Goodbye, Allah Rakhi

If this thread was just to express condolences & appreciate her talent , I sincerely apologise to those who have been hurt by my comments.

Dear Friends,

Let us not forget the topic under view.It is a Tribute to one of our highly distinguished singers ``Malkai Tarannum Noor Jehan ``.

It is a time to grieve over this loss, and at the same time remember the good things of the Great personality who we are honouring today. Most of us are moved very genuinely and emotionally by this great and irrepairable loss.

Let us honour this moment by showing as much respect and dignity as we can. Some of us may not be in harmony with the thoughts , but from pure humanitarian grounds, let us not put a blemish on the beautifully written tribute to ``Our Melody Queen ``, as started by Ras.

with due respect to all, and understanding some of your urges to bring bedroom privacy into this discussion, let us realise the inappropriateness of such remarks on this occassion.

I fully understand that general forums like these are open to dissection in every direction, but let us try to be a little discrete , in deciding when to slice , and when to refrain.

To hear inflammatory phrases right now really hurt.If some of us do not feel the hurt , let us at least respect those of others .

I sincerely hope i have not offended anyone as that was not the intention.

Amit, from reading some of the posts here I am
also tempted to agree with you about what could have been if the Melody Queen had stayed in Bombay.
But like her I am a Pakistani to the core and will continue to recognize her as our greatest singer to date.
On Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat... being her best song ever I cannot compromise. ``Awaz Day`` is extremely good but it is not the cry of the downtrodden of a whole nation penned by possibly the best Urdu poet of the 20th Century Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
The combination of Noor Jehan`s voice and Faiz`s
poetry in Mujh Say Pehli Si Mohabbat....
cannot be duplicated.
For listeners, please dig up the original recording from (if I am not mistaken) the film
Qaidi. I like the version from ``Ghazals from Faiz``
collection Best.

On the accuracy of birth names I was well aware of
the name Allah Wasai instead of Allah Rakhi when I wrote this article. It is almost the same as
her name which is spelled three different ways
``Noor Jahan`` , Noor Jehan, and Noorjehan. I stuck to the spelling that I found most appropriate
at that moment.
Dawn called her Allah Wasai at birth while the BBC and The News (Jang Group) called her Allah Rakhi. Allah Rakhi sort of stuck in memory.

Here is part of the article from the BBC:

From the BBC Monday December 25, 2000

``Noor Jehan, was born Allah Rakhi at Kasur in Punjab on 21 September 1926.
She began her singing career at the age of 8, and appeared in her first film, Village Girl (Pind Di Kuri) in 1935.
In a career spanning five decades she recorded thousands of songs for radio, television and films, singing Punjabi and Urdu songs with equal mastery.
Her singing drew admirers from across the world, including the Gulf states and East Asia.
Thousands bade her a tearful farewell at her burial.
She leaves behind two sons and five daughters from two marriages.``

And for you mudslingers out there, I was not mistaken about Pakistanis being iconoclasts.

Thanks to the rest of you who appreciated Madams
work and talent in her lifetime.

Ras

Dear Friends,

Let us not forget the topic under view.It is a Tribute to one of our highly distinguished singers ``Malkai Tarannum Noor Jehan ``.

It is a time to grieve over this loss, and at the same time remember the good things of the Great personality who we are honouring today. Most of us are moved very genuinely and emotionally by this great and irrepairable loss.

Let us honour this moment by showing as much respect and dignity as we can. Some of us may not be in harmony with the thoughts , but from pure humanitarian grounds, let us not put a blemish on the beautifully written tribute to ``Our Melody Queen ``, as started by Ras.

with due respect to all, and understanding some of your urges to bring bedroom privacy into this discussion, let us realise the inappropriateness of such remarks on this occassion.

I fully understand that general forums like these are open to dissection in every direction, but let us try to be a little discrete , in deciding when to slice , and when to refrain.

To hear inflammatory phrases right now really hurt.If some of us do not feel the hurt , let us at least respect those of others .

I sincerely hope i have not offended anyone as that was not the intention.

