Syed Amir Haider Kamal Naqvi (17 January 1918 – 11 February 1993), popularly known as Kamal Amrohi, was an

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

film director and screenwriter. He was also an

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Hindi Hindi ( Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been ...

poet. His Hindi films include '' Mahal'' (1949), ''

Pakeezah ''Pakeezah'' (; ) is a 1972 Indian Hindustani language, Hindustani-language Musical film, musical romantic drama film that was written, directed, and produced by Kamal Amrohi. The film stars Ashok Kumar, Meena Kumari, and Raaj Kumar. It tells ...

'' (1972) and '' Razia Sultan'' (1983). He established Kamal Pictures (Mahal Films) in 1953 and Kamalistan Studio in Bombay in 1958.

Early life

Kamal Amrohi was born in

Amroha Amroha is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. It is located north-west of Moradabad, near the Ganga River. It is the administrative headquarters of the Amroha district. Geography Amroha is located north-west of Moradabad, near th ...

, United Provinces in British India (present-day

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

) and later took on the name Kamal Amrohi (or Amrohvi). He was a first cousin to Pakistani writers

Jaun Elia Syed Hussain Sibt-e-Asghar Naqvi, commonly known as Jaun Elia ( ur, , 14 December 1931 – 8 November 2002), was an Indo-Pakistani poet, philosopher, biographer, and scholar. One of the most prominent modern Urdu poets, popular for his unconve ...

and

Rais Amrohvi Rais Amrohvi ( ur, ), whose real name was Syed Muhammad Mehdi (1914-1988) was a Pakistani scholar, Urdu poet, paranormal investigator, and psychoanalyst and elder brother of Jaun Elia. He was known for his style of qatanigari (quatrain writ ...

Career

In 1938, he left Amroha to study in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

, now part of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

, where singer

K. L. Saigal Kundan Lal Saigal, often abbreviated as K. L. Saigal (11 April 1904 – 18 January 1947), was an Indian singer and actor who is considered the first superstar of the Hindi film industry, which was centred in Kolkata during Saigal's time, but is ...

discovered him and took him to Mumbai (Bombay) to work for

Sohrab Modi Sohrab Merwanji Modi (2 November 1897 – 28 January 1984) was an Indian stage and film actor, director and producer. His films include ''Khoon Ka Khoon'' (1935), a version of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'', '' Sikandar'', ''Pukar'', ''Prithvi Va ...

's Minerva Movietone film company, where he started his career working on films like ''Jailor'' (1938), ''Pukar'' (1939), ''Bharosa'' (1940), A. R. Kardar's film (Shahjehan 1946). He made his debut as a director in 1949, with '' Mahal'', starring

Madhubala Madhubala (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi; 14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969) was an Indian actress and producer who worked in Hindi-language films. She ranked as one of the highest-paid entertainers in India in the post-independence era, ...

and

Ashok Kumar Kumudlal Ganguly (13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), better known by his stage name Ashok Kumar and also by Dadamoni, was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema and who was a member of the cinematic Ganguly family. He ...

, which was a musical hit, with songs by

Lata Mangeshkar Lata Mangeshkar () (born as Hema Mangeshkar; 28 September 1929 – 06 February 2022) was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been the greatest and most influential singers in India. Her con ...

and

Rajkumari Dubey Rajkumari Dubey (1924 – 2000), better known by her first name, Rajkumari, was an Indian playback singer who worked in Hindi cinema of 1930s and 1940s. Best known for her songs, "Sun Bairi Baalam Sach Bol Re" in ''Bawre Nain'' (1950), "Gha ...

. He directed only four films; of these were '' Mahal'' (1949) for

Bombay Talkies Bombay Talkies was a movie studio founded in 1934. During its period of operation, Bombay Talkies produced 40 movies in Malad, a suburb of the Indian city of Bombay. The studio was established in 1934 by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. After R ...

, ''

Daaera ''Daaera'' () is a 1953 Indian film written and directed by Kamal Amrohi, starring Meena Kumari and Nasir Khan. It was released at Bombay's Naaz cinema. Its story is loosely based on Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari's own love story. Plot One nigh ...

'' (1953) with Meena Kumari and Nasir Khan, ''

'', which was conceived in 1958 but was not brought to the screen until 1972. He also wrote the screenplay, lyrics and produced the latter. Film ''Pakeezah'' (1972) has been called one of the extraordinary musical melodramas ever made in India, although flawed but noble. Meena Kumari herself, in her public comments to the press, after seeing the movie, said that it was Kamal Amrohi's tribute to her. This was followed by '' Razia Sultan'' (1983), his last film. Though, he started a film, ''Majnoon'' with Rajesh Khanna and

Rakhee Gulzar Raakhee Gulzar (born Rakhee Majumdar on 15 August 1947 and known as Raakhee) is an Indian actress who has appeared in many Hindi films and Bengali films as well. In four decades of acting, she has won three Filmfare Awards and one National Film ...

as leads, however the film got shelved. He wrote scripts for the movies made by

Abdul Rashid Kardar Abdur Rashid Kardar (1904–1989) was an Indian film actor, director and producer. He is credited with establishing the film industry in the Bhati Gate locality of Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan).K. Asif.Writer, Poet and Director
Profile at webindia123 website, Retrieved 26 March 2018 He was one of the four dialogue writers for the latter's famous 1960 movie, ''

Mughal-e-Azam ''Mughal-e-Azam'' () is a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film produced and directed by K. Asif. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote, it follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (who went ...

