‘Anarkali’ screened at Mandwa

Islamabad

Director: Anwar Kemal Pasha

Screenplay, Dialogue: Anwar Kemal Pasha, Qamar Anjaalvi

Story: Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj

Music: Rashid Attrey, Master Inayat Hussain

Cast: Noorjehan, Sudhir, Himalyawala, Shamim Ara, Ragni  

Film ‘Anarkali’ was screened at Lok Virsa Film Club Mandwa on Saturday.

If Anarkali is part-fiction part-history, the filming of ‘Anarkali’ for screen too carries its own history. It has been on screen several times in Pakistan and India.

The play ‘Anarkali’, scripted by Syed Imtiaz Ali Tajfirst, came on stage in 1922. Six years later, it came on screen in 1928 in Lahore as Love of a Mughal Prince. In 1953, Bina Rai and Pradeep Kumar were seen in the musical version which is still remembered for his hit songs composed by C. Ramchandra and rendered by Lata Mangeshker.

In 1955 ‘Anarkali’ came in Telugo and dubbed in Tamil. In 1958, director Anwar Kemal Pasha, after success of ‘Do Ansoo’, ‘Gumnam’, ‘Qatil’ and ‘Sarfrosh’, came out with his version of the Mughal romance. Just two years later in 1960, the suspense of the century ended when K. Asif's multi-million rupee project ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ was released (a computerised colour version in 2006 had to bite the dust because ‘old was gold’). Still later a Malayalam version came out from South India where a naval officer loves an underage fifteen years old heroine and must wait to turn their story into an adult romance.

In 2002-2003 Shoaib Mansoor made a ten-minute  music video with Iman Ali and Rasheed Naz (this was a branded product for TV) and explored both the fiction and history, including how ‘Anarkali's’ final resting place had been used over the decades from library to municipal office and much more.

In June 1958, Anwar Kamal's ‘Anarkali’ and its release was perhaps the year's most talked about topic of the film trade. It came at a time when singer-actress Noorjehan was passing through marital conflict with child custody battle in the court. ‘Sheikh Chilli’, ‘Zeher-Ishq’, ‘Choomantar’, ‘Mukhra’, ‘Bharosa’, ‘Aadmi’ and ‘Akhri Nishan’ were other major titles that year. ‘Anarkali’ had been made with high production values financed by producer Mukhtar Ahmad. Action hero Sudhir had been assigned to play romantic male lead as prince Saleem and ‘Himalyawala’ as emperor Akbar. The film did lukewarm business at the box office but its musical score by our two top composers Rashid Attrey and Inyat Hussain became part of the film music history. All songs were rendered by Noorjehan.

Initially, all songs were to be composed by Inayat Hussain. After recording of two songs, the director had a change of heart and mind. He contacted Rashid Attrey to compose the music. Rashid Attrey agreed, subject to permission from Inayat Hussain and with the condition that all songs would be composed by Attrey. When the music was released, it had songs by Rashid Attrey and Inayat Hussain. Rashid Attrey remained estranged with Anwar Kemal until his death. ‘Anarkali’ had as many as six musical gems: ‘Sadaa hoon apney pyar ki’, ‘Jaltey haeen armaan’, ‘Kahan tak suno gey kahan tak sunao’, ‘O beewafa hum na bhooley tujhey’ and ‘Pehley to apney dil ki razaa’.

Anwar Kemal handled the fatal romance between courtesan Anarkali (Nadra)  and  prince Saleem with full command. This forbidden relationship  never blooms. Anarkali is sentenced to death. She is entombed alive before Saleem on horseback can reach here. The ending in Mughal-e-Azam was changed. Pleading mercy before Akbar, Anarkali and her family is allowed to move out of Delhi through a secret tunnel from the palace. 

Anarkali was a pride  not just for music alone. The sets, the wardrobe, the production design , the camerawork,sound and editing  all were first class. Casting of aging and chubby  Noorjehan as Anarkali and action hero Sudhir as Saleem  were major drawbacks of the film but everything  was forgotten and forgiven on account of its memorable melodies.

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