This article is written by Arunkumar Deshmukh, a fellow enthusiast of Hindi movie music and a contributor to this blog. This article is meant to be posted in atulsongaday.me. If this article appears in other sites without the knowledge and consent of the web administrator of atulsongaday.me, then it is piracy of the copyright content of atulsongaday.me and is a punishable offence under the existing laws.
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Today’s song is a duet from the film Jalwa-1955.
The film was produced and directed by Roop K. Shorey for his own banner Shorey Films, Bombay. The music was by his pet composer Vinod. The cast of this film was Meena Shorey, Karan Dewan, Amarnath (Bharadwaj), Begum Para, Sundar, Rattan Kumar, Hari Shivdasani (father of Babita and uncle of Sadhana), Majnu (aka Harold Lewis), Uma Dutt and many others.
In the Indian film industry, there are many cases where the artist does one extraordinarily successful film or a rare role or achieve unprecedented fame for his one film and the rest of his career goes unknown or unsuccessful. Roop K.Shorey and MD Vinod fall under this category. They both were producer and director and Music Director respectively of the immensely popular film “Ek Thi Ladki-1949”. After this film, they both never got such success in any of their later films. Composer Vinod was called ‘a spent force’ due to this.
Similarly their heroine Meena Shorey also, to a great extent, was such a one film wonder.
Take the case of K.Asif, who made the memorable film “Mughal-E-Azam”-1960. Before and after this film, he did make a few other films, but no one knows or remembers his work before or after Mughal E Azam-1960.
Actor and sing Moti Sagar’s name was not known to anyone after his successful film ” Malhar”-1951.
But then, this is what is called “LUCK ” ! From 1931 to 2000, about 7000 actors and actresses worked in Hindi films. How many names out of these can you remember ? If I ask you to write names of 100 film heroes or heroines, do you think you can do it ? Impossible. I did this exercise with my 10 friends who are quite knowledgeable movie buffs. The average minimum number was 25 and the average maximum number was 42 !
In a few cases, the artist himself or herself is responsible for it. Take the case of Meena Shorey. She never had a school education. She was a completely illiterate person, so much so that she could not even sign for herself. She used to put a thumb impression on her contracts. Cunning producers, no wonder, took advantage of this and cheated her. The first ever contract she had was with Minerva Movietone. It was supposed to be for only one year. Sohrab Modi made the contract for 3 years, with a clause that ‘ during this period she can not work in any other company’s film without the written permission of Minerva Movietone.’
After doing a few films with Sohrab modi, she was offered 3 films by Dalsukh Pancholi in Lahore and also by Kardar for his film Humayun. But she could not do these films nor Minerva gave her any films. When she signed (put her thumb impression) for a film by Pancholi in Lahore, Sohrab Mody immediately served her a legal notice for compensation of 6 lakhs rupees. That would be 3.55 Crores today. This happened due to her illiteracy – not knowing what she was signing (thumbing).
Same case was with Sitara Kanpuri. Being a Tawayaf, she was uneducated and did not know what was in the contract she signed with Shalimar pictures of W.Z.Ahmed. Due to this, when she stopped getting films from Shalimar in 1945, she had to sit tight till W.Z.Ahmed migrated to Pakistan in 1947. She was then free to sing anywhere. However 2 years’ time is too long a period in the film industry and she missed her bus forever !
In the case of Roop Shorey his insistence of keeping the same flock of artists (Meena, Majnu, I.S.Johar etc) and Vinod as M.D. for all his later films, after the success of ‘Ek thi ladki-1949’ ensured his failure. Added to it, he tried to repeat the same story in his later films.
From the Bio-sketches of these people one would know how they erred in their careers.
Let us see the Bio of Meena Shorey…..
She was born on 15-9-1921, as Khursheed Jehan, the second of four children, in Raiwind in a small rural household, in Punjab . She had two sisters and a brother. Wazir Begum was the elder sister. Rukhsana and Siddique were younger to her. Their father Mian Barkat Ali was an agriculturist from Multan. But due to his irresponsible ways, all lands had to be sold off one by one, and ultimately we shifted to Lahore. Here, he started a dyeing business, but this too failed. Money problems led to domestic squabbles and things became very very difficult. Her elder sister then got married to one Aslam, who was from Bombay and had some connections with the film industry. After some time, she called her mother and the other siblings to come over and live with her in Bombay. Rather than feel sad, her father was in fact happy at getting rid of his “liabilities”. Soon afterwards, he remarried.
