Goodbye, Allah Rakhi

Dear Ras:

A nice tribute to a Pakistani (and Indian) legend. Thanks!

Sincerely, Bilal Ahmad

Thanks

Very touching. Thanks to Ras for a beautifully rendered farewell message.

Good article,BTW Noor Jehan`s actual name was Allah Wasai,not Allah Rakhi.

A much needed, tribute to the best known personality of our culture in this century. Somehow, I feel we did not shower her with the kind of respect during her life, what she is given after her departure. Pakistan need to do more to remember her than just paying tribute through condolence letters. I reproduce here, a letter to the Editor appeared in Pakistani newspaper ``The News`` daily.

The demise of a legend

(December 26, 2000)

Today is, indeed, a very sad day for all the people of sub-continent. Today millions of Muslims, Hindus, Indians and Pakistanis are all grieving at the passing away of an icon, a legend, Malika-e-Tarannum, Melody Queen, Noor Jahan. Here was a lady who charmed and entertained millions with her music, transcending the regional, religious and national boundaries. Her loss is not just being felt in Pakistan and India but all over the world, among the expatriate Indian/Pakistani communities. She will remain alive in the hearts of millions and her voice will keep charming people for decades to come.

Noor Jahan, we will miss you. I thank God, for endowing us for decades, a true Saint of culture in the form of Noor Jahan. Alas, we did not extract the best from the gifts of God. Both Noor Jahan and Lata Mangeshkar could have been used as ambassadors of peace, love and understanding utilising the musical aspect of our culture to bridge the bond between the people of sub-continent. May be we did not deserve to have them among us- who love to jump on every opportunity we get to create wedges, hate and differences. While the rest of the people continue furious recriminations over Islam and Hinduism or Pakistan and India, I am going to play a Noor Jahan CD and have a cup of hot tea to remember her in the bitter cold of New York.

Sameer

New York

P.S. The literal translation of ``Mujh se pehli si mohabbat mere mahboob na mang`` for some reason did not give the same idea as in this poem. Never mind!

There have been three icons who helped develop their respective fields in music that passed away this year. Pathanay Khan, Aziz Mian and the Nightingale. The younger of us desis, and particularly Pakistanis, have had to settle for mediocrity in the face of commercial on-slaughts and opinions generated from intolerance and prejudices. Artists and writers have had to hold their own and it was an inspiration for us to see genuine talent hold up to an often unjust society/state with narrow definitions of what is acceptable. We could look up to Malika-e-Taranum and see in her songs the beauty that some say is not acceptable to watch.

The sorrow felt at the passing away of artists is all the more considering they represented the last glimpses of greatness in a land where people are willing to settle for less as long as the tightening shells of belief are not affected. With the passing away of the leading luminaries of Pakistani art, there is an emptiness begging to be filled but seems like it won’t be.

‘Qatl gahoun say chun kar hamaray alm, aur niklain gay ushaaq kay qafalay’…??

Thank you Ras sahb for the article. I knew you would write this one... one last time.

Is it just me or does the younger generation does not have the same admiration or sense of awe for Madam Noor Jehan?

Maybe the older folks remember her from her songs/movies in the 50s/60s. I somehow associate her with all the cheesy Punjabi songs in the 80s that nobody cares about or remembers.

Manto`s sketch of Noor Jehan is highly recommended for an enjoyable read.

later

-sac

Noor Jehan was born at Kasur, India on September 21, 1929. Baby Noor Jehan pursued her early training with Ustad Ghulam Mohammed Khan.

Noor Jehan moved to Calcutta where she became a stage actress at the rather tender age of 6. It was also around that time that Punjabi movie makers, like K.D. Mehra, were looking to staff their Lahore productions with the right kind of people. Mehra can take credit for bringing the stage child of Calcutta to Lahore cinema. During the years 1935-37 Baby Noor Jehan was given bit parts for the child in movies like Ghaibi Gola, probably her first film, Misar Ka Sitara, Aazadi, Nari Raj, Fakhr-i-Islam.

It was Dalsukh M. Panchholi who provided Baby Noor Jehan with her first prominent role as well as a stable job in a series of Punjabi movies. People really took notice of the glamour girl in the Punjabi hit Gul-e-Bakawli (1939). The Punjabi bit parts continued with movies like Heer Sayal, Sassi Punnu, Yamla Jatt, Choudhary.

