Manto Mera Dushman" Ashk writes this :-

" Manto's films, Chal Chal Re Naujawan and Shikari, despite taking two years each to complete, had been failures, and so Ashok Kumar approached me for a story. I told him a couple of plots I had in mind. Ashok liked one and asked me to write up an outline. I told him that before starting any outline, I wanted it to be clear that I needed an advance of two thousand rupees. In those days my salary was Rs. 675, but that was as a dialogue-writer, not a storywriter. If I was going to write the story, I thought I should get two thousand rupees for it. Even though Ashok Kumar was Mukherjee's wife's brother, there was a bit of ill-will between the two brothers-in-law in those days. Ashok told me to talk to Mukherjee about it, but Mukherjee did not like me, so I refused. Then Ashok said he would tell Seth Chunnilal, and that I should speak to Chunnilal and write the outline in the meantime.

Manto got wind of the news that Ashok had come to me for a story and that I was asking for two thousand rupees. He teamed up with the sound-recordist Savak Vacha to make Ashok change his mind. Vacha and Ashok had been together since the time of Bombay Talkies. Manto and Vacha took Ashok to Vacha's flat. Vacha used to keep very high quality alcohol at his place. They did not let Ashok leave until they got him to promise that Manto would write the story for the new film, and that the muhurat would be held the next day.

Because the muhurat ended up taking place before the actual story for the film had been decided, they faced many problems while making the film, but that's an entirely different story, and a long one too. Manto had given them his story for free, knowing that I had asked for an advance, (even though he gave them trouble and asked for money later when the film was half done), and thus he managed to conspire against me quite successfully. I felt terrible at the time, especially since I'd written the outline for my story and was waiting for Ashok Kumar's response. And yet, the muhurat had already taken place. Mukherjee was not pleased with me, so I had no other choice but to swallow the bitter pill of my defeat."

  
                                           

Ashk  had put to pieces a play written by Manto  when both worked together at AIR. Manto had quarrelled with *N M Rashid , the then Station Director over this issue and resigned . However , it was Manto who had invited Ashk to Mumbai to join films .It is pertinent to mention that when Ashok Kumar suggested  the role of Kripa Ram, Manto thought Ashok Kumar was  kidding. Very soon he  realised that his friend was  very serious. Film  lyricist Raja Mehdi Ali Khan also put some additional pressure on Manto . Raja was a bosom friend of Manto . Raja too had a small role in the movie. And Manto has written,   “Only God knows how terror-stricken I felt in front of the camera.”

( Avtar Mota )

PS

*

Noon Meem Rashid was a progressive and liberal poet. He was the  doyen of free verse genre in Urdu poetry . His poem ,"Aey meri humraqs mujh ko thaam le zindagi se bhaag kar aaya huun mein ' became very popular in the subcontinent. He was posted as Station Director AIR, Peshawar in August 1947. Staying in the newly formed country for about 5 years. he moved to the US and joined Voice of America. He held some UN assignments and died in England where he was cremated as per his will. Rashid was related to Patras Bukhari , a writer, broadcaster and diplomat of Kashmiri ancestry.The real name of Patras Bukhari was Syed Ahmed Shah .Patras Bukhari was also the mentor of Rashid

..
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MAJROOH SULTANPURI , QATEEL SHIFAI AND THE CIGARETTE.

                           

MAJROOH SULTANPURI , QATEEL SHIFAI   AND   THE CIGARETTE…

While   poet Qateel  Shifai takes out his lighter to enable Majrooh Sultanpuri to enjoy a cigarette , the man in the centre is cautious lest some  spark come to his shirt….This Photo was clicked in Mumbai…

(Avtar Mota)



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THE UNFORGETABLE MUSIC OF IQBAL QURESHI

                                     

                    ( Poet Makhdoom )

                ( Iqbal Qureshi)

                   ( Iqbal Qureshi)

                      (Chandrasekhar )
'DO BADAN  PYAAR  KI AAG MEIN JAL GAYE
EK CHAMBELI  KE MANDVE  TALEY.."

