NOORJEHAN
The legend
lives on...

An era ended with the death of Noorjehan, the earliest singing sensation, on December 23, 2000. The legend sang over 20,000 songs , and acted in more than 50 Indian films before migrating to Pakistan. Adored by her contemporaries, Dilip Kumar was her biggest fan (she acted with him in Jugnu), followed by Naushad, under whose baton she sang for Mehboob Khan’s Anmol Ghadi. Lata Mangeshkar considered her as a role model and was particularly enamoured by her rendition of the ghazal, Dayaar-e-dil ki raah mein chiraag sa jala gaya, apart from songs from films like Anmol Ghadi, Jugnu, Ratan, Zeenat, Ujala, Chandni Raat and Mulaqat. “Noorjehan will forever remain the Mallika-e-Tarannum (Melody Queen),” Lata had said. After her death, Naushad lamented “Noorjehan mere gaanon mein noor bhar ke chali gayi jo aaj bhi zinda hai unki awaaz ke sahare.” A statement which no one will dispute...

Noorjehan’s mesmerising voice and singing style inspired maestros in the music field. Her co-stars were her biggest fans, which is rare, while her fans were her best friends. No wonder then that Noorjehan continues to tug at our heart-strings with her unforgettable songs. Her evergreen voice made her a legend, who commands a special place in the Indian film industry.

Lata Mangeshkar, who acted as a child artiste with Noorjehan in the film Badi Maa (1945), chose to sing Mere liye jahan mein chain hai na karar hai for her first audition, a song Noorjehan had immortalised in one of her films. In fact, it was at Lata’s insistence that Noorjehan came to India for a live show in Mumbai, after she had migrated to Pakistan with her husband Shaukat Hussain, after Partition.

Naushad had her sing in Mehboob Khan’s Anmol Ghadi (1946), a super-hit romantic musical, in which she starred with two other singing-stars - Surendra and Suraiya. The 12 songs of the film can be considered one of the biggest successes in Naushad’s career. The singer’s performance in the film was also highly appreciated.

Noorjehan began her Hindi film career with Patit Pavan (1932), after working in a Punjabi film in Lahore. She acted with all the top heroes of her time, one of them being Motilal, in Sasural (1941) and Dost (1944). With music director Sajjad Hussain, Noorjehan sang hit songs like Badnam mohabbat kaun kare and Koi prem ka de ke sandesa.

The actress-singer starred opposite Dilip Kumar in Jugnu in 1947, and the film marked the beginning of a strong bond of friendship between the two. It had the hit song Badla wafa, composed by Firoz Nizami.

Noorjehan has acted in more Indian films, between 1932 and 1947, than she did in Pakistan. She matured as an actress with Hindi films and enjoyed top billing as a singing-star with Gohar, Khurshid and Suraiya. She acted in 50 films in a career spanning 15 years, her last film being Mirza Sahiba opposite Trilok Kapoor.

Among the music directors she has worked with are Khemchand Prakash, Ghulam Hyder, Gyan Dutt, Shyam Sundar and Ustad Zande Khan. One of her films, Duhai had music by the famed flautist Pannalal Ghosh. But it was with Naushad that Noorjehan formed a great team, and gave the most hits. He made her sing romantic and sad songs with equal ease, in her inimitable style, different from the other singers of that era. Who can forget songs like Aaja meri barbad mohabbat ke sahare, Jawan hai mohabbat, Kya mil gaya Bhagwan mera dil dukhake, Mere bachapan ke saathi and Aawaz de kahan hai, all from Anmol Ghadi.

Some of Noorjehan’s other evergreen songs are Baithi hoon teri yaad kar kis tarah bhoolenge dil from Village Girl (1945), Diya jalakar aap and Aa intezar hai tera from Badi Maa, Kya yehi tera pyar and Aa jaa tuzhe afsana (Mirza Sahiba), Nacho sitaro naacho ab chaand nikalne wala hai, Aa jare nindiya tu ankhiyan mein, Andhiyan gham ki yun chali and Bulbulon mat ro yahan aasoon bahana hai mana from Zeenat, Badnam mohabbat kaun kare, Koi prem ka de ke sandesa from Dost, and the ghazal Sawariyan tohe koi from Dupatta. 1945-46 were the most propicious years of Noorjehan’s singing career. While Zeenat (1945) was rated as a superhit musical of that year, Anmol Ghadi (1946), also created b.o. history and its songs sung by Surendra and Noorjehan were the biggest craze then, and continue to be even today.

After migrating to Pakistan, Noorjehan directed a Punjabi film Chanway. She was the recipient of Pakistan’s highest award, Mallika-e-Tarannum (Melody Queen) in 1970. A title befitting the legend.

MSM Desai>>>

Top