The power of the biopic

The way Rajkumar Hirani’s latest film, Sanju - a biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt with Ranbir Kapoor starring in the titular role – is minting money on the box office, it surely is a sign for local filmmakers to shift their attention from routine films to biopics.

Although, Sanju seems more of an attempt to ‘dry-clean’ the dirt from the yesteryears of Bollywood legend Sanjay Dutt’s life, it failed to touch upon many issues.

In Pakistan, we have had many superstars, who have suffered as much as Dutt Jr.

Actor and producer Waheed Murad was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He entered the industry with a bang, ruled the hearts for over a decade but died a broken man.

The dashing Syed Ishrat Abbas, better known as Darpan, could not survive the changing times when a younger Muhammad Ali and Nadeem transformed the face of the industry in late sixties. However, the story of legendary actress Rani has all the flavors that a ‘screenplay’ of a successful film requires.

Born as Nasira in December 1946 in Lahore, she ruled millions of hearts for over two decades. A film on her life could have several characters, with the opening one going to Mukhtar Begum.

Rani was the daughter of the driver of the famous classical singer and actress of the pre-partition era. The elder sister of famous Ghazal singer Farida Khanum, Mukhtar was the one to have renamed Allah Wasai to baby ‘Noor Jehan’ when she was entering films. She even nurtured singer Naseem Begum to greatness in the fifties. With Nasira under her tutelage, Mukhtar first tried to make her a singer, but found her more receptive to performing arts.

Saeed Fazli, son of retired civil servant-turned-filmmaker Fazl Ahmed Karim Fazli, can be another character in the film as he guided Rani’s career on occasions.

As 83-year-old Fazli recalled from his home in Los Angeles, about their 1961 film Chiraagh Jalta Raha, “Mukhtar Begum brought her (Rani) to our house at a Baitul Ghazal in Karachi. She gave a dance performance and recited lines from an Agha Hashar play. I had already finalized Deeba for that particular role so I recommended her to Syed Kamal and Agha G.A. Gul.”

Nasira finally got her break in films in 1962 through G.A.Gul’s Mehboob, directed by Anwar Kamal Pasha. Her film name ‘Rani’, was given to her by none other than Mukhtar Begum.

Considered among the pioneers of the industry, Pasha had blockbusters like Inteqam, Qatil, Sarfarosh to his name. Unfortunately, giving break to Rani ‘broke’ him and none of his films worked in the aftermath. For bringing such a veteran down, she was labelled ‘jinxed’. Rani was then supported by Kamal. They appeared in several films including Kamal’s debut production, Joker. They became quite close during the shoot but Kamal married someone else.

Syed Kamal, a superstar of that time, could also serve as an anti-hero character during the first half. The interval point could be the moment when Joker flops in front of Armaan, which was the home production of another star-in-the-making, Waheed Murad.

Rani and Waheed’s first hit film together was Devar Bhabi in 1967, which was directed by Hasan Tariq, a protégé of Anwar Kamal Pasha. Rani may have worked with film star Shahid in most number of films but with Waheed, she worked for the longest. Shahid-Rani was the pair in several hits films by Hasan Tariq, namely Tehzeeb, Umrao Jan Ada, Ek Gunah Aur Sahi, Begum Jaan, Deedar and Surayya Bhopali. In some films, Waheed Murad was also added to the cast.

Waheed and Shahid can have important roles in the film, as the era of 1967-1987 would be incomplete without establishing them as superstars.

Hasan Tariq had faith in Rani’s abilities. To connect them, Fazli played his cards. “It was 1964 and actress Saloni was making her debut in Aisa Bhi Hota Ha and as per our contract, she could not accept any outside film until its release. Hasan had already shot some footage of Saloni for Punjabi film Phannay Khan and was afraid that if we went to court, he would be ruined. Rani was calling me every day for roles. With ABHH, I was introducing music director Nisar Bazmi. I thought of hitting two birds with one stone and Hasan and I agreed on a strange condition: sign Bazmi for three films and take Rani as the heroine,” remembered Saeed Fazli. Hasan Tariq was stunned by Rani’s performance in Anjuman and they got married afterwards.

An excellent dancer who had expressive eyes, there were many songs that are still indebted to Rani’s performances.

Naheed Akhtar’s ’Tha Yaqeen Ke Aaye Gi’ (Surayya Bhopali) and ‘Saawan Ke Din’ (Naag Aur Naagin), Mehnaz’s ‘Main Jis Din Bhula Doon’ (Khushboo) and ‘Yeh Mausam’ (Aas Paas), Runa Laila’s ‘Dil Dharkay’ (Anjuman), ‘Katay Na Katay’ (Umrao Jan Ada) and ‘Aaja Hum Kyun Rahain Akele’ (Tehzeeb) needed Rani on the screen for the desired result. Even Noor Jehan’s vocals were not enough for ‘Izhar Bhi Mushkil Hai’ (Anjuman) as Rani owned “Uff Allah, Hum Tu Kuch Keh Bhi Nahi Saktay” throughout the film.

After separating from Hasan Tariq in late seventies, with whom she had a daughter called Rabia, Rani married Mian Javed Qamar, a cinema owner from Faisalabad.

Although Mukhtar Begum and Hasan Tariq died in early 1982, that was the year when Rani was first diagnosed with cancer. Mian Javed left her after learning of the illness.

During treatment in London, she met famous-yet-controversial cricketer Sarfaraz Nawaz, who not only took care of her but later married the actress. Another character for the proposed ‘film’, Nawaz retired from cricket to enter politics. Rani managed his election campaign in 1985 and had him elected as an MPA. Had it not been for her, the ‘short-tempered’ cricketer would not have stood a chance.

In 1991 and 1992, she became one of the first heroines from big screens to shift to TV. Khwahish and later Faraib are still remembered because of her performance.

Rani’s sole purpose of life was to see her daughter get married, which happened in January 1992. Later that year, Sarfaraz Nawaz left her and things took a turn for the worse. Her cancer returned and her mother’s illness was in critical shape. Rani, after wrapping up the shoot of Faraib, came to Karachi for a regular check-up, but never returned. Her battle with cancer ultimately took her life and she died at Aga Khan Hospital on May 27 in the year 1993. With an ailing grandmother to look after, Rabia was requested by friends to stay back in Lahore, yet the media created an unnecessary controversy that no one came forward to claim Rani’s body. Sadly, Rani’s mother died 33 days later and was buried by Rani’s side in Lahore’s Muslim Town graveyard.

In the words of Rani’s daughter, Rabia Hasan, “My mother was a transcendent beauty with an unmatchable talent, who remains an enigmatic character even today.”

With the revival of Pakistani cinema happening, a story based on such incidents could do wonders for the industry and you never know, it could set the box office on fire, just like Rani used to.