Nasir Hussain - the springtide of Indian cinema.
- March 12, 2022
- By archana chauhan
- 2 Comments
मधुरेण समापयेत् ।
End it up with sweetness. This is one of the sweetest message our vaidik culture has conveyed to the world. This is not just a small 'सुक्त' - quote but the way of living to follow in every walks of life. At the end, let it be mellow, let it be melodic, let it be sweet. The thought itself has been emerged from our own soil, so it always appeals us more whenever being practiced. Be it our food or our films, we love it when ended mellifluously. And perhaps that's why we all loved almost all Nasir Husain films - Tumsa Nahi Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hun, Teesri Manzil, Pyar Ka Mausam, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, Zamane ko dikhana hai.. all..
Let the critics tell his stories repetitive, but the way he presented them was most intriguing. Simple sagas of lost and found, meeting of the departed, sulking and coaxing were never so fascinating and captivating than they were portrayed in Nasir Hussain films. He very well knew what to add in a perfect feast. All the spices - tastes for different masses. Little this and little that. And then a 'desserted' end. For example, take one of his most celebrated movie Yaadon Ki Baaraat.
Again his favourite storyline of lost and found with perfect blend of suspense, romance, action and emotions woven with quite mesmerizing cords of melodious soundtrack by none other than R D Burman. Nasir Hussain was one the greatest MasterChef whom we can call the initiator of masala movies in Bollywood. He was a trendsetter. A director with a keen ken of the penchant of people. And that's why he ruled. He ruled the silver screen for almost over three decades with his 14 scintillating smashers.
Nasir Hussain Khan was born in Bhopal. He was the fourth of 5 children born to Jaffer Hussain Khan - a history teacher and his wife Aamna. Films or theatrical work was never in the good book of his orthodox family and still adolescent Nasir Hussain started working in skits performed locally. In his teens only he lost his father which allowed him to pursue his interest in performing arts. Also he was an ardent reader. As soon as he shifted to Lucknow for his graduation, he started writing short stories and radio plays and also performed in some of them.
In 1948, Nasir Hussain moved to Mumbai to chase his dreams. First he met well known film producer Sashdhar Mukherjee (Joy Mukherjee's father) and told him about his writing credentials. Sashadhar Mukherjee hired him as a writer for his Filmistan studio. After co-writing some movies with Qamar Jalalabadi, Nasir Hussain registered his first huge hit 'Anarkali' in 1953 as a writer. But he got noticed widely for his sweet rom-coms Munimji (1955) and Paying Guest (1957). During the shoots of Munimji, he met an assistant choreographer named Margaret francina Lewis. Nasir Hussain lost his heart to her and received hers in return. Both tied a knot and Margaret became Ayesha Khan after getting married with Nasir Hussain.
1957 brought all the amens for Nasir Hussain together. Producer S. Mukherji gave him the direction also of Tumsa Nahi Dekha besides writing it. This light musical comedy proved itself a big hit which established actor Shammi Kapoor as a star and cemented Nasir Hussain's career as writer and director. Shammi Kapoor and Nasir Hussain once again worked together in Filmistan's next venture Dil Deke Dekho. By this film only, Bollywood got its popular female music director Usha Khanna and its credit remains to Nasir Hussain.
In Dil Deke Dekho, Shammi Kapoor was paired with a pretty Gujju girl Asha Parekh who was once a child artist. And with this film, a beautiful bonding started between director and actress which lasted professionally for his 6 next films and personally for decades, or say lifetime. Nasir Hussain however, fell in love with Asha Parekh and so did she. So deeply.
The duo never got married though as Asha Parekh never wanted to be labelled as a home breaker. She never got married with anyone else too. In 2017, her biography 'The hit girl' launched wherein she has admitted that Nasir Hussain was the only man she ever loved.
1961 was the year when Nasir Hussain setup Nasir Hussain films and turned to be a producer/ director with Dev Anand and Asha Parekh starrer musical movie Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai. Huge success of this movie was followed by another big hit Phir Wohi Dil Laya hun. Nasir Hussain gripped his favourite form of story and cultivated it in different ways for different films. A happy-go-lucky hero woes his lady love, sings beautiful songs with her, fights with villain and at the end - "मधुरेण समापयेत्।" Yeah, always a happy ending with an exception of Baharon Ke Sapne. People loved his breezy style, beautiful plots and utterly melodious soundtracks. Film by film, Nasir Hussain proved himself not only the master in matching the expectations of audiences but also set benchmarks for the whole legion of directors to follow.
Teesri Manzil. 1966. Nasir Hussain wanted to write and direct the film himself. But in a film party, Dev Anand, who was to become the hero of the film, had an alteration with him and Nasir Hussain offered the direction of the film to Vijay Anand with the condition that the hero too will be replaced. Shammi Kapoor was lucky to get signed for this blockbuster hit. With Teesri Manzil, quite a magical and magnificent collaboration was started which completely changed the scenario of Hindi film music. R D Burman and Nasir Hussain.
Soundtrack of Teesri Manzil was a smashing hit. And after that, the duo worked together in Nasir Hussain's eight next films - Baharon Ke Sapne, Pyar Ka Mausam, Caravan, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Hum Kisise Kum Nahin, Zamane ko dikhana hai, Manzil Manzil and Zabardast.
One more such awesome association was of Nasir Hussain and lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri which was started in 1957 with Filmistan's Paying guest wherein Nasir Hussain was the writer and majrooh Sultanpuri was the lyricist. Both of them worked together for ten movies. Needless to say, his most special partnerships was with Asha Parekh who worked in total eight of his films but also it would be interesting to notice that there was one more actor too who appeared in total eight Nasir Hussain films. Comedian Rajendra Nath!
Despite having immensely beautiful soundtrack and awesome screenplays and performances, Baharon Ke Sapne could not earn well on box office, but Nasir Hussain bounced back with his breezy musical hit Pyar Ka Mausam (1969). Its huge success was followed by the runaway hit Caravan(1971) and the cult Yaadon Ki Baaraat(1973). In the same year came Aangan which went comparatively dull but again success stroke with Hum Kisise Kum Nahin (1977).
In 1981 Nasir Hussain directed his first flop film Hum Kisise Kum Nahin. Wonderfully vibrant Rishi Kapoor, pretty presence of Padmini kolhapure or superb soundtrack by R D Burman, neither of them could prevent the fall and the film tanked badly. Failure continued itself with two more films - Manzil Manzil(1984) and then Zabardast(1985) which turned out to be his last directorial venture. Later he wrote and produced Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar which were directed by his son Mansoor Khan.
This legendary craftsman of many cute and also cult movies was not much in action in his terminal year. He breathed his last on 13th March, 2002 and lived forever in the loving memories of masses till date with his stellar creations. Nasir Hussain was an era himself. He has gifted abundant golden moments to our slacken, soften and sentimental selves to flow with the tum bin jaun kahan and tumne mujhe dekha hokar meherban... To love with aaja piya tohe pyar doon and chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko... We cried with aanchal mein saja lena kaliyan and na ja o mere humdum... and had a glide with ni sultana re and dekhiye sahibon woh koi aur thi.
Many more magical melodies are gushing to be penned out but stopping with the one on the name of Nasir Husain :
Jal uthe sau diye..
jab liya tera naam...
Yeah, मधुरेण समापयेत्।
What else could be sweeter, lovelier than this!!
