A complete reference to pro-partition film career of Madam Noorjehan
Baby Noor Jehan as Singer & Childstar (1935-1939)
1935
Baby Noor Jehan with her ideal singer
Mukhtar Begum
Madam Noor Jehan started her film career when she was just 9 years old. She was basically a singer and acting was an extra talent. She was introduced in Calcutta based Punjabi film...
Sheela as Pind di Kurri (Punjabi)
- Director and Music: Krishan De Mehra
- Proudcer: Indira Moveiton (Calcutta)
- Actors: Pushpa Rani, Haidar Bandi, Mubarak, Eidan Bandi & Baby Noor Jehan
Film Songs
- Music: Mubarak Ali Khan (Baray Ghulam Ali's brother)
- Lyrics: K.D. Mehra
Lang aaja pattan Channa da yaar
A Star was born...
According to the Birth Certificate from Muncipal Committee of Qasur, Noor Jehan was born as Allah Wasai on September 21st, 1926 at Kot Murad Khan, Qasur in a musician family. Her father was Madad Ali and mother was Fateh Bibi and she was the seventh child of her parents.
Noorjehan with her mother
Fateh Bibi and sister Eiden Bandi
1936
Baby Noor Jehan
in the late 30s
Missar ka Sitara (Urdu/Hindi)
- Director: Menoka Turk
- Producer:
- Music: Damodar Sharma
- Actors: Munni Bai, Wilot Cooper, Ibrahim & Baby Noor Jehan
Film Songs
Koi Pani na ja, niha lagay kay uchak jai akhian tori..
Azaadi (Urdu/Hindi)
- Director:??
- Producer:?? (Calcutta)
- Actors: Baby Noor Jehan, ... Mr. & Mrs. Bombay (Urdu/Hindi)
- Director: Nano Bhai Wakil
- Actors: Zubaida, Jaal, Marchant; Chanda Bai & Baby Noor Jehan
Magar yeh rang nirala hai...
Imperial Mail (Urdu/Hindi)
- Director: Daud Chand...
- Actors: Gulzar, Gulab Mandar Singh, Shah Jehan & Baby Noor Jehan
Na hone wali baat (Urdu/Hindi)
- Director: ??
- Producer: ?? (Calcutta)
- Actors: Baby Noor Jehan, ...
A Natural Talent...
Madam Noor Jehan received her early musical training from Ustad Ghulam Mohammad, who instructed her in classical music.
...on Lahore Stage
She was only nine years old when the great Punjabi musician G. A. Chishti introduced her on the stage in Lahore. He composed some Ghazals, Naats and folksongs for Noor Jehan and she got 7½ Annas for each song. She also got some classical music lesson from Ustad Bare Ghulam Ali Khan.
Taran Haar (Urdu/Hindi)
- Director:K. Desai
- Music:Damodar Sharma
- Actors:Gohar Bai Karnatki, Ibrahim, Mansoor & Baby Noor Jehan
Mr. 420 (Urdu/Hindi)
- Director:Suhrab Kabirwala
- Music:Bhai Chhaila
- Actors:Anwari, Andor Bala, Suhrab Jee & Baby Noor Jehan
Allah Wasai to
Baby Noor Jehan During her stay in Calcutta, Madam Noor Jehan met her ideal singer Mukhtar Begum, who was a famous stage singer in the 30s and also the wife of the legendry Urdu Drama Writer Agha Hashar Kashmiri (1879-1935). She encouraged her and recommended Allah Wasai to her husband's Maidan Theatre and here she got the name of "Baby Noor Jehan".
1938
Heer Sial(Punjabi)
- Director: K.D.Mehra
- Lyric: F. D. Sharf
- Music: Dhomi Khan
- Actors: Balo, P.N.Bali, Haidar Bandi, M. Ismaeel & Baby Noor Jehan
Film Songs
Sohna desaan wichoon des Punjab..
Noor Jehan in Calcutta
Baby Noor Jehan was a great success as singer and baby artist in Calcutta. She played child role in film "Heer Sial". Balo played as Heer, who was the mother of "The First Lady of Pakistan Silver screen" Sabiha Khanum.
1939
Gul Bakawli (Punjabi)
- Director:Birkat Ram Mehra
- Producer:Pancholi Art Productions (Lahore)
- Music:Ghulam haidar
- Lyric:Walli Sahib
- Actors:Haim Lata, Salim Raza, M. Ismaeel, Ajmal &
Baby Noor Jehan
"Superstar
Baby Noor Jehan"
Baby Noor Jehan returned to Lahore and she was welcomed with great enthusiasm. She appeared in four super hit films as a superstar child artist.