Director and story writer Shaukat Hussain Rizvi had become a close friend of Mr.Panchholi. He met Noor Jehan, quite possibly on the sets of Gul-e-Bakawli, or soon thereafter.. But after Gul-e-Bakawli, there was someone in Noor Jehan`s life. Three years after she had her first break, Shaukat Hussain made his directorial debut with Panchholi Studio`s Khandan (1942) starring Noor Jehan and Ghulam Mohammed with music by Master Ghulam Haider. Khandan was the first big movie in Noor Jehan`s life and It put her name right alongside the blockbuster names of the 1940s.

In 1943, following the great success of Panchholi movies, director Vishnukumar Maganlal Vyas at Sunrise Pictures ventured to bring Noor Jehan to Bombay to star in Duhaai with Kumar and Shanta Apte. This was followed by another hit, Naukar, directed by Shaukat Hussain Rizvi. Both movies had music by Rafique Ghaznavi. Another great hit, Nadan, came from Zia Sarhadi with music by Datta Koregaonkar. Dost was another hit with Sajjad`s music, followed by Lal Haveli starring Surendra with music by Mir Saheb.

In 1944, famous Hindi-Marathi director-producer Master Vinayak (father of actress Nanda) brought Noor Jehan and Lata Mangeshkar, both 16 year old, in Badi Maa, both as singer actresses, their only movie together, with Datta Koregaonkar`s music. Badi Maa marked the beginning of a great friendship between Lata and Noor Jehan that is alive to this day. In 1945 came Bhaijan and Gaon Ki Gori, with music by Pandit Shyam Sunder. Zeenat was another big musical success. And then in 1946 came the greatest one, Mehboob Khan`s Anmol Ghadi, with Surendra and Suraiya as costars with music by Naushad.

In 1944, Noor Jehan and husband Shauqat Hussain had already started Shauqat Art Productions in Bombay. They had recruited the little-known 24-year old Yusuf Khan (Dilip Kumar) to play the lead role opposite Noor Jehan in Jugnu with music by Maestro Feroze Nizami. Jugnu was released in 1947 and proved a big hit

In 1946, with Shauqat Arts still in its infancy, Shaukat Hussain and Noor Jehan decided to move again. In 1947-48, they finished Mirza Saheban, their last Bombay project, and settled in Lahore.

In 1951, she co-produced and acted in Chanway, a Punjabi movie under the Shauqat Arts banner. But the music was just not there. In 1952, the new Lahore studio Film Asia produced Dupatta, and once again, Feroze Nizami delighted the world with Noor Jehan songs. In 1953, Noor Jehan would star in Gulnar and Laila. Master Haider scored for both movies. She starred in around 10 more movies between 1955 and 1963, that included Patey Khan, Lakht-e-Jigar, Qaidi, Intezar, Nooran, Chhoo Mantar, Anarkali, Pardesan, Neend, Koel, and Ghalib.

Ventured into her new married life with actor Ijaz, she then bid farewell to acting and became the dominant playback singer of Pakistan`s film industry. She sang playback for Urdu and Punjabi films during the following two decades that included a large number of hit musical films with hundreds of memorable songs, many of those are among classics.

In 1955, in a weak nostalgic moment, Noor Jehan put in a half-song for Bombay. The movie was Musafir Khana, and it starred Shyama and Karan Diwan, with music by O. P. Nayyar. For Rafi, the Musafir Khana duet Jhoote Zamaane Bhar Ke, Jadu Kaisa Daar Gaye Mo Pe, Neechi Nazar Kar Ke must have been a replay of the Jugnu dream all over again.

She was honored with the Pakistan`s National Award and officially crowned as Malika-e-Taranum by the President of Pakistan.

In the early `1980s, upon invitation from Bombay`s old fans, the melody queen visited India for that grand concert where she met her long-time friend Lata, her Jugnu dream Dilip Kumar, and the creator of the immortal Anmol Ghadi music Naushad, after the lapse of four decades.

http://www.geocities.com/

Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jehan - Parallel Lines Meet

http://www.geocities.com/

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....:):)

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.

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.

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.

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

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.