NOOR JAHAN`S PRIVATE LIFE

Good songs are often a result of the talent of the singer, the music director, and the recording technology. Some of the best songs of Noor Jahan, in my view, are those which she sang before August 14, 1947.

Newspaper coverage of the HRCR neiter establishes nor suggests that Noor Jahan had sexual relations with General Yahya. It is highly plausible that she was fond of drinking, like the General, and she visited him to entertain herself with liquor and entertain him with her singing. The lady is dead now. Let us not talk unncessarily about her private life.

I wonder why the current regime has not issued the entire report to the press. If the General did not care about Noor Jahan (a national symbol), why the foreign countries? And HRCR was not prepared to indict Noor Jahan for her private life, let us not divert from the main focus of the report.

Sincerely,Bilal Ahmad

Ras,

Thanks for the tribute to Madam Noor Jahan. I can`t believe that some people are speaking ill of her even after her death. And these people claim to be Pakistanis !!

By the way, I will disagree with you on her best song. Your choice of ``Mujh sey Pehli Si Mohabbat`` is very good. However, I feel that the immortal song ``Awaz de Kahan Hai`` from the movie Anmol Ghadi, was the best song sung by Madam Noor Jahan. The song was created by that genius Naushad. It will forever remain the trademark song that characterizes Madam.

I wish Madam had stayed back in Bombay after partition. She would have been as big a singer as Mohammad Rafi and would have given quite a competition to Lata. I think her genius got wasted somewhat in Pakistan, mainly because Pakistanis are not as much conoisseurs of arts or music as Indians are. Moreover, she would have had the opportunity to work with top class music directors like Naushad, S.D. Burman etc.

My compliments to Ras for a very eloquent tribute to our ``Melody Queen , Noor Jehan``.

A true void has been created not only in the ``Music Industry ``, but Nation wide and Beyond ...

Noor Jehan with her elegant personality , beautiful voice will be with us eternally.

God Bless Noorjehan, and i sincerely hope she is well compensated in the world hereafter ,for the Happiness and warmth she transfused to many through her beautiful songs and her charming personality.[Aameen ]

shankar #17,

What people do in their bedroom or of others is their personal business. I still stand by what I said before about public displays.

Let`s not bring it here though, pleaseeeeeeeee.

I`ll be happy to fight with you on the other board though if you want. Thanks.

Zabed,

I read that report of the HRC & was quite shocked too. Unfortunately, I`ve seen very few Bollywood movies & no Pakistani movie. My grasp of hindi/urdu is very elementary, so I`ve missed out on that aspect of the culture that is commonly loved by people on both sides of the divide. I barely knew who Noor Jehan was & have never heard any of her songs. Alas, I havent appreciated beauty of her voice & was ignorant about the gossip about her personal life.

So,I`m going to take the word of all you guys, Pakistanis & Indians alike, that God had gifted her with an incredible voice that enriched the culture of her nation .She was loved even by people who hate her nation (like Advani). Its rare that a human being`s talent is so phenomenal that it transcends our petty hatreds & both friend & foe are united in their praise of her contribution & saddened by her demise. Let me join you all in expressing my condolences at her demise & add my salutations for her contribution to culture.

Having said that I am very dissappointed that she had a sexual dalliance with Yahya Khan. Yes, none of us is above sin; so none of us has the right to cast stones. I`m sure her soul is answering to God right now & only He has the wisdom to be the judge. Having said that, I strongly feel that a cultural icon (as well as a national leader) have a moral responsibility to the nation that has honored her with such a high status. Whether they like it or not, they are role models. The burden of being an icon/leader means that it SHOULD matter how they conduct their personal lives.

The HRC report is mercilessly blunt. Yahya, the Commander-in-Chief of a nation is in a drunken stupor during a time when his nation is going through the most serious crisis of her history?!! And Noor Jehan, one of the greatest cultural icons, (whose patriotic songs inspired jawans to sacrifice their lives for the nation) entertaining his lust 2-3 times a day!! My God, if that is true; they have shamed the nation! Its no different from Nero fiddling while Rome was being burnt.