 THE UNFORGETABLE  MUSIC   OF IQBAL QURESHI

“ Yaar Iqbal   ,  mera gilaas phir bhar do  .  Makhdoom ,  phir   dubaara sunaao :

“ Az azal ta abad
ye bataa chaaraagar teri zambeel mein
nuskhaa-e-keemiyaa-e-muhabbat bhi hai
kuchh ilaaj-o-mudaavaa-e- ulfat bhi hai?
Do badan pyaar ki aag mein jal gaye
Ek chameli ke mandwe tale”

"From the creation to the end of this world  ,
Healer ! Let me know ,
Does your Box  of remedies
Contain something like the concoction of love?
Has it  any cure  for the love-sick?
Two Bodies  lost in the flames of  love .
Under the Jasmine  adorned support.
Two bodies,
 Healer!.................."


             

 Makhdoom , Yeh nazm  mujhe be-inteha pasand hai. film ke medium se saare Hindustaan mein Phail sakti hai . ”

This is what  Telgu actor  Chandrashekhar  told to his friends Iqbal Qureshi and poet Makhdoom . Like many Hyderabadis of that period, Chandrashekhar was a connoisseur of Urdu literature .The  poem was equally close to Iqbal Qureshi's  heart . Many   common friends including   Vithal Rao and  Suddala Hanmanthu loved this poem.
That day  Iqbal Qureshi,   Makhdoom and Chandershekhar  were drinking   inside a  bar cum restaurant in Hyderabad city .    Chandrashekhar was  an  upcoming Telgu film actor at that time while  Makhdoom had already established  himself as a revolutionary Urdu  poet .

The poem  was conceived  when  Makhdoom visited the graves of Master  Ashiq Ali and his beloved in Nalgunda. Ashiq Ali was a trade union leader who also had supported Makhdoom in Telengana agitation apart
joining him in  anti Nizam agitation in Hyderabad state.

Who is referred to as  'Charaagar' in the poem?  When this question was put to Makhdoom , he remained silent.

Iqbal Qureshi was  more  than six feet  (6 feet and four inches ) tall. He was from Aurangabad  but had come to live in Hyderabad where he  joined AIR as singer  . Music was his childhood passion. In Hyderabad , he also established  an academy to conduct  musical shows .   He had impressed   Chandershekhar and Makhdoom with his skill to play with  various musical instruments including harmonium , flute and Tabla .  They became close friends and would spend their evenings  together.  Later Iqbal was transferred to Bombay and that proved lucky for him.  Chandrashekhar  had already moved to Bombay . In Bombay , Iqbal Qureshi joined  joined IPTA  where he  came into contact with many  film and theatre artists and writers .  He was engaged as a  musician for IPTA plays  . It was Lekhraj Bakhri who noticed his talent and offered him a break in a movie  (1958  Panchayat )   that had Manoj Kumar in the lead role.This was followed by Bindiya ( 1960 ) ,  Love in Shimla ( 1960 ) , Umar Qaid ( 1961 )and Banarasi Thug (1962 )

By now his friends Chandrashekhar and Makhdoom had climbed the popularity ladder in their respective fields. The desire to set Makhdoom’s poem ‘ Ek Chameli Ke mandve tale ’ to music was still fresh in Iqbal’s  heart. He suggested to Chandershekhar  who   was  a successful   Bollywood  actor  for a project that would include Makhdoom’s immortal poem. That is how’ Cha Cha Cha ‘ was born in 1964. Chandrashekhar  wrote the screenplay,  dialogues ,produced and  directed the movie. And finally Iqbal Qureshi's music gave immortality to Makhdoom's poem ' Chaaraagar'.Chandrashekhar was more than happy .

Cha Cha Cha was the debut movie for poet lyricist Gopal Das Neeraj. In fact Chandrasekhar had heard Neeraj in some Mushairas /  Kavi Samelans and had become admirer of his poetry.  He wanted a poem of Neeraj  to be included as a song in Cha Cha Cha.When Iqbal Qureshi set tune for  Neeraj's song' Subah Na Aayi' , he was not comfortable with the word' khandahar'  appearing in it . He wanted to get it changed.  He told Neeraj:

" Neeraj Sahib, Gaana zabardast likha hai. Sirf lafz Khandahar se gaane ki dhun ke  flow me thoda rukaawat sa  lag raha hai. Koyi aur  khoobsoorat lafz  Daal do. " Even  singer Mohd. Rafi  felt so. Neeraj refused to change it saying that the entire focus of the poem shall get disturbed .  If one reads the poem , Khandahar is apt and the most  appropriate word . But when one  listens to  the song ,  one  tends to go with Iqbal Qureshi.