Noor Jehan as Heroine & Singer (1940-1947)
1940
Yamla Jatt (Punjabi)
Director:
Moti B. Gadwani
Producer:
Pancholi Art Productions (Lahore)
Music:
Master
Ghulam Haidar
Lyric:
Walli Sahib
Actors:
Ranjna, M. Ismaeel, Pran, Ajmal, Durga Khote & Baby Noor Jehan
Film Songs
Kankaan diyaan pakkiyaan...
Aa sajna we dil de challiye paar...
Babul we chal Pind noo challiye...
Kuku main Koel wangun kyun na gawan...
Kachian we Kalian toon na tor...
Box Office Hit..!
Noorjehan was no more "Baby" and played the main role in this Punjabi film. M. Ismail played the title role and it was one of his best role. M. Ajmal got first significant role in this musical film.
1941
Choudhary (Punjabi)
Dirctor:
Nrinjan Paal
Producer:
Pancholi Art Prodcuctions Lahore)
Music:
Master
Ghulam Haidar
Lyric:
F. D. Sharf
Actors:
Roop Laikha, Paal, M. Ismaeel, Ajmal, Durga Khote, Ghulam Mohammad &
Baby Noor Jehan
Film Songs
Bas bas we Dholna, tere naal ki bolna...
ChhamChham ohdo kaisi sohni chaal...
Ik Dunia neyi wasa leyi...
Sajna, tere bina jee nain lagda...
Noorjehan as heroine
Noorjehan was heroine with Ghulam Mohammad in this super hit Punjabi film..
1942
Khandan (Urdu)
- Director:Syed Shoukat Hussain Rizvi
- Producer:Pancholi Pictures (Lahore)
- Writher:Imtiaz Ali Taj
- Musik:Ghulam Haidar, D. N. Madhok
- Actors:Noor Jehan, Pran, Manorma, Ghulam Mohammad, Durga Khote & Ajmal
Film Songs
Too koan si badli mein mere Chand hai aaja
Mere liye Jahan mein chain hai na qarar hai
Hum khelen ge aankhmacholi...
Mere Baagh ka Mali...
Meri Ammi ka Raj Bhala...
Maar geyi re...
Ur ja ur ja, Panchhi... (with Ghulam Haidar)
Film Synopsis:
This was mainly a Noor Jehan musical about a man seduced by a gold-digging woman, who then kills her and her lover is jailed. When he is released, he finds employment as a gardener and becomes a father-figure to his employer's son Anwar and to Anwar's fiancee Zeenat (Noor Jehan). This allows him to prevent Anwar from perpetuating precisely the same crime for which he had been jailed as history repeats itself because, so the film alleges, men are constantly threatened by women and only paternal wisdom can save them from the untoward desires of women. Future directors Ramesh Saigal and S. K. Ojha assisted on this film. (- Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema - Ashish Rajadhyaksha & Paul Willemen - New Revised Edition 1999 and thanks to Mr. Jamal Akbar)
Career as heroine
She was selected as heroine in film "Khandan" in the age of just 16 years old. The Lahore based Urdu film achieved an amazing success in the hole sub-continent. Syed Shoukat Hussain Rizvi was director of this great film. During the production of this film She married Syed Shoukat Hussain Rizvi.
Film Synopsis:
A realist tragedy based on a story by the Urdu novelist Sadat Hasan Manto about Fazlu (Chandramohan), the lifelong servant of the Khwaja Islamuddin. Blamed for the death of Islamuddin's infant son Salim in a railway accident, Fazlu is jailed. Escaping from prison, he finds his wife has given birth to a son whom he believes to be Salim's reincarnation. The film chronicles Fazlu in his old age, when his son, also named Salim (Balwant Singh), befriends Nargis (Shobana Samarth), Mirza (Mirza Musharraf) and Sadiq (Yakub). When Fazlu moves to the city, he helplessly watches the destruction of his family by economic circumstances. Nargis dies in his arms, Mirza is arrested, Sadiq commits suicide and Fazlu ends up once again in prison. Much of the film works through symbols like the whistle of the railway engine evoking traumatic memories. (- Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema - Ashish Rajadhyaksha & Paul Willemen - New Revised Edition 1999 and thanks to Mr. Jamal Akbar) Duhaai (Urdu/Hindi)
- Direcotr: V.M.Dyas
- Producer: Sunriese Pictures (Bombay)
- Music:Shanti Kumar
- Lyrics: Bharat Vyas
- Actors: Noor Jehan, Shanta Apte, Kumar, Ansari, Mirza Musharraf
Film Songs
Ab mast jawani aai...