Times were hard. Bombay was a much costlier city. Meena wanted to join the film industry. Once she accompanied her brother-in-law Aslam to attend the muhurat of a film. It was Sohrab Modi’s “Sikandar”. One of her friends had loaned her a beautiful dress to wear. Though she was only about 12 years at the time, she looked a little older and was the cynosure of all eyes at the studio set which was very crowded. Some people even thought that she was the heroine of the film. Actually, Vanmala had been cast in this film opposite Prithviraj Kapoor. Sohrab Modi was busy arranging the lights etc. but, seeing the commotion, he came to where they stood, looked her over, and straightway told Aslam that he wanted to cast her in his next film. He said that he was in fact on the look-out for a beautiful girl like her, who could pose a worthwhile challenge to Naseem Banu, who was renowned for her beauty. Meena was of course overjoyed and succeeded in persuading her mother to let her join films and thus her career began. Sohrab modi gave her the name Meena.
Modi, taken in by her beauty, offered her a supporting role in the film and bound her to a contract to work exclusively for him. He also gave her the name Meena. Sikandar did extremely well and Meena was on her way. Modi then cast her as the second lead in Phir Milenge (1942)and Prithvi Vallabh (1943). In the last name, she was paired opposite Al Nasir, whom she later married. The marriage did not last very long due to Nasir’s womanising ways.
Meena first met the Lahore based filmmaker Roop K Shorey, when he came to Bombay to look for a heroine for his forthcoming film, Shalimar (1946). Though he wanted Meena as the heroine of the film, Sohrab Modi’s rigid contract came in the way. According to Meena, the contract again prevented her from doing Mehboob Khan’s Humayun (1945) as well. Further, on a visit to Lahore, she met producer Dalsukh Pancholi, who signed her on for two films Shahar se Door (1946) and Arsi (1947). Immediately, Sohrab Modi took her to court asking for damages of Rs 3 lakhs. According to Meena, taking advantage of her illiteracy, Modi bound her for three years whereas the contract was supposed to be for a year only. She added that Modi then demanded Rs 60,000 to release her and seeking help from Modi’s wife, Mehtab, the matter was finally settled for Rs 30,000. ( Modi had cheated C.Ramchandra also when he joined him.) Meena was now free. She returned to Lahore and fulfilled her contractual obligations by starring in Shahar Se Door and Arsi.
Meena’s last film in Lahore was Pathjad (1948). Following the Partition of India, she came to Bombay where she did films like Actress (1948) and Dukhiyari (1948). In this period she heard that Roop K Shorey had also moved to India following partition. His studio having burnt down in Lahore, he was financially hard up in Bombay. Meena and Karan Dewan got together and helped him make his first film in India, Chaman (1948) in Punjabi. The film, with music by Vinod, was the first ever Punjabi film in which Lata Mangeshkar lent her voice. Her songs in the film like Galiyan Che Firdey Dhola Nikke Nikke Baal Wey and Chan Kithe Guzare-e-Raat Wey were highly appreciated.
Meena hit the apex of her screen career with Roop K Shorey’s Ek Thi Ladki (1949) co-starring Motilal. The film, a comedy thriller, looks at a girl (Meena) on the run after she witnesses a murder and shows a new facet of Meena exploring her comic talents, which were considerable. But above all it was the popularity of the song Lara Lappa Lara Lappa that was chiefly responsible for the film’s success. The song was hummed in every nook and corner of the country and as mentioned, Meena became known as the ‘Lara Lappa girl!’ She also got married to Roop K Shorey, becoming Meena Shorey.
After Ek Thi Ladki, Meena did a steady lot of movies, mostly with Roop K Shorey, but none measured up to Ek Thi Ladki. Perhaps, the best of the lot was Ek Do Teen (1953) re-uniting the Shoreys with Motilal. By the mid 1950s though she was still doing the odd film or two every year, it was obvious her career was in decline. She acted in 25 films in India. Her first film wasSikandar-41 and the last film was Rang Reliyan-62. Meena Sang one song in the film Prithvi Vallabh-43.
