on this day

Born Jan Mohammad Jani Babu, but better known as Jani Babu Qawwal, today we remember this popular qawwal and music director who passed away this day, 28 January in 2008. Born in 1935 in Hinganghat (Wardha), he is known for his work on Roti Kapda Aur Makaan (1974), Shankar Shambhu (1976), and Mastan Dada (1977). Among his popular songs are Mahangayi maar gayi and qawwalis like Khalli walli and Raat abhi baaki hai. Other films he rendered playback for include Jungle Princess (1958), Magic Carpet (1964), Char Dervesh (1964), Do Khiladi (1976), Mere Gharib Nawaz (1973), and Shirdi Ke Sai Baba (1977). Jani Babu also scored music for the film Noor Mahal (1965).

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An astounding fact about O P Nayyar was that he never learnt to read notations, yet spontaneously came up with some of the most unforgettable numbers in Hindi cinema history. Cinemaazi remembers the legend on his death anniversary.

A titanic figure of early talkies cinema and founder of Minerva Movietone, Sohrab Modi passed away on this day in 1984.

Suman Kalyanpur reached the peak of her career in the 60s, at a time when her duets with Mohammed Rafi were hugely successful. Today is her birth anniversary.

Image source: Beete Hue Din

One of the greatest Indian classical vocalists, Pandit Jasraj was born on this day in 1930. His work featured in films like Ladki Sahyadri Ki (1966), Birbal My Brother, Susman (1987) among others.

Image source: News18, The Telegraph India

Born on this day in 1914, Roop K Shorey made a series of successful films in the 1930s. He started out at Kamala Movietone, working in various capacities as lab assistant, cinematographer, editor and producer. With the coming of sound he ventured into direction with films like Majnu (1935), Tarzan Ki Beti (1938), Khooni Jadugar (1939), Dulla Bhatti (1940) and Himmat (1941). He made several newsreels for Information Films of India during the Second World War. Post-Partition, he founded Shorey Films in Bombay and made films like Ek Thi Ladki (1949), Dholak (1951), Ek Do Teen (1953), Main Shadi Karne Chala (1962) and Ek Thi Rita (1971). He attempted to break into the US market by making Ek Thi Rita in two languages. His wife Meena Shorey became famous for the 'Lara Lappa Girl'.

Jamuna or Jana Bai Rao acted in Telugu, Kannada, Tamil and Hindi films from the 1950s to the 1980s. Some of her famous Telugu movies include Missamma (1954), Bhagya Rekha (1957), Sati Anusuya (1957), Mooga Manusulu (1964)  and Pandanti Kapuram (1972). She reprised her role in Mooga Manusulu (1964) in the Hindi film Milan (1967). Her other well-known Hindi movies  are Miss Mary (1957), Ek Raaz (1963), Hamrahi (1963), Beti Bete (1964) and Rishte Naate (1965).

Considered one of the pillars of the Nayi Kahani movement in Hindi literature, Kamleshwar passed away on this day in 2007. Also involved with cinema, he wrote numerous scripts in 1970s, for acclaimed films like the dialogues for Sara Akash (1969), Barsaat Ki Ek Raat (1981), Souten (1983), the stories for Badnam Basti (1971), Aandhi (1975), Mausam (1975), Rang Birangi (1983), and scripts for films like The Burning Train (1979), Ram Balram (1980), Saajan Ki Saheli (1981), and many more. He received a Filmfare nomination for Mausam. He was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2005. Cinemaazi salutes him for his contributions. 

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It was an advertisement in the newspaper by Uday Shankar that led Sardar Malik to join the Indian Cultural Centre, inculcating in him a deep love for poetry, love and music. Soon after, he started receiving offers for composing music in films. Today is is death anniversary.

Today we remember Zia Sarhadi, known for his films that dealt with social issues, on the occasion of his death anniversary. Born in 1914 in Peshawar, he started off in the film industry writing the screenplay, dialogue and songs for Mehboob Khan’s, Deccan Queen (1936). He went on to act in the film Manmohan (1936), for which he also wrote the lyrics, story, screenplay and dialogue. Sarhadi wrote films such as Kal Ki Baat (1937), Sajan (1940), Ghalib ((1942), Badi Maa (1945), Anokha Pyar (1948), and Khel (1950) as well as the dialogues for Baiju Bawra (1952). Directing Abhilasha (1938), Humlog (1951), Foot Path (1953) and Awaz (1956), it was Humlog which achieved enormous success, while the others nevertheless made their mark in parallel cinema. Moving to Pakistan, he directed just a single film there—Rahguzar (1960), due to the political conditions at the time. Impacted by martial law, Sarhadii was charged with sedition and a tendency towards Marxism, and kept in solitary confinement. Leaving the country to settle in the UK, he worked on assignments for BBC. Zia Sarhadi passed away on 27 January, 1997 in Karachi.

Image Courtesy: The High Asia Herald

Best remembered for his iconic turn as Baiju Bawra in the 1952 film of the same name, Bharat Bhushan managed to carve a niche for himself in the film industry. Today is his death anniversary.

After appearing as a child artist in Dharam Veer (1977), Bobby Deol had his first lead role in the romance Barsaat (1995), which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He subsequently starred in the successful action thrillers Gupt (1997), Soldier (1998), Badal (2000), Bichhoo (2000), Ajnabee (2001) and Humraaz (2002).

Able to convey his villainy through soft-spoken words, Ajit (Hamid Ali Khan) was a rage after his iconic roles in Zanjeer (1973) and Kalicharan (1976). Today is his birth anniversary.

The man who introduced the world with Lata Mangeshkar’s angelic voice in 1942’s Pahili Mangalagaur was Dada Chandekar. Interested in music since an early age, he started working for Dinanath Mangeshkar’s drama company called Balwant and later joined Kolhapur Cinetone company as an independent musician. His first Hindi and Marathi film as a music director was Kalia Mardan (1933). Master Vinayak’s 1941 film Lagan Pahawe Karun’s music was composed by Dada Chandekar. He is known for films such as Brandi Ki Botal (1939), Ghar Ki Rani (1940), Amrit (1941), Main Tera Hoon (1947), and Sansar Maher (1954). He worked in All India Radio, Poona from 1964-75. He passed away on this day in 1976. Cinemaazi remembers him on his death anniversary.

The legendary director Mehboob Khan was auditioning newcomers for his new production. Arun too auditioned and he was offered the lead role in Sagar Movietone’s Ek Hi Raasta (1939). The film was successful and made him a star overnight. After this, he did Civil Marriage (1940), Bhole Bhale (1940), and Mehboob Khan’s Aurat (1940). In the next six years, he acted in about 25 films like Beti (1941), Holiday in Bombay (1941), Savera (1942), Return of Toofan Mail (1942), Shankar Parvati (1943), Andhera (1943), Caravan (1944), Amrapali (1945) and many more.