Film Synopsis:
Vyas' romantic thriller pivots mainly around the unusual co-presence of the singing stars Apte and Noor Jehan. Rural beauty Neela (Apte) loves the urbane Rajendra (Kumar) and they decide to get married against the wishes of her father Jugal Babu (Ansari). Jugal, it turns out, knows the family secret:Rajendra's father had years ago tried to seduce Neela's mother and had been killed by Neela's brother Basant (Butt Kaser), who has been in hiding ever since. The plot gets more complicated when the singer and dancer Urvashi (Noor Jehan) falls for Rajendra and, one evening in a nightclub, unable to perform in front of him, is replaced on stage by Neela. The dramatic highlight is when Jugal Babu, telling Neela the terrible past history of her brother, gets her to promise never to reveal the truth to her husband. (- Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema - Ashish Rajadhyaksha & Paul Willemen - New Revised Edition 1999 and thanks to Mr. Jamal Akbar)
Naadan (Urdu/Hindi)
- Director: Zia Sarhadi
- Producer: A. B. Productions (Bombay)
- Music: K. Datta
- Lyrics: Zia Sarhadi & Tanvir Naqvi
- Actors:Noor Jehan, Jillobai, Masood, Maya Devi, Nazir Kashmiri, Alaknanda, Mumtaz, Aman
Film Songs
Ek anokha gham...
Dil doon keh na doon..?
Ab to nahin Dunia mein...
Roshni apni umangon ki...
Film Synopsis:
A romantic adventure story about Anil (Masood) and Roopa (Noor Jehan) who were promised to each other as children but start off their adult acquaintance on the wrong foot when Anil hands Roopa to the police for resembling a face on a 'wanted' poster. They meet again when both become journalists on the same newspaper owned by Mukesh (Aman), who also fancies Roopa. (- Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema - Ashish Rajadhyaksha & Paul Willemen - New Revised Edition 1999 and thanks to Mr. Jamal Akbar)
Noor Jehan in Bombay After the great success of film "Khandan", Madam Noor Jehan and Rizvi were invited to Bombay, which was (and still is) the main film centre in India. It could be an unique record, that she simultaneously was successful in all three main film centres of the sub-continent, Bombay, Calcutta and Lahore...!
1944
Dost (Urdu)
- Dirctor: Syed Shoukat Hussain Rizvi
- Producer: Navin Pictues
- Music: Sajjad Hussain
- Lyric: Shams Lakhnawi
- Story: Gen. Fyaz Ali
- Actors: Noor Jehan, Moti Lal, Hussan Bano, Mirza Musharraf
Film Songs
Badnaam mohabat kon kare...
Alam par alam...
Ab kon hai mera...
More Sajna, more Sajna...
Koi prem ka de ke sandesa...
Lal Haweli(Urdu/Hindi)
Director:
K.B.Lal
Producer:
Bombay Cinetone Ltd.
Music:
Mir Sahib
Lyrics:
Shams Lakhnawi
Actors:
Noor Jehan, Surindar, Ulyas Maya, Yaqoob, Ghouri
Film Songs
Teri yaad aai...
Banti nazar aati nahin...
Mohaniya Sundar mukhra khol..
1945
Zeenat (Urdu)
Director:
Syed Shoukat Hussain Rizvi
Producer:
Eastern Pictures (Bombay)
Music:
Hafiz Khan, Rafiq Ghaznawi, Mir Sahib
Lyric:
Nakhshab, Shewan Rizvi, Mahir-ul-Qadri, Qamar Jalalabadi
Actors:
Noor Jehan, Karan, Yaqoob, Shah Nawaz, Nasim Jr. Jallo Bai
Film Songs
Aahein na bhareen Shikwe na kiye
(First female Qawwali widh Zohra Bai Anbale wali & Kalyani)
Aandhiyaan gham ki yoon challi keh baagh ujar ke reh geya
Bulbulo mat roho yehan par aansoo bahana hai manah
Naacho Sitaro ab Chand nikalne wala hai
Aaja ri nindhia...
Gaon ki Gori (Urdu)
Director:
K.Amarnath
Producer:
Ramnik Productions
Music:
Pandat Shayam Chandar, Parto Lakhnawi
Lyrics:
Parto Lakhnawi, Wali Sahib, Anjum Peeli Bheeti
Actors:
Noor Jehan, Nazir, Durga Khote, Geeta Nizami
Film Songs
Baithi hoon tere khayal mein...
Kis tarah bhoole ga dil...