I dont think it was right for the GoP to publicise that part of the report. I mean if the GoP chose not to publicise the entire report; could`nt they have blacked out the NAMES of people who were engaged in sexual misconduct (including & esp Noor Jehan). Doing that at her time of death was quite inappropriate.

What if the allegations turn out untrue or exaggerated? Other than Noor Jehan many prominent military & govt officials & their wives have been implicated. I think many of these people are still alive. I`d hate to be in their(or their families`) shoes today.

Please lets not make this into Indo-Pak mudsling fest. Rumors say there was some hanky panky between Nehru & Edwina Mountbatten & Martin Luther King Jr was a womaniser. Every country`s icons & leaders have skeletons in their closets. Personally, I condemn them all. If society or nation bestows honor or power to you; you have the responsibilty not to disgrace it.

One last point--& this is specifically for scout. Noor Jehan`s conduct (if true) is a poignant reminder that whether a person wears a mini-skirt, a salwar khameez, a sari or a burkha; if they want to screw around; they will! So please take more than 10 secs to pass judgement :)

Ras,

Thank you for that sweet tribute. I was wondering when someone would write about our Melody queen.

Frog Goddess #8, ``Too bad our film industry wasted her on `` cheesy Punjabi songs that no one remembers``.

I totally agree with you on this point.

Although I didn`t quite appreciate the quality of her Punjabi songs, it was the Urdu songs that made me a fan, especially, ``mujsay pehli si mohabbat meray mehboob na maang.``

If one wants to hear the true depth of her beautiful voice, I would recommend her earlier songs. Each is a gem.

Ras,

My heart also grieves for Nur Jehan for she is a tremendous loss to Pakistan. However it would be good if Middle aged Pakistanis refrained from symbolic exhibitionism of driving slowly around

Roseville California.

-Yasser Latif Hamdani

Ref #8

I thought of NurJehan as a cheesy singer too and dint quite think her voice to have that sonorous a quality. However, only when I started taking formal singing classes did I realize that the only singer whose songs were the most difficult to render were those of Madam. From that day I have discovered respect for her that I defend to date. She was most definitely THE most talented singer. Too bad our film industry wasted her on `` cheesy Punjabi songs that no one remembers``. Her ``Aye watan kay sajeelay jawano`` can bring tears to my eyes to date. Sac, me is a part of the ``young generation`` and I have more admiration for her than my parents.

Thank God

She had a sweet but a shrill voice. A few day of tribute on TV, Radio and Magazines and we will be rid of her. I was getting tired of her monopoly on PTV. But as she is dead, I will not mention amorous things about her. She is even mentioned in Hamood ur REhman Commission Report as one of the digressors. Her untimely death has been a blessing in disguise for the new generation.

http://hjem.get2net.dk/mazhar/noor_india.htm

Noor Jehan`s death has been widely mourned across India. Legendary Indian film star Dilip Kumar speaking from Mumbai said Noor Jehan was a great artist and a colleague and he was grieved to hear about the sad tragic death.

Personally I consider her amongst the historical figures that ever dawned on the Indian motion picture screen,`` Dilip said, adding that in addition she had enchanted generations in India and then people of the divided Indian subcontinent with her glorious voice, her songs and melodies.

``As I have heard of her sad demise somehow, all those memories have come back in a rush, not one by one, but all together. And I am personally overtaken by this loss,`` Dilip said and expressed his confidence that her voice would continue to echo ``in not just ours but generations to come-generations with an ear for music``.

He said he could understand the tremendous state of grief the daughters may be going through ``and my heart goes out to them at the sad moment``.

Dilip said, ``I say that may Allah the Merciful reward here in ample measure for what she has given us or and the generations gone by and those ahead with an aptitude to enjoy her songs``.

Dilip Kumar said he thought an artist of rare calibre and quality has gone to her Maker, ``anxious to reward her amply for the good she did, and out of His limitless generosity, bye-pass or overlook her errors, committed with or without wilful intent``.

