Tribute to Noorjehan & Subtain Fazli

Islamabad: Lok Virsa Mandwa Film Club pays tribute to Director Subtain Fazli and singer-actress Noorjehan with screening of film ‘Dupatta’ today (Saturday) at 4 p.m.

Director Subtain Fazli and Noorjehan both began their careers in British India. Fazli had earlier won box office glories with films ‘Shama’, ‘Ismat’ and ‘Mehndi’. He migrated to Pakistan in 1947 and ‘Dupatta’ in 1952 was his first film here. Known for family films, his career in Pakistan came with few films including ‘Anka Ka Nasha’ and ‘Do Taswereen.’

Noorjehan as an actress and singer ruled Lahore, Kolkatta and Mumbai film industry with sixty films as an actress and singer. She migrated from Mumbai to Pakistan in 1947 and worked as leading lady on screen for thirteen films. In 1961, with film Ghalib, she gave up acting and became a bankable name in film playback for thirty-five years. Her last film as playback singer was Sakhi Data. Noorjehan passed away in December 2000.

‘Dupatta’, Produced by Aslam Lodhi and Subtain Fazli with musical score by Feroz Nizamai, was a musical in the real sense of the word.It was fist screen collaboration between Subtain Fazli and Noorjehan. The cast included Noorjehan (Both as singer and leading lady), Ajay Kumar, Sudhir, Ghulam Mohammad,, Azad, Nafees Begum and Yasmin( also known then as Zareena). Hakeem Ahmad Shujah is credited for the script.

The film opened the doors of success for Sudhir whose uncle Aslam Lodhi had co-produced the film to give a break to Sudhir. And break Sudhir got with box office glories of ‘Dupatta’. The plot includes several dramatic twists and turns including car accident, love at first sight and death.

If one were to credit ‘Dupatta’, composer Feroz Nizami, Noorjehan and lyricist Musheer Kazmi would head the list with several outstanding and still memorable melodies: ‘Baat hi baat mein chandni raat mein’, ‘Tum zindagi ko gham ka fasana bana gaey’, ‘Jigar ki aag mei is dil ko jalta dekhtey jao’ and ‘Sub jag soey hum jageen chandni rateen’. -- aijazzgul@gmail.com