Sajjan pardesi, ballam pardesi...
Yeh kaun hansa...
Main Kheiton ka Panchhi...
Bari Maa (Urdu)
- Director: K. Amarnath
- Producer: Prafulla Pictures (Bombay)
- Music:Pandath Amarnaath
- Lyric: Anjum Pilibhity, Zia Sarhadi, Raja Bhare, Dinker D. Patil
- Actors: Noor Jehan, Ishwar Lal, Yaqoob & Baby Lata Mangeshkar
Film Songs
Diya jala kar aap bhjaya...
Aa intezar hai tera...
Thum ham ko bhula baithe...
Kisi tarah se mohabbat mein...
Film Synopsis:
Vinayak was forced to make this war effort movie to keep his company alive during WW2. Durgadas (Salvi) worries about his son Dinesh (Ishwarlal) who is in London during the Blitz. Money lender Ghanshyam (Girish) agrees to write off a debt provided Durgadas' daughter Usha (Meenakshi) marries his son Rajendra (Yakub), but Rajendra and the dancer Mona (Sitara Devi) are spies for the Japanese. When the Japanese attack the village of Dinapur, Rajendra becomes a patriot and fights for the Allied cause along with Dinesh. (- Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema - Ashish Rajadhyaksha & Paul Willemen - New Revised Edition 1999 and thanks to Mr. Jamal Akbar) Bhai Jaan(Urdu)
- Director: S. Khalil
- Music: Pandat Shayam Chandar, Anjam Paili Bheti
- Lyrics: Anjum Pilibhity
- Actors: Noor Jehan, Karn, Dewan, Shah Nawaz & Lata Mangeshkar
Film songs:
A Baad-e-saba kuchh too ne suna...
Chupke se dil mein...
Apne na ho sake jo...
First female Qawwali
1945 was a great year for Madam Noor Jehan. "Zeenat" was a superb film, directed by Syed Shoukat Hussain Rizvi. Madam Noor Jehan was just 19 years old when she played a young-to-old character in this film and was awarded with the Best Actresses Award. She also achieved another milestone, when she sung a Qawwali with Zohra Bai Ambale wali "Aahen na bhareen, shikwe na kiye..." - the first ever female Qawwali in sub-continents films.
In film "Bari Maa" another child artist was introduced - Lata Mangeshkar, the legend of Indian music.
1946
Anmol Ghari (Urdu/Hindi)
Director:
Mehboob Khan
Producer:
Mehoboob Production Ltd. (Bombay)
Music: Noushad Ali
Lyrics: Tanveer Naqvi & Anjum Peeli Bheeti
Actors: Noor Jehan, Surender, Surayya, Zahoor Raja, Anwari, Leela Mishra, Anwari Begum, Bhudo Anvari, Murad
Film Songs
Awaz de kahan hai, dunya meri jawan hai (with Surindar)
Jawan hai mohabbat, haseen hai zamana
Kya mil gya Bhagwan tujhe dil ko dukha ke
Aaja meri barbar mohabbat ke sahare
Mere bachpan ke saathi mujhe bhool na jana
Tera Khilona tuta Balik... (Mohammad Rafi)
Mann leta hai angraian... (Surayya)
Socha tha kya... (Surayya)
Kyun yaad aa rahi hai... (Surinder)
Main Dil mein dard basa lai... (Surayya)
Uran Kathole pe... (Zohra Bai & Shamshad)
Film Synopsis:
A love-triangle with reformist overtones set partly in Bombay. Impoverished hero Chander (Surendra) and rich heroine Lata (Noor Jehan) are childhood sweethearts separated when Lata's parents move to Bombay. Later Chander moves there when his rich friend Prakash (Zahoor Raja) finds him work in a musical instruments shop. By then, Lata has become a famous poetess going by the name of Renu and is engaged to Prakash. Lata's friend Basanti (Surayya) falls in love with Chander but he remains true to his childhood girl and walks away into the sunset (with Basanti running after him). The film deploys a strident rhetoric about class divisions, opposing poverty to eternal human(ist) values such as friendship and love. Languorous gesture and a romantically lit neo-classical decor are used to suggect femininity. (- Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema - Ashish Rajadhyaksha & Paul Willemen - New Revised Edition 1999 and thanks to Mr. Jamal Akbar) Dil (Urdu)
- Director: F.F.Hasnain
- Producer: Fazli Brothers Ltd (A Hasnain Production) (Bombay)
- Music:Zafar Khurshid
- Lyrics: Shams Lakhnawi, Syed Arsh Haidry & Razi Banarsi
- Actors: Noor Jehan, Abdullatif, Ghouri, A.M.Khan
Film Songs
Deke mujhe woh dard-e-jiggar...
