Bunny Reuben’s Mehboob Khan – The First Biography is an engaging book. It takes an objective view of
Mehboob Khan, the maker of classics like
Aurat
(
Sardar Akhtar),
Andaz (
Dilip Kumar,
Raj Kapoor, and
Nargis),
Aan (
Dilip Kumar and
Nadira) and
Mother India (
Nargis,
Sunil Dutt,
Raj Kumar, and
Rajendra Kumar) who is often compared to
Cecil D’mile. Just as
Sir Donald Bradman had compared
Sachin Tendulkar to himself, Cecil D’mile felt a similar kinship with Mehboob Khan.
The book amazes you no end with anecdotes and tidbits which Bunny Reuben (an eminent film journalist) recounts in his inimitable style.
Mehboob’s is a rag to riches story. The son of a small time shopkeeper in Baroda, Mehboob started as junior artiste in a film studio before becoming a director in the same company. After quite a few money-spinners he launched Mehboob Khan Productions with
Aurat, starring his future wife Sardar Akhtar. His last film
Son of India may have been a financial as well as critical disaster, but his
Mother India, a remake of
Aurat, catapulted him to the world stage. It was the first film from India to have earned a nomination at the
Oscars.
Mehboob Khan – The First Biography is enthralling not because of the way it narrates the story of its protagonist, but the manner in which the author manages to recreate the many, multi-dimensional relationships of the legendary filmmaker.
Mehboob’s assistant
Mehresh is discussed at length. Mehresh was a highly educated individual and Mehboob, being an illiterate liked being in the company of such people. He held Mehresh in high esteem and had promised him
Amar (
Dilip Kumar,
Madhubala, and
Nimmi), but ended up directing the movie himself. Mehresh was ultimately given
Paisa Hi Paisa (
Kishore Kumar,
Kum Kum), a B-grade production designed as a quickie. Mehboob shared similar love-hate relationships with music composer
Anil Biswas, writer
Asghar Wajahat Mirza, and actors
Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar.
Dilip Kumar was in many ways Mehboob’s blue-eyed boy. But the two fell apart professionally when Mehboob started Mother India with Sunil Dutt in Birju’s role and not Dilip, even though the latter had been promised the errant son’s role.
Raj Kapoor was Mehboob’s rival in more ways than one. Not only had he taken the script of Awara right from under Mehboob’s nose, but also ‘Baby’ (Nargis as she was called by Mehboob Khan).
The book highlights some facts that I was not at all aware of:
· Sardar Akhtar was Mehboob’s second wife
· Raj Kapoor usually had bread, butter (Polson) and bananas for lunch while shooting
· Aan was the first Indian film to be premiered at London
· Mehboob Khan was an ardent admirer of Jawaharlal Nehru. He had declared, “Nehru tu mera Mehboob hai.”
· Mehboob died a few hours after Pandit Nehru’s demise.
Mehboob Khan – The First Biography is amazing also because of the fact that the author tries not to paint his subject in white. Strokes of grey are prominent. If Mehboob was a great filmmaker with a grand vision, a gregarious Good Samaritan, then he also possessed a great ego and an equally powerful libido to boot.
Mehboob Khan was a great patriot. And thus he made
Son of India as a tribute to
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Mehboob Khan was a megalomaniac. And thus he made
Son of India as a tribute to his over-sized ego, against all well-meaning advice.
Mehboob Khan – The First Biography is a fitting tribute to one of the most colorful and larger than life personalities of filmdom, that apart from the fact that he is rated as one of India’s greatest ever film directors. Bunny Reuben adopts a middle-path between objectivity and sentimentalism and comes up with a style that is delightfully Bunny Reuben. Perfect for students and teachers of Hindi cinema.