Makhdoom came to Mumbai during the  recording of his song 'Ek Chambeli ke Mandve Taley' . It was a  great reunion of three  old friends. I am informed that Cha Cha Cha team ,  along with poet  Makhdoom  visited Kashmir sometime in  1964  and shot some scenes/ sequences  in   Dal Lake and other locations  . Chandrasekhar played the role of singer Puran Chand Kashmiri in this film .

Iqbal Qureshi scored music for  some hit  film songs. Some songs were unique and trendsetters. I quote some songs composed  of this musical genius ;

(1)   Mujhe raat din yeh khayaal hai

(2)   Subah na aayi shaam na aayi

(3)   Vo hum na thay vo tum na thay

(4)   Phir aane lagaa yaad vohi pyaar ka aalam

(5)   Ek Chambeli ke mandve taley

(6)   Husan vale husn ka anjaam de

(7)   Me apne aap se ghabra gaya huun

(8)   Ta thaiya kar ke aana
(9) Aaj Mausam ki masti mein gaaye pawan

This talented  giant was overlooked and ignored  by film industry post ‘ Cha Cha Cha’. He didn’t get A grade films . He moved to Bhojpuri and B and C grade films and finally died in 1998 .



( Avtar Mota )

PS

In Mumbai, Makhdoom also teamed up with music director Madan Mohan for a film project. Before that Makhdoom's song " Jaane waale sipaahi se poochho" was also used for 1960 movie "Ussnay kahaa Thhaa".

After the deäth of Makhdoom, his Gazals were also used in films like GAMAN(1978), BAZAAR(1982) and  MANDI(1983). " Aap ki Yaad Aati Rahi Baat bhar" from  movie GAMAN written by Makhdoom won best play back singer award for Chhaya Ganguli.

"Phir Chhirri Raat Baat Phoolon ki"sung by Lata Ji for BAZAAR , touched new heights of popularity . For MANDI , Asha Ji sang " Ishq ke Sholay ko Bhadakaao" a Ghazal written by Makhdoom .

Makhdoom loved Kashmir. Amongst his many friends in Kashmir,  Poet Dina Nath remained close to him. Like Nadim, Makhdoom was also an admirer of Mayakovasky. He paid his last visit to  Kashmir in 1969 and died of a massive heart attack   the same year . He was 61  .



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LAJJA SE MAREY RE YEH JIYA

LAJJA  SE MAREY RE YEH JIYA..

This song doesn't have  great lyrics. However  , I like the composition for it's overall  freshness of  words  , music and presentation.  Sung by Madhushree, the words come as ripples created by evening sea breeze with AR Rehman's music. This  song has been written by Nashik born poet Mahboob Kotwal .
Incidentally ,Mahboob also wrote Maa Tujhe Salaam set to music by A R Rehman..
And Madhushree is from a Bengali family. She   is trained  a classical singer. Having worked mostly with A R Rehman, she made her debut singing in Rajesh Roshan's Moksha.

I quote some lines of this song .....

"Kabhi neem neem
Kabhi shahad shahad
kabhi naram naram
Kabhi sakht sakht
Mora piya, mora piya
Mora piya  ho

Nazron ke teer mein basa hai pyaar
Jab bhi chala hai vo dil ke paar
.........Lajja se maare re  yeh jiya.."

My English translation would be ..

"Sometimes he is bitter like Neem ,
Sometimes just  honey sweet,
Sometimes he appears tender and soft,
And at times stiff and rigid ,
that is my beloved ..

When he looks,
Sheer arrows of love he throws,
Any arrow that passes through this heart,
 melts  it down  in total shyness....

(Avtar Mota)




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YOUR MEMORIES KEPT VISITING ME ALL ALONG THE NIGHT.

                               

  (Phir Saba saaya e shaakh e gul ke taley'
Koyi qissa sunaati rahi raat bhar)

  (Gaah jalti huyi gaah bujhti huyi
sham-e-gham jhilmilati rahi raat bhar )

(Jo na aayaa use koi zanjeer-e-dar
Har sada par bulaati rahi raat bhar)

(Koyi Khushboo badalti rahi pairhan

Koyi tasveer gaati rahi raat bhar....)

  ( Radhika Chopra sings Aapki yaad aati rahi)                             

AAP KI  YAAD AATI  RAHI  RAAT  BHAR.

