"Mere Mahboob," or My Beloved, directed by Harman Singh Rawail, was a Muslim-social film released in 1963. The story revolves around two characters: Anwar Hussain Anwar, portrayed by the 34-year-old Rajendra Kumar from Sialkot, and Husna Bano, portrayed by the 22-year-old Sadhana Shivdasani, born in Karachi.
Both Anwar, a middle-class man and poet, and Husna, an aristocrat, were students at Aligarh Muslim University. During their last days at university, their paths crossed, and they found themselves smitten with love. Anwar, however, had only glimpsed Husna’s eyes, as she was veiled in a traditional burqa (the Indian version of an abaya), obscuring her face. Anwar’s best friend at the university, Bindadeen Rastogi (Johnny Walker), an upper-caste Hindu from an affluent background, suggested that he recite a poem at the farewell ceremony, hoping it might lead him to the girl he loved but had never seen.
After the ceremony, Husna came to meet him, but their encounter was interrupted by random individuals, and Husna quickly departed. Fate had it that they both hailed from Lucknow, the Muslim cultural capital of India. They found themselves travelling back to Lucknow on the same train, albeit in different compartments, as trains had segregated carriages for male and female passengers.
Upon arriving in Lucknow, Anwar sought employment, and his friend, Bindadeen, suggested he visit Nawab Buland Akhtar, Husna's Brother (Ashok Kumar), to request his influence in finding a job. Nawab Sahib warmly welcomed them and promptly arranged employment for Anwar as a magazine editor. On this occasion, he also requested that Anwar tutor his younger sister, Husna, in poetry. This opened the door for Anwar to make regular visits to Husna’s residence.
While Muslim society appears deeply stratified by class and status, the film pleasantly portrays a warm friendship between a Hindu and a Muslim man – Anwar and Bindadeen. A sense of nostalgia for a declining Muslim civilization pervades the film, something challenging to imagine in today’s India, where aversion towards the Muslim Mughal emperors has permeated national discourse.
Soon, they developed a close friendship, yet irony prevailed as they sat on opposite sides of a wooden partition, engaging in heartfelt conversations while Anwar remained unaware that she was the one he loved. On the very day Anwar moved into the house he had recently rented; he heard his poem being sung from a neighbouring house – the same poem he had recited at the farewell. Nothing could surprise Anwar more; it rather confirmed his belief that it was the same girl singing his poem, the one he loved dearly. He hurried to open the balcony door to catch a glimpse of her.
The irony deepened further at this point, rather painfully, as Jahan Ara (Ameeta) appeared in the window, the girl Husna was visiting. Anwar mistook Jahan Ara for Husna and began sending love signals to her from his balcony. However, soon after this, Anwar discovered the truth and closed the balcony door forever. Throughout all this, his friend, Bindadeen Rastogi, remained a constant source of support, while pursuing the love of his own life – a Punjabi girl from a middle-class family – someone his wealthy and avaricious father would never approve of.
This film evokes nostalgia for the glorious past of Muslim high culture in Northern India – a culture that is on the verge of disappearing. Nawab