Biography Mehboob Khan

[Rajeev Bhambri]

Menboob Khan
Born Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan
1907
Gujarat
Died 28 May 1964(1964-05-28)
Mumbai
Occupation Film director
Years active 1931 - 1962
Spouse Fatima (1st wife) and Sardar Akhtar (2nd wife)

Mehboob Khan (1907 – 28 May 1964) was a pioneer, producer-director of
Hindi cinema, best known for directing Mother India (1957), which won
the Filmfare Awards for Best Film and Best Director and was a nominee
for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[1] He set up his
production company, Mehboob Productions, and later a film studio, the
Mehboob Studios in Bandra, Mumbai in 1954.[2][3][4]

Early lifeKhan was born Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan in Bilimora, Gujarat
in Gandevi Taluka of Navsari District, Gujarat.[5]

CareerHe ran away from home to work small jobs in the studios of
Bombay. He started as an assistant in the silent era and an extra in
the studios of the Imperial Film Company of Ardeshir Irani, before
directing his first film, Judgement of Allah (1935), when he started
he started directing films for the Sagar Film Company. Directorial
features like Aurat followed, with the studios Sagar Movietone and
National Studios. In 1945, Khan set up his own production house,
Mehboob Productions.


Mehboob Studios courtyard set-up by Khan in 1954, Bandra (W),
MumbaiThroughout his career, Khan produced and directed many
blockbuster films, the most notable being the romantic drama Andaz
(1949), the swashbuckling Aan (1951), the dramatic Amar (1954) and the
social epic Mother India (1957), the latter of which was nominated for
an Academy Award in 1957 and was a remake of his own 1940 film Aurat.
He has directed 21 other films dating from the late 1930s. His earlier
works were in Urdu, but his later material, including Mother India,
were in Hindi although many say he utilized Hindustani, a friendlier
and softer spoken version of Hindi and Persian. Several of his films,
especially his earlier films Humayun, the story of a Mughal emperor
who ruled India, Anmol Ghadi and Taqdeer, in which he introduced
Nargis, who would later marry Sunil Dutt, were written by Aghajani
Kashmeri also Kashmiri and Agha Jani. Kashmeri was responsible for
picking and training Nargis in Hindustani and Urdu dialogue delivery.
His last film as a director was the 1962 film Son of India. He died in
1964 at the age of 57, and was buried at Badakabarastan in Marine
Lines, Mumbai. His death occurred the next day after the death of
Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India.

Khan introduced and helped establish the careers of many actors and
actresses who went onto become big stars in the 1950s and 1960s such
as Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar, Raaj Kumar,
Nargis, Nimmi and Nadira.

Khan was known for having been influenced by Hollywood films and his
films often featured lavish sets in the style of the Hollywood era at
that time. The oppression of the poor, class warfare and rural life
are recurring themes in his work. Mehboob Khan was awarded the title
of Hidayat Kar-e-Azam by the Indian government.

LegacyAs a part his birth centenary celebrations, the Indian postal
department released a commemorative stamp of Mehmood Khan at a
function held at the Mehboob Studios in September 2007.[6]

Filmography[edit] As a directorSon of India (1962)
A Handful of Grain (1959)
Mother India (1957)
Amar (1954)
Aan (1952)
Andaz (1949)
Anokhi Ada (1948)
Elan (1947)
Anmol Ghadi (1946)
Humayun (1945)
Najma (1943)
Taqdeer (1943)
Huma Gun Anmogaldi (1942)
Roti (1942)
Bahen (1941)
Alibaba (1940)
Aurat (1940)
Ek Hi Raasta (1939)
Hum Tum Aur Woh (1938)
Watan (1938)
Jagirdar (1937)
Deccan Queen (1936)
Manmohan (1936)
Judgement of Allah (1935)
As a producerMother India (1957)
Amar (1954)
Aan (1952)
Anokhi Ada (1948)
Anmol Ghadi (1946)
Zarina (1932)
As an actorZarina (1932)
Dilawar (1931)
Meri Jaan (1931)
As a writerWatan (1938) (story)
Judgement of Allah (1935) (story, screenplay)
AwardsNational Film Awards
1957 - All India Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film - Mother India[7]
1957 - Certificate of Merit for Second Best Feature Film in Hindi -
Mother India[7]


--
Rajeev Bhambri