'', for which he won the

Filmfare Award The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...

. As a director, he developed a style that combined a stylised direction with minimalist performances. This style was different from the one with expressive acting that was common in Indian cinema of his period. In 1958, he started Kamaal Studios for his banner Mahal Films, though it closed down after three years and later changed hands to become Natraj Studios. It was mentioned that the last movie he wanted to make was called ''Aakhri Mughal''. He had written a substantial portion of the script. But it went into oblivion after his death. Noted film maker J P Dutta was to revive the film in the late 1990s which was supposed to have been Abhishekh Bachchan's debut movie. But later Dutta scrapped the project. He was again planning to revive the film in 2007 after the debacle of his costume drama ''Umrao Jaan'' (2006) remake from the cult film from the 1980s.

Personal life

Amrohi married four times: His first wife was Bilkis Bano (who was a maid to

Nargis Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she made her screen debut in a minor role ...

's mother, Jaddan Bai). After her death, he married Sayeda Al-Zehra Mehmoodi, daughter of Jamal Hasan. She died on 9 April 1982. He met

Meena Kumari Meena Kumari (born Mahjabeen Bano; 1 August 1933 – 31 March 1972) was an Indian actress and poet, who worked in Hindi films. Popularly known as ''The Tragedy Queen'', she was active between 1939 and 1972. Kumari is widely considered one of ...

during the filming of ''

Tamasha Tamasha ( mr, तमाशा) is a traditional form of Marathi theatre, often with singing and dancing, widely performed by local or travelling theatre groups within the state of Maharashtra, India."Tamasha", in James R. Brandon and Martin Banham ...

''. Veteran actor

introduced them. They fell in love and married on 14 February 1952, on Valentine's Day in a much private ceremony. Only Amrohi's friend Baaqar Ali and Meena Kumari's younger sister Madhu were aware of this development. The couple then made '' Daera'' (1953 film), a film based on their love story, however the movie tanked at the box office. During the filming of '' Azaad'' in 1954, both of them planned another movie,

. The film went on studio floors by 1956, but as the craze of colour films increased, particularly after the release of ''

Mother India ''Mother India'' is a 1957 Indian epic drama film, directed by Mehboob Khan and starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. A remake of Khan's earlier film '' Aurat'' (1940), it is the story of a poverty-stricken village wom ...

'' (1957), the black & white scenes were re-shot to colour sequences. After the release of Guru Dutt's classic

Kaagaz Ke Phool ''Kaagaz Ke Phool'' () is a 1959 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film produced and directed by Guru Dutt, who also played the lead role in the film along with Waheeda Rehman. It is the first Indian film in CinemaScope and the last film of ...

(1959 film) which marked the arrival of Cinemascope technique, the film was again shot, this time in Cinemascope. By the 1960s,

was at the peak of her career which caused tensions between the couple and ultimately led to a mutual separation in March 1964. Film ''

'' got shelved. In March 1969, the film was revived with an ill

, (due to her alcoholism) in the lead. They lived together for a total of 11 years.

Raaj Kumar Raaj Kumar (born Kulbhushan Pandit; 8 October 1926 3 July 1996) was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi films. He appeared in the Oscar-nominated 1957 film '' Mother India'' and starred in over 70 Hindi films in a career that spanned over fo ...

was roped in, as by that time,

- the original lead was too old to portray the hero of the film. ''

'' was released on 4 February 1972, 14 years after it first began. Unfortunately, it received a lukewarm response from the critics. Although the film received warm reception from the audience, it was

's untimely death on 31 March 1972 which acted as an ultimate push and made it one of the top grossers of that year. The film is now considered as a cult classic and has a status much similar to K. Asif's 1960 magnum opus, ''

Mughal-E-Azam ''Mughal-e-Azam'' () is a 1960 Indian epic historical drama film produced and directed by K. Asif. Starring Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Madhubala, and Durga Khote, it follows the love affair between Mughal Prince Salim (who went ...

