Mirza Ghalib
About Mirza Ghalib
At a mushaira in Bahadur Shah Zafar's Delhi, Ghalib reads his ghazals flat and walks out when the court applauds Zauq instead. On the road he hears Moti Begum, daughter of a retired tawaif, singing his own lines. He calls her Chaudhvin. She does not know his face, so he runs Ghalib down until she puts him out of the house. Kotwal Hashmat Khan then offers her mother 2,000 rupees for a marriage Moti refuses. Ghalib, already married to Umrao Begum and in debt to the moneylender Mathuradas, tries to raise that sum at the gambling table. The kotwal turns the refusal into a campaign against him, in a Delhi where the British Resident already holds the emperor's power.
Cast & crew
More about Mirza Ghalib
Sohrab Modi produced and directed at Minerva Movietone. Saadat Hasan Manto wrote the story, J. K. Nanda the screenplay, and Rajinder Singh Bedi the dialogue. V. Avadhoot photographed. D. Shirdhankar and P. Balachandran edited. Rusi K. Banker designed the sets. It opened on 10 December 1954.
Themes
Background
The episode is set in the last Mughal court, with Bahadur Shah Zafar still hosting mushairas while a British Resident holds the real authority in Delhi.
Audiences
At a screening in Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru told Suraiya, "You have brought back Ghalib to life."
Look
V. Avadhoot photographed the film in black and white.
Music
Ghulam Mohammed set ghazals by Ghalib. Shakeel Badayuni supplied some additional lines. Suraiya sings on her own track, including "Dil-e-nadaan tujhe hua kya hai."
Notes
- Bharat Bhushan plays Ghalib. Suraiya plays Moti, whom he renames Chaudhvin, and she sings her own songs.
- Nigar Sultana plays his wife Umrao Begum. Durga Khote plays Moti's mother. Ulhas plays Kotwal Hashmat Khan.
- Iftekhar plays Bahadur Shah Zafar. Murad plays Mufti Sadruddin. Mukri plays Lala Mathuradas.
- Moti's messenger starts for Ghalib's house on a Tuesday, stops in a wine shop, and arrives on Thursday.
- After Chaudhvin attempts suicide, her mother returns the kotwal's bride-price and calls the match off.
- It was the fourth-highest grossing Hindi film of 1954. No rupee total is printed with that ranking.
Awards
- President's Gold Medal for the All India Best Feature Film, 2nd National Film Awards (films of 1954)
- President's Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Hindi, 2nd National Film Awards (films of 1954)
- Filmfare Award for Best Art Direction, black and white — Rusi K. Banker
Scenes
- Ghalib reads instead of singing, and walks out of Zafar's mushaira.
- He knocks at Moti's door, praises her, and insults Ghalib until she drives him off.
- The kotwal hands her a transcript and tells her the guest was Ghalib.
- He tries to win 2,000 rupees at gambling before Hashmat Khan's wedding date.
Also available
- Wikimedia Commons (Mirza Ghalib (1954).webm)
Quotes
Dil-e-nadaan tujhe hua kya hai