At this point, the Shoreys were invited to come to Pakistan and make a film. The result was Miss 1956 (1956), a copy of Guru Dutt’s Mr and Mrs 55 (1955) starring Meena Shorey, Santosh Kumar, Aslam Pervez, Shamim Ara, Zarif and Charlie with music by the great GA Chisti. Though the film did just average business, the adulation that Meena got on returning to Lahore was tremendous. She decided to relocate to Pakistan, even at the cost of her marriage.
Meena’s most successful film in Pakistan was Sarfarosh (1956) co-starring Sabiha Khanum and Santosh Kumar. According to Meena, she was signed on to play the lead role of a princess in the film, but later on Sabiha was given the role and Meena was asked to play the ‘lesser’ role of a bandit queen. She says she walked out of the film but on the pleading of the director, Anwar Kamal Pasha and his father, she relented. Nevertheless, she still made a strong enough impact in the film and perhaps the best song in the film, Teri Ulfat Mein Sanam, sung by Zubaida Khanum was picturised on her. She also became the first Pakistani actress to model for Lux Soap, thus becoming the ‘Lux Lady of Pakistan.’
Meena lived the last few years of her life in abject poverty in Pakistan. She had no savings and was reduced to living in a couple of rooms in Lahore’s Mohni Road. There was no one to look after her and she subsisted on a small stipend paid to her by the Pakistan Arts Council and sometimes the Rotary Club. It is said she compared herself to a dried up tree in a grove full of green young saplings that everyone was out to destroy and burn.
Meena Shorey died on 3-9-1987, a lonely and poor actress. Her burial was arranged with charity money and few came to attend her funeral.
( Adaptation based on Meena’s Memoirs from the book “ye un dinon ki baat hai” by Yasir Abbasi, and an interview appeared in RMIM, with thanks.).
The music of film Jalwa-1955 was good, faintly reminiscent of old Vinod’s style. But he failed to adapt to the changing tastes of the film audience. That is why his music could not compete with the 1955 musicals like Shri 420, Mr.and Mrs. 55, Railway platform, jhanak jhanak payal Baje, Seema, devdas, Azaad, Munimji, Udan Khatola, Baradari etc.
” Keeping up with the Joneses” is an unforgettable rule in the film industry. Let us now enjoy this 70 year old duet of Rafi and Asha….
Song- Main hoon shaahee lakkadhaara(Jalwaa)(1955) Singers-Rafi, Asha Bhonsle, Lyricist-Varma Malik, MD- Vinod
Lyrics
O main hoon shaahee
o main hoon shaahee
haan jee
o main hoon shaahee
o main hoon shaahee
main shaahee lakkadhaara
main raajon ka raaja thha
taaron mein kutub sitaara
o ho sitaara
aha awaara
main thha nadee ke daaman se
lipta hua kinaara
o ho kinaara
aha kinaara
lekin kisee ke pyaar mein
apna dil aur duniya haara
o main hoon shaahee
o main hoon shaahee
o tu hai shaahee
ho ho
o tu hai shaahee
main shaahee lakkadhaara
par hai kismat ka maara
arre baap re baap
jaise sookhe nadee se
ek bichhda hua kinaara
o ho kinaara
haay haay bechaara
jaise gagan kee jyoti se
ek girta hua sitaara
o ho sitaara
haay haay bechaara
kaisee aisee kismat waala
hai kismat ka maara
o main hoon shaahee
o main hoon shaahee
o tu hai shaahee
o tu hai shaahee
main shaahee lakkadhaara
par hai kismat ka maara
dekh ke do nazron ka jalwa
kho gaya dil bechaara
o ho bechaara
aha bechaara
aise dil ko golee maaro
bigde naheen dobaara
haay wo dobaara
haay haay bechaaraa
dil kee jagah patthar rakh kar
phiroonga ab kanwaara
o tu hai shaahee
o tu hai shaahee
o main hoon shaahee
o main hoon shaahee
main shaahee lakkadhaara
par hai kismat ka maara
aa aa aa aa
aa aa aa
aa aa aa aa
aa aa aa
o o o o
o o o
o main hoon shaahee
o main hoon shaahee
o tu hai shaahee
ho ho
o tu hai shaahee
main shaahee lakkadhaara
par hai kismat ka maara