Anarkali (1958 film)

Anarkali is a 1958 Pakistani historical drama film, directed by Anwar Kamal Pasha and starring Noor Jehan and Sudhir in lead roles. Based on the Urdu play of the same name by Imtiaz Ali Taj, the screenplay is written by Qamar Ajnalvi. The film revolves around the love of Jahangir for a slave girl, Anarkali, which creates a serious conflict between Prince Jahangir and his father, Mughal emperor Akbar. The film was released on 4 June 1958, and its performance was 'average' at the box office.

Anarkali
Directed by	Anwar Kamal Pasha
Screenplay by	Qamar Ajnalvi
Story by	Imtiaz Ali Taj
Based on	Anārkalī by Imtiaz Ali Taj
Produced by	Mukhtar Ahmed
Starring	Noor Jehan Sudhir Himalaya Wala Bibbo Shamim Ara Ragni Asha Posley
Music by	Rashid Attre Master Inayat Hussain
Production company	Nigar Pictures
Release date	4 June 1958 (1958-06-04)
Running time	~ 2 hours
Country	Pakistan
Language	Urdu

Made with a budget of high production, the film is usually compared with the landmark Bollywood film, Mughal-e-Azam ,which was also based on the same play.The film was praised for its music, which was composed by Master Inayat Hussain and Rashid Attre.^[1] At the Nigar Awards ceremony in 1958, it won two awards:Best Lyricist for Qateel Shifai and Best Playback Singer for Noor Jehan.

Cast

• Noor Jehan as Nadira/ Anarkali^[2][1]
• Sudhir as Prince Salim^[2][1]
• Himalaya Wala^[2][1] as Emperor Jalal-u-Din Mohammad Akbar
• Shamim Ara as Suraiya
• Ragni as Dilaram^[2][1]
• Zohra Mirza as Jodha Bai
• M. Ajmal as Abu'l Fazl
• Fazal Haq^[1] as Daroga
• Bibbo as Begum
• G.N. Butt as Man Singh
• Asha Posley as Maharani
• Zarif as Prince Salim's friend^[3][1]

Soundtrack

Anarkali

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Singer (s)[2][4]	Length
1.	"Sadaa Hoon Apney Pyar Ki[1]"	Qateel Shifai	Rashid Attre	Noor Jehan
2.	"Jaltey Haeen Armaan Mera Dil Rota Hai"	Tanvir Naqvi	Rashid Attre	Noor Jehan
3.	"Kahan Tak Suno Gey Kahan Tak Sunaoon"	Tanvir Naqvi	Rashid Attre	Noor Jehan
4.	"O Beewafa Hum Na Bhooley Tujhey"	Saifuddin Saif	Master Inayat Hussain	Noor Jehan
5.	"Phir Jo Nigah-e-Yar Kahe, Maan Jaaiye"	Qateel Shifai	Master Inayat Hussain

Release

The film was released on 4 June 1958. Its performance was rated as average at the box office, and it had a theatrical run for 18 weeks in Karachi cinemas.

Production

Imtiaz Ali Taj's Anārkalī was adapted as a screenplay by director Anwar Kamal Pasha for the film Anarkali.^[3] In the 1940s, Mohammad Afzal, better known by his stage name Himalaya Wala, was selected to play the character of Salim's Rajput friend, Durjan Singh, in K. Asif adaptation of Taj's play (Mughal-e-Azam), but due to political turmoil and the worst conditions in the country that led to the independence of Pakistan, the project was halted, and he went on to star in Anarkali after he migrated to Pakistan.^[5]

The film is compared with the landmark Bollywood film Mughal-e-Azam, which was also based on the same play by Taj and broke all the box office records but Anarkali could not perform remarkably at the box office and had low a production budget in comparison to its rival.^[6]

Reception

Film analysts criticized the casting of Noor Jehan as Anarkali, as Jehan was in her 30s by then and chubby at that time, nowhere resembled a young, pretty female servant as is portrayed in the novel. The film music was however praised.^[2][6]

Awards and nominations

Nigar Awards

• Best Lyricist - Qateel Shifai^[7]
• Best Playback Singer - Noor Jehan