The undisputed Mallika-e-Tarrannum (Queen of Melody) , started her singing career at the age of 8 and sang more than 30,000 songs in Pakistani and Indian films. In India she started her carrer in 1935.
Life Span :
Date of birth (location) 1926, Kasur, Punjab, India
Date of death (details) 23 December 2000 Karachi, Pakistan. (heart failure)
Migrated to Pakistan in 1947.
Credited As:
Baby Noor Jahan / Madam Noor Jahan / Nur Jahan / Baby Noor Jehan / Nur Jehan / Noorjahan / Noorjehan / Nurjehan
A young Noor Jehan was brought to filmdom in "Sheila" by Krishna Dev Mehra--the father of Punjabi cinema. But it was popular filmmaker Dalsukh Pancholi who got her the STARDOM and the fame by making her a star overnight in the musical "Gul-e-Bakavali"in 1938. Noori, as she was called as a child, became famous overnight with her first film song "Shaala Jawanian Manen" in the movie "Gul-e-Bakavali,"which was composed by late Master Ghulam Haider, from Lahore. In another movie, the same composer's "Bas Bas Wey Dholna" acclaimed her instant popularity. From then on, there was no looking back for the precocious child, who was just 10 at the time.
1935: Her first film as child artist "Baby Noor Jahan" was Pind di Kurri (Punjabi)
1936: Missar ka Sitara (Urdu/Hindi)
Azaadi (Urdu/Hindi)
Mr. & Mrs. Bombay (Urdu/Hindi)
Imperial Mail (Urdu/Hindi)
Na hone wali baat (Urdu/Hindi)
Noor Jehan - Pakistan's undisputed Mallika-e-Tarrannum (Queen of Melody), died in Karachi on Dec. 23 at the age of 74. She sang thousands of songs over five decades in both Urdu and Punjabi. One of the most popular singers of the 20th century. Her ghazals and film songs enthralled everyone. Noor Jehan's voice represented the triumph of art over political issues as her songs were liked and appreciated even in INDIA crossing the borders of partition. Her first love was singing. As a child, she acted in a number of plays in Calcutta. Noor Jehan always sang to her own rhythm. Never to follow other's footsteps, she surpassed in the playback-dominated films.
She left behind a cultural legacy that can only be at par with Indian Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar ji. The two were very close friends.
The late composer Sajjad Husain, who shaped the early careers of both the divas, once said, "God created Noor Jehan and Lata Mangeshkar to sing. Then I do not know why he bothered to create any more women at all."
She also acted in several INDIAN movies before migration and these included family drama "Badi Maa" in 1945, in which Jehan played the lead while Mangeshkar was cast in a supporting role. In 1946, Mehboob Khan cast Jehan in the love triangle "Anmol Ghadi" which also featured Suraiya, another famous singer-actress.
In "Anmol Ghadi" Jehan sang some of her immortal songs including the famous "Awaaz De Kahan Hai" and "Jawan Hai Mohabbat."
In 1942, Noor Jehan acted in the megahit "Khandaan," which was directed by her first husband, Shaukat Husain Rizvi. She renewed her stardom in Pakistan after migration and continued to sing and act.
Later she divorced him to marry Ejaaz Husain. Her second marriage created a stir in the conservative circles of Pakistan since Husain was much younger than the superstar singer. Her second husband, Husain, did not want her on the screen and she acquiesced like a conventional housewife.She herself was not much interested in acting anyway. This decision provided a boost for her singing. She made her comeback debut as a playback singer in 1960 with the film Salma. Her first initial playback for a Pakistani film was for Jan-e-Bahar (1958). Now as a playback singer, she touched new heights with "Mousiqar" (1962), "Sawal" (1966), "Lakhon Mein Aik" (1967), "Mirza Jatt" (1967), "Dosti" (1971), "Naag Munni" (1972), "Heer Ranjha" (1970), "Sher Khan," "Sala Sahib" and "Chan Waryam" (1981), "Sholey" (1984), "Moula" Bakhsh" (1988) and the list goes endless........
Filmography Span:
As Actress
Jawani Zindabad (1990) (as Noorjahan)
Wafadaar (1985) (as Noorjahan)
Hulchul (1971) (as Nur Jahan)
Mere Huzoor (1968)
Zindagi Aur Khwab (1961)
Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) (as Noorjehan) ... aka Full Moon (UK) ... aka The Moon of the Fourteenth
Koel (1959) .... Zarina
Nai Kiran (1959) (as Noorjahan) ... aka Nave-Palvasha (Pakistan: Pushtu title)
Anarkali (1958)
Neend (1958) .... Sanwali
Intezar (1956)
Lakht-E-Jigar (1956)
Patay Khan (1955)
Gulnaar (1953)
Anarkali (1953) (as Nur Jehan)
Do Bigha Zamin (1953) (as Noorjahan) ... aka Do Bigha Zameen (India: Bengali title) ... aka Two Acres of Land
Dopatta (1952) (as Noorjahan)
Chanway (1951) (as Noorjahan)
Mela (1948) (as Nurjehan)
Do Bhai (1947) ... aka Two Brothers (International: English title)
Jugnu (1947)
Mirza Sahiban (1947)
Anmol Ghadi (1946) .... aka Precious Time
Badi Maa (1945)
Gaon Ki Gori (1945) ... aka Village Girl
Zeenat (1945)
Dost (1944)
Lal Haveli (1944)
Duhai (1943)
Nadaan (1943)
khandaan (1942)
Gul Bakaoli (1938) (as Baby Noor Jehan)
Sheila (1935) (as Baby Noor Jahan) ... aka Pind Ni Kuri
As Miscellaneous /Crew
Baghi Soormay (1993) (playback singer) (as Madam Noor Jahan)
Qaidi (1986) (playback singer)
Sholay (1984) (playback singer)
Ishq Pecha (1984) (playback singer)
Sona Chandi (1983) (playback singer)
Sahib Jee (1983) (playback singer)
Mastana Mahi (1971) (playback singer)
Dosti (1971) (playback singer) ... aka Friendship (International: English title)
Heer Raanjha (1970/II) (playback singer)
Rangeela (1970) (playback singer)
Andaleeb (1969) (playback singer)
Naajo (1969) (playback singer)
Ab Dilli Dur Nahin (1957) (playback singer)
Gulnaar (1953) (playback singer)
Dopatta (1952) (playback singer)
Dupatta (1952) (playback singer)
Chanway (1951) (playback singer)
Jugnu (1947) (playback singer)
Anmol Ghadi (1946) (playback singer) ... aka Precious Time
As Director
Chanway (1951) (as Noorjahan)
With a voice that enthralled the soul and a personality that won million of hearts on both the sides of the border, Noor Jehan is still alive and shall remain alive to be the Queen of Melody in the hearts and minds of her fans all over the world.
An Obituary and tribute to the undisputed Mallika-e-Tarrannum (Queen of Melody)------ NOOR JEHAN.....
Angie.