'Aap ki yaad aati rahi raat bhar 'was originally written by Makhdoom.
This Gazal of Makhdoom has been beautifully sung  by Chhaya Ganguly. Interestingly, when Makdhoom died, Faiz wrote / added verses in his memory (“Makhdoom ki yaad mein”l).  Here is what Faiz wrote/ added to Makhdoom's Gazal:

Koyi Khushboo badalti rahi pairhan
Koyi tasveer gaati rahi raat bhar....

Aik umeed se dil behalata raha
Ikk  tamanna sataati rahi raat bhar....

Jo na aayaa use koyi zanjeer-e-dar
Har sada par bulaati rahi raat bhar....

Gaah jalti huyi gaah bujhti huyi
sham-e-gham jhilmilati rahi raat bhar....

Phir Saba saaya e shaakh e gul ke taley'
Koyi qissa sunaati rahi raat bhar....

..,..............Aap ki yaad aati rahi taat bhar

(Avtar Mota)



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WELL KNOWN GAZAL SINGER , RADHIKA CHOPRA IS FROM JAMMU...

                                   

WELL   KNOWN  GHAZAL  SINGER  RADHIKA CHOPRA  IS  FROM   JAMMU...

She sings with elegance ,poise and perfect Laikaari. She sings Thumri, Geet, Bhajan,  but Ghazal is her forte. She has sung across continents and even  at Karachi ,Lahore, Rawalpindi  and Islamabad. Current lockdown situation  gave me a chance to listen to her singing. Henceforth, include me also as an admirer of her  versatility ,style and range .

For the last three days ,I kept  listening to her music. Some  favourites could go as under:

(1) Allama Iqbal's ..Teray ishq ki inteha chaahta huun

(2)  Faiz Ahmed Faiz's ...Aapki Yaad aati rahi raat bhar

(3) Ghalib's ...Nuqtacheen hai Gham e dil

(4) Sahir's ..Tum apna ranjho gham.

(5) Momin's ..Assar  uss ko zara nahin hota.

(6) Kaifi Azmi's  ..Aaj socha to aansoo bhar aaye

(7) Raja Mehdi Ali Khan's ..Hai issī mein pyaar ki aabroo

(8) Faiz Ahmed Faiz's....Dono jahaan Teri muhabbat mein haar me

(8) Ghalib's..Har eik  baat  pe kehte ho tum

(9) Faiz Ahmed Faiz's...Raaze ulfat chhuppa me Dekh Kiya

(10) Sahir's Prayer song..Allah tero  naam Ishwar tero naam

One can understand how much Riaz must have gone into making of Radhika Chopra ,the singer. She is graceful and her mastery over Sur ,Taal and Lai is simply unbelievable .She sings Faiz, Iqbal,  Jigar, Sahir, Ghalib, Zauq,  Mir ,Bahadur Shah Zafar and Makhdoom.She speaks fluent Urdu with perfect Tallafuz( pronunciation). Presently , it is difficult to come   across a voice that has  soul ,  emotion ,  meticulous selection and  flawless rendition of the poetry and all together  .She keeps minimum musical  instruments to support her singing. Sahir's Ghazal  'Tum apna Ranjho gham' sung by her has more than fifty Lakh views on YouTube .Radhika is empanelled by the ICCR to perform globally.

Radhika belongs to J&K  UT. She  was born and brought up in Jammu . She did her schooling ( Kendriya Vidyalaya)  in Jammu and graduated from Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar. Thereafter she went to Delhi to complete her post graduation,   M.Phil and doctorate. She also acted in a tel-film scripted by Virendera Patwari for Door-Darshan .

She informs;

" I belong to Jammu . My journey in music started when I was just 8 years old. My parents were also lovers of music. My father, Dayanand  Sharma  wanted to be a  singer. So is my mother,  Kamala Sharma ( well known drama artist and writer of AIR Jammu) For many reasons ,my father could not pursue his music and singing . He  used to sing Ghazals of Ghalib. I remember him singing 'Dard Minnat Kashe dawa na huva'. He wanted me to be a singer. A music teacher was arranged for me when I was supposed to play with my friends. I sang  for AIR ,Jammu. I have fond memories of my childhood and Jammu. My parents were  very progressive . They  allowed me to go to Delhi and complete my MA,M.Phil and doctorate in Music. Sri Jagmohan, the then governor of J&k also encouraged and helped me . In Jammu , Pandit J. R.Sharma  is my first Guru. Later Padamshri  Shanti Hiranand taught me. I am married to  Rakesh Chopra. I could pursue my music career solely due to cooperation from my husband and in-laws.  Now my two daughters ,Devika and Ridhima are grown up . They are pursuing non music careers, yet they  love music and have become my additional support as I try to discharge my multifarious roles; I mean a mother, a wife, a daughter in law and a singer. I remained away from stage and singing  for about ten years when my daughters were growing up and needed my full time attention.