''. Kamal Amrohi got married for the fourth time with his physician. During his last years, he used to regularly visit the hospital for minor ailments. There he met his fourth wife, who was actually his doctor. After the death of Mehmoodi in 1982, Amrohi felt lonely and in order to avoid being a burden on his children, he decided to get married, drawing sharp reactions from the media. Kamal Amrohi had three children with Mehmoodie: two sons, Shandaar and Taajdaar, both of whom worked with him in '' Razia Sultan'', and a daughter, Rukhsar Amrohi. He had no children with Bilkis Bano,

and his fourth wife. Shandaar died on 21 August 2011 in

Goa Goa () is a state on the southwestern coast of India within the Konkan region, geographically separated from the Deccan highlands by the Western Ghats. It is located between the Indian states of Maharashtra to the north and Karnataka to the ...

. He was laid to rest in

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...

the following day.

Kamal Amrohi Studios

Kamal Amrohi Studios (Kamalistan Studios) was established in 1958, spread over 15 acre, it is situated in

Jogeshwari Jogeshwari (Pronunciation: ͡ʒoɡeːʃʋəɾiː is a suburb located in the western part of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is notable for its caves - 'Jogeshwari Caves', particularly one containing a shrine of the Hindu Hindus (; ...

East, off

Jogeshwari – Vikhroli Link Road Jogeshwari (Pronunciation: ͡ʒoɡeːʃʋəɾiː is a suburb located in the western part of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It is notable for its caves - 'Jogeshwari Caves', particularly one containing a shrine of the Hindu Goddess Jogeshwari, L ...

in Mumbai. It continues to run, managed by Amrohi's son and daughter, Tajdar Amrohi & Rukhsar Amrohi; despite 2010 news reports of it being sold, and continued litigation thereafter. Over the years, it has been venues of films like '' Razia Sultan'' (1983) Kamal Amrohi's last film as a director, ''

Amar Akbar Anthony ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' is a 1977 Indian Hindi-language masala film directed and produced by Manmohan Desai and written by Kader Khan. The film stars an ensemble cast of Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Amitabh Bachchan, Neetu Singh, Parveen Babi, ...

'' (1977) and ''

Kaalia ''Kaalia'' is a 1981 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film, written and directed by Tinnu Anand, and produced by Iqbal Singh. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan (in the title role), Parveen Babi, Asha Parekh, Kader Khan, Pran, Amjad Khan, ...

'' (1981), ''

Khalnayak ''Khal Nayak'' () is a 1993 Indian Hindi-language action crime film produced and directed by Subhash Ghai. The film's plot centers on the escape and attempted capture of criminal Ballu ( Sanjay Dutt as antihero) by Inspector Ram (Jackie Shrof ...

'' (1993), ''

Koyla ''Koyla'' ( Coal) is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed, co-written and produced by Rakesh Roshan, which stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Amrish Puri in lead roles, while Johnny Lever, Ashok Saraf, Salim Ghouse, D ...

'' (1997), and recently the first schedule of film, ''

Dabangg 2 ''Dabangg 2'' () is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language action comedy film co-produced with and directed by Arbaaz Khan in his directorial debut, who co-produced the film with Malaika Arora. Its story is set in Kanpur and written by Dilip Shukla. '' ...

'' was shot there in 2012, apart from the television shows are also shot at the complex.

Death and legacy

Amrohi died on 11 February 1993 in Mumbai, twenty one years after his wife

's death and ten years after making his last film, '' Razia Sultan'' (1983). He was buried next to

in Rehmatabad Qabristan, an Indian-Iranian graveyard in Mumbai. Kamal Amrohi's only daughter from his second wife, Mehmoodie, Rukhsaar Amrohi gave a newspaper interview describing her version of life-events, which she witnessed, between her father Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari.In the name of the father
Dawn (newspaper), Updated 30 March 2014, Retrieved 27 March 2018 In February 2022, Music label Saregama and actor Bilal Amrohi (grandson of Kamal Amrohi) announced a web series on the love story of Amrohi and Meena Kumari against the backdrop of making of the film ''

''. The series which will be helmed by Yoodlee films is expected to go on floors in 2023.

Filmography

Soundtrack

1998 Such a Long Journey (writer: "Thare Rahiyo")

Awards and recognition

* 1961:

Filmfare Award for Best Dialogue The Filmfare Best Dialogue Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. Here is a list of the award winners since 1958 and the films for which they won. Superlatives ;Most Awards *Gulzar – 4 * Rahi ...

: ''

'' (1960) * 1972: Nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Director for film ''

'' (1972).

References

External links

* website
Filmography of Kamal Amrohi on Complete Index To World Film (CITWF) website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amrohi, Kamal 1918 births 1993 deaths Urdu-language film directors Indian male screenwriters Indian Shia Muslims People from Amroha Hindi-language film directors 20th-century Indian film directors Film directors from Uttar Pradesh 20th-century Indian screenwriters Indian National Congress politicians from Uttar Pradesh 20th-century Indian male writers