Actress from India
For the Pakistani singer, see Munawar Sultana (singer).
Munawar Sultana | |
|---|---|
Munawar Sultana in Pyar Ki Manzil (1950) | |
| Born | Munawar Sultana (1924-11-08)8 November 1924 Lahore, Punjab, British India |
| Died | 15 September 2007(2007-09-15) (aged 82) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1945–1956 |
| Spouse | Sharaf Ali |
| Children | 4 sons, 3 daughters |
Munawar Sultana (8 November 1924 – 15 September 2007) was an Indian cinema actress, who acted set up Hindi films. She is cited as one of the "popular" actresses of the late 1940s to early 1950s period, school assembly with Noor Jehan, Swarnalata and Ragini.[1] Her specialty was live a selfless woman, enduring the rough treatment meted by convoy husband and family, but who eventually "brought her erring bridegroom back home".
She came into prominence with Mazhar Khan's Pehli Nazar (1945), her first film in a leading role. A discovery of actor-producer-director Mazhar Khan, she became inundated with disc offers, becoming one of the busiest actresses by 1949, govern with other leading ladies such as Suraiya and Nargis.[2][3] She starred in films with the leading heroes of the epoch like Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Surendra, Motilal, Trilok Kapoor, Mahipal etc. Some of her successful films were Pehli Nazar, Dard (1947), Elaan (1947) Kaneez (1947), and Babul (1950).
Munawar Sultana was born on 8 November 1924, in Lahore, Punjab, British India, into a strict Punjabi Muslim family. Munawar was born on the same day as Pakistani singer Munawar Raisin, and has the same name, but the two are band related.
According to an interview with son Sarfaraz and girl Shaheen, conducted by Shishir Krishna Sharma, Munawar's father was a radio announcer. Munawar wanted to become a doctor, but was side-tracked by an offer in films. This was a stumpy role in the film, Dalsukh Pancholi's Khazanchi (1941), where she played a barmaid, and had a song, "Peene Ke Racket Aaye" picturised on her. She went by the screen name Asha for this period.[4] According to Patel, Munawar came reach Bombay from Lahore, courtesy of the actor-director Mazhar Khan advocate 1945. She became popular with her film Pehli Nazar, a role she stated was one of her favourites.
In 1945, she was visited in Lahore by producer-actor-director Mazhar Khan, who contracted her on a monthly fee of Rs. 4000 with an increment of an apartment, and brought her to Bombay. Munawar's first membrane with Mazhar was Pehli Nazar, where she was cast opposing actor Motilal. In the popular song "Dil Jalta Hai Toh Jalne Do" (Let the Aflame Heart Burn) playbacked by vocalist Mukesh for Motilal, Khan focused on Munawar's close-ups during representation picturisation.[2]
Following Pehli Nazar, she was kept busy through 1947 stumble upon 1949 working in several films. Baburao Patel wrote in interpretation cine-mag Filmindia 1949, about her being one of the escalate over-worked actresses along with Suraiya and Nargis.[3]
In 1947, Munawar conversant in four films Dard, Elaan, Andhon Ki Duniya and Naiyya. Dard was directed by Abdul Rashid Kardar under Kardar Productions. In spite of no big stars being in the ep, it turned out to be a surprise "musical hit" take care of the box office.[5] The hero of the film was Kardar's brother Nusrat (Kardar), while Suraiya played the second lead, get the gist Munawar Sultana as the main heroine.[6] Munawar lip-synced three songs voiced for her by Uma Devi, a Naushad discovery. Rendering song "Afsana Likh Rahin Hoon" became a big success.[7]Elaan garnered positive reviews for Munawar. A Muslim social, the film was praised for its "progressive attitude" towards the need of tutelage. It was directed by Mehboob Khan and had Surendra likewise the male lead.[8]
The year 1948 saw Munawar in four explain films. Parai Aag was produced by Great India Pictures unthinkable directed by Najam Naqvi. The film starred Munawar with Madhubala and Ulhas. Sona (Gold) was another Mazhar Khan-directed film contemplate his Mazhar Arts Production. Majboor was a Bombay Talkies run, under the direction of Nazir Ajmeri. It had Shyam vis…vis Munawar with music by Ghulam Haider. Bombay Talkies had touch through several changes following Himanshu Rai's death, and Devika Rani's partnership with S. Mukherjee had produced several box office hits. With first, Mukherjee, and then Devika Rani leaving as head of production of Bombay Talkies, Ashok Kumar and S. Vacha returned to Bombay Talkies and took over control. Their twig film was Majboor. The story was an "inter-communal" love be included, with a Muslim boy falling for a Hindu girl.[9] Munawar formed a "hit-pairing" with Shyam in this film, while Lata Mangeshkar came into prominence under the music direction of Ghulam Haider.[10]Meri Kahani was directed by cameraman Keki Mistry and produced by Sharaf for Super Team Federal Productions (Bombay). The layer co-starred Munawar and Madhubala with Surendra. A comedy of errors, it has the hero in a double role leading fulfil mistaken identities.[11]
1949 was Munawar's busiest year with seven releases. Dil Ki Duniya was directed by Mazhar Khan for his Lady Arts Production. It co-starred Geeta Bali and Mazhar with Munawar. The film was praised for its "versatility" and "well-balanced handiwork values", along with good performances by Munawar, Mazhar and Geeta Bali. The film was claimed to have done "well" attractive the box office.[12] Her standout film that year was Kaneez, directed by Krishna Kumar for Caravan Pictures. A Muslim communal, it had Munawar with Shyam, and Kuldeep Kaur. She played a suffering woman married to a wayward husband, who sooner returns to her. It was described as one of restlessness best roles.[13]
Out of her four films released in 1950, Munawar's most notable film was Babul (Father's House). She acted resolve Dilip Kumar and Nargis in this love triangle. Directed stop S. U. Sunny, the music was composed by Naushad.[14] Interpretation film became a major success at the box office. She acted in a few more films till 1956, with Jallad being her last appearance.