There are some cities in India where you find some real connoisseurs of music. I mean cities like Bhopal, Jodhpur , Hyderabad etc. One loves to sing in such cities.

K. L Sehgal,Begum Akhtar , Mehdi Hasan and Jagjit singh highly  inspired me . Like Begum Akhtar, I too want to die while performing or singing.

Ghalib and Faiz are my favourite poets. I love to sing them anytime anywhere.."

.(Avtar Mota)

TWO ACTORS : TEJ SAPRU AND MAC MOHAN

                                           

TEJ SAPRU AND MAC MOHAN

(1)

His real name was Mohan Makhijany (1938-2010 ). He was born in  Karachi ( Sindh) and  landed in Mumbai film world to be known as Mac Mohan . He assisted Chetan Anand while he was shooting Haqeeqat .With the release of  SHOLAY in 1975, he came to be known as *SAMBHA world over. Mac Mohan is perhaps the only actor in the history of Indian cinema to become famous for three words, “Poore Pachaas Hazaar,” (Full fifty thousands ) uttered on-screen. That was his response to Gabbar Singh’s (Amjad Khan) poser: “Arre o Sambha! Kitna inaam rakhe hai sarkar hum par?”

Having acted in about 200 movies , he was also approached by some Hollywood directors  and acted in  one movie while  some other  projects did not materialze.Mac Mohan as he was known in most of his films , also acted  in almost all regional movies as also in one Spanish and a Russian movie.
He was a simple man  with a flair for plying cricket. Mac Mohan was maternal uncle to actress Raveena Tandon.

Adds Raveena :-

“Mohan mama was my favourite uncle and it was he who gave me the pet name Munmun. Whenever he travelled anywhere, he would always bring some gift for me. Never did it happen that he went to  some place and return without a present for me. Since he was a bachelor for the longest time, we were all very thrilled when he got married. I remember dancing the most at his wedding ceremony. Even though he played a bad man in a majority of the movies he acted in, Mohan mama was one of the kindest and gentlest souls I’ve ever known. The words, ‘He’d never hurt even a fly’ fit him perfectly. At the same time, he was also honest and noble, full of sincerity and integrity. And in contrast to his serious image, he was full of joie de vivre, and the life of every party. Considering his image, resulting from the characters he played on screen, people would be very surprised to see that he was not only kind and generous in real life, but also very helpful and compassionate towards others. For someone who played a villain in the movies, in real life, he was a hero for many people. “

(2)

Tej Sapru is an Indian TV and film actor and  son of  stalwart   Hindi cinema actor  Sapru ( Daya krishen Sapru original kashmiri name  ).Tej happens to be the  brother of  Priti Sapru and  Reema Sapru /Reema RakeshNath . Priti is well known Punjabi actress while  Reema is a  noted script and screen play writer from Bollywood. Tej is an affectionate and  caring Mamu(Teju Maamu ) to his nephews and nieces  and  a friendly and good at heart person  like Mac Mohan.
 Tej has acted in about 100 movies while his Popular TV shows  are Qubool Hai ,Palampur Express ,Saat Phere and Chandergupt Maurya .Tej is happily  married to Dhan Lakshmi  sister of noted actress Rekha. He was seen with Kiran Kumar in OM ALLAH while in  comedy FAUJ MEIN MAUJ his co star was   Rajpal Yadav.

(Avtar Mota)

PS
* SAMBHA
There  is a story connected to word" Sambha." Salim Khan  is reported to have insisted  upon  Javed Akhtar (Salim Javed duo ) to introduce two words Sambha and Ramgarh in the story which they wrote for blockbuster  SHOLAY.Salim Khan's wife or Salman khan's real mother is from a Charak  Rajput family hailing from a village in between Ramgarh and Sambha in Jammu . The names of these villages were frequently mentioned by Salim Khan''s wife and consequently were very popular in the family. Salim immortalised both the names through Sholay.


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