Dilip concluded by saying: ``God bless her, and bless those she left behind, and the dear ones she has left behind.``

Noted Hindi Film music director Naushad said : ``It`s a deep wound. I have been lying in bed listless, silently, ever since I heard this tragic news, although I have done only one film-Anmol Gharhi - with Noorjehan - with Surendranath and Suraiyya.

He said Noor Jehan has helped him. ``She has done me an honour. It`s not the other way around. I met Noorjehan last when she came here for the golden jubilee of All India radio (AIR). Later I spoke to her in Los Angeles on telephone. She has made my songs immortal``.

Ironically, he said, he heart by-pass surgery in America when she also had her operation and so did Pandit Ravi Shankar.

``All three of us musicians, cleaning clogged arteries together in the same year, the same place. It was funny. Now it seems tragic,`` he said.

Kuldip Nayyar, Indian journalist and member of parliament, at Delhi said: ``When I met her fist, this was when she had finished her picture Heer Ranjha, so I asked her-how many records have you made?``.

He quoted her as saying: ``Nayyar Sahib na hii recordon ka shumaar hai aur na hii gunaahon ka. Pehlay aap log maaf kar dengey aur doosra Allah``.

Kuldip said Noor Jehan paid a great tribute to Lata Mangeshkar. Lata too was deeply influenced by her. ``I forget the exact song she referred to, but Lata Mangeshkar said: `Apney saarey gaaney iskey ik record kay wasstey dey doon``.

Nayyar said he met Noor Jehan in Pakistan when he visited Lahore in 1972 after the war.

Javed Akhtar (in Mumbai), Indian film writer, lyricist, urdu poet said: ``In the worst conditions of our relations with pakistan in 53 year, in a very hostile atmosphere, our cultural heritage has been a common bridge. Noor Jehan was one such durable bridge. While politics could not shatter that bridge, my fear is that her death may have shaken it.``

Noted poet Kaifi Azmi from Mumbai told ``I have just walked into my house from Delhi. this is the most heartrending news that I have got hear in hardly one moment. Noorjehan`s voice and her stature could not be confined to any one country. True, our country was divided. But this is not a loss of Pakistan alone``.

He said it was a tremendous blow for music lovers in India. I am deeply saddened. It is a great loss for our culture.

Home Minister Lal Krishan Advani in Delhi told DAWN: ``The sad demise of Malikae Tarannum Noorjehan has come as a shock to her millions of admirers in this subcontinent and the world over``.

Though she chose to migrate to Pakistan after the partition, yet she remained a part of the great diaspora of Hindi-Urdu songs across the dividing lines, he said and added that he believed that that her songs would keep on spreading the message of peace goodwill and harmony across the borders.

``Like her millions of admirers I deeply mourn Noor Jehan`s passing away and offer tributes to the departed soul,`` he said.

Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report`s disclosure:

``During the fateful days of the war, the general even stopped attending President office and did not visit the operation room in the GHQ on more than two to three occasions. General (Yahya) was addicted to heavy drinking and was extremely friendly with a numbers of ladies of indifferent repute who took lot of his time even during the critical days of the war and during the period immediately preceding the war.``

Some of these ladies were Begum Shameen K N Hussain, wife of IGP East Pakistan; the begum of Junagadh; the famous singer Noor Jehan; Mst Aqleem Akhtar known as ``General Rani``, wife of a petty police official Raza; Nazli Begum, wife of a businessman of Karachi; Mrs Mansoor Hirjee; Mst Zainab, ex-wife of Maj-Gen (retd) Latif Khan; another Mst Zainab, ex-wife of Malik Sher Khizer Hayat Khan Tiwana; Mst Anwara Begum, an industrialist of Dacca; Mrs Lily Khan of Dacca; and Mst Laila Muzammil of Dacca.

During Nov 1971 when things were taking a serious turn in East Pakistan, the HRC said, the president spent two to three days at the Governor`s House, Lahore, where Noor Jehan used to visit him two or three times daily and would also come to him at about 8pm every night.

I love to see things from opposite direction....:):)

Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jehan - Parallel Lines Meet

http://www.geocities.com/