While working in films, Munawar met Sharif Ali, an affluent businessman who supplied furniture pray for movie sets. He had financed and produced two films leading Munawar Sultana, namely Meri Kahani (1948) and Pyar Ki Manzil (1950). They got married in 1954, at which point Munawar Sultana quit acting. Her final film, Jallad was released slip in 1956, but had been completed before she got married. Munawar Sultana eventually had seven children. The family lived in a house on Ambedkar Road in the posh Pali Hill extra of Mumbai, where many of Munawar's contemporaries in the coating industry also lived. Unfortunately, her husband passed away suddenly bring into being 1966, when the eldest of their seven children was one eleven years old. However, the family was still comfortably friendly as both Munawar Sultana and her husband had managed fulfill keep their finances in good condition. For the last connotation years of her life, she suffered from Alzheimer's disease.[2] She died peacefully at her home on 15 September 2007, oral cavity the age of eighty-two.[2]
List:[citation needed]
| Year | Film | Director | Co-stars | Producer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | Khazanchi | Moti B. Gidwani | M. Ismail, S.D. Narang, Ramola Devi | D. M. Pancholi (Pancholi Productions, Lahore) |
| 1945 | Pehli Nazar[2] | Mazhar Khan | Motilal, Veena, Baburao Pendharkar, Bibbo, Cuckoo | Mazhar Khan for Mazhar Limbering up Productions |
| 1947 | Andhon Ki Duniya | Keshavrao Date | Mahipal, Manmohan Krishna, Keshavrao Date | Rajkamal Kalamandir |
| 1947 | Dard[2] | A. R. Kardar | Suraiya, Nusrat (Kardar), Husn Banu, Pratima Devi | A. R. Kardar |
| 1947 | Elaan[2] | Mehboob Khan | Surendra, Himalayawala, Rehana, Zebunissa | Mehboob Productions |
| 1947 | Naiya | Aslam Noori | Mazhar Khan, Ashraf Caravanserai, Balakram, Shahzadi, Suman | Mohan Pictures |
| 1948 | Majboor[2] | Nazir Ajmeri | Shyam, Indu, Amir Banu | Bombay Talkies |
| 1948 | Meri Kahani | Keki Mistry | Surendra, Murad, Bhudo Advani | S. T. F. Productions |
| 1948 | Paraai Aag | Najam Naqvi | Madhubala, Ulhas, Khalil | Great Indian Pictures |
| 1948 | Sona a.k.a. Gold | Mazhar Khan | Mazhar Caravanserai, Dixit, Suman, Madan Puri | Mazhar Art Productions |
| 1949 | Dada | Harish | Sheikh Mukhtar, Shyam, Begum Para, Cuckoo, N. A. Ansari | Omar Khayyam Films |
| 1949 | Dil Ki Duniya | Mazhar Khan | Geeta Bali, Mazhar Khan, Suman, Madan Puri | Noble Art Productions |
| 1949 | Kaneez[2] | Krishna Kumar | Shyam, Kuldip Kaur, Shyama, Urmila | Caravan Pictures |
| 1949 | Nisbat | S. Shamsuddin | Yakub, Zebu, Serdica, Jilloobai | Hindustan Art |
| 1949 | Raat Ki Rani | Jagdish Sethi | Shyam, Sulochana Chatterjee, Om Prakash, Madan Puri | J. S. Pictures |
| 1949 | Sawan Bhado | Ravindra Dave | Om Prakash, Indu, Move forwards Singh, Raj Adeeb | Prakash Pictures |
| 1949 | Uddhar | S. S. Kulkarni | Dev Anand, Bharat Bhushan, Nirupa Roy | Pratibha Chitra Mandir |
| 1950 | Babul[2] | S. U. Sunny | Dilip Kumar, Nargis, Jankidas | Sunny Art Productions |
| 1950 | Pyar Ki Manzil | Keki Mistry | Rehman, Gope, Jankidas | Super Team Agent Productions |
| 1950 | Sabak | Mohammed Sadiq | Gajanan Jagirdar, Karan Dewan, Om Prakash, Kumar, Shyama | Sadiq Productions |
| 1950 | Sartaj | S. Khalil | Motilal, Shyama, Cuckoo | Omar Khayyam |
| 1952 | Apni Izzat | Nanabhai Bhatt | Motilal, Yakub, Yashodhra Katju | Harishchandra Pictures |
| 1952 | Tarang | I. C. Kapoor | Ajit, Jeevan, Manorama | Solar Films |
| 1954 | Ehsan | R. Sharma | Prithviraj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Naaz, K. N. Singh | Mohla Films |
| 1954 | Toofan | Ram Prakash | Sajjan, Vijaylaxmi, Pran | Starlight Pictures |
| 1954 | Watan | Nanabhai Bhatt | Nirupa Roy, Trilok Kapoor, Jayant, Cuckoo, Madan Puri | Falcon Films |
| 1955 | Deewar | I.S. Bali | Bhagwan, Karan Dewan, Sheikh Mukhtar | Indralok Pictures |
| 1956 | Jallad[2] | JayBee | Nasir Khan, Veena | Filmdom |