Aai ghari suhani...
Aye Hawa ja ja...
Hamjoli (Urdu/Hindi)
- Director: Luqman, Ismaeel Meimon
- Producer: K. Abdullah Productions
- Music: Hafiz Khan
- Lyrics: Anjum Peeli Bheeti
- Actors: Noor Jehan, J. Raaj, Jallo Bai, Ghulam Mohammad, Zeenat Begum
Awaz de kahan hai..? Anmol Ghari was another all time best film for Madam Noor Jehan, she sung her evergreen sang "Awaz de kahan hai..?" with Surinder. All five songs by Noor Jehan were super hit. Another famous singer, Surayya played a side role in Anmol Ghari, it was a great box office hit by director Mehboob.
Mian jee ko charh geya bukhar (with Shamshad Begum)
Jawani kya kehti hai (with Shamshad Begum, Zohra Bai)
Khayegi thokren yeh jawani (with G.M.Durrani)
Jugnu (Urdu)
- Director: Syed Shoukat Hussain Rizvi
- Producer: Shaukat Art Production (Bombay)
- Music: Feroz Nizami & G. A. Chishti
- Lyrcis: Nakhshab, Shari Bhopali, Asghar Sarhadi & Adeeb Saharn Puri
- Actors: Noor Jehan, Dillip Kumar, Salochna, Ghulam Mohammad, Mohammad Rafi
Film Songs
Yahan badla wafa ka bewafai ke siwa kaya hai (with Mohammad Rafi)
Aaj ki raat saze-dile-pudard na chher (Music:G.A.Chishti)
Hamein to sham-e-gham mein katni hai zindgi apni
Tum bhi bhula do main bhi bhula doon
Umangein dil ki machleen
Woh apne yaad dilane ko... (Mohammad Rafi & Co.)
Desh ke pur kaif... (Roshan Ara Begum)
Lot jawani phir nahin aani ... (Shamshad Begum)
The Glorious career
in Bombay over...
Jugnu was the last big film, which was released before partition, it was first super hit film for Dillip Kumar, the acting legend.
Noor Jehan as Heroine & Singer in Pakistan (1951-61)
1951-61
Noor Jehan in her last super hit musical film "Koel" (1959).
Success continued
in Pakistan
Madam Noor Jehan migrated to her native country Pakistan and left behind a remarkable film and singing career in Bombay. She had another successful run with acting and singing and also became the first female director in Pakistan. She was also the first actress to won the Best Actresses Award (President Awards in 1956) in Pakistan. She was awarded "Pride of Performance" and was officially recognized as "Melody Queen" by The Government of Pakistan.
Melody Queen Madam Noor Jehan as Playback Singer (1958-200?)
1958-200?
Noor Jehan passed away on 23rd Dec. 2000
The Last Journey of Madam Noor Jehan in the Night of Lailat-ul-Qadar! (27th Ramadan). She was buried in Karachi where she was under treatment..
The grave of Madam Noor Jehan in Karachi. Pakistan Film Magazine's
Urdu/Punjabi website on
Madam Noor Jehan
Undisputed Melody Queen
Madam Noor Jehan sang almost 40 years as Playback Singer for Pakistani films. She was the only singer in the history, who was a demand of box office. Madam Noor Jehan was undefeated playback singer since her first film "Salma" (1960) till her sickness in 1998. Her last super hit song "Ki damm da bhrosa yaar, damm aawe na aawe..." was in film "Sakhi Badshah" in 1996.
Ustad Ghulam Mohammad, who instructed her in classical music.
G. A. Chishti
During her stay in Calcutta, Madam Noor Jehan met her ideal singer Mukhtar Begum, who was a famous stage singer in the 30s and also the wife of the legendry Urdu Drama Writer Agha Hashar Kashmiri (1879-1935). She encouraged her and recommended Allah Wasai to her husband's Maidan Theatre and here she got the name of "Baby Noor Jehan". 
After the great success of film "Khandan", Madam Noor Jehan and Rizvi were invited to Bombay, which was (and still is) the main film centre in India. It could be an unique record, that she simultaneously was successful in all three main film centres of the sub-continent, Bombay, Calcutta and Lahore...! 
Anmol Ghari was another all time best film for Madam Noor Jehan, she sung her evergreen sang "Awaz de kahan hai..?" with Surinder. All five songs by Noor Jehan were super hit. Another famous singer, Surayya played a side role in Anmol Ghari, it was a great box office hit by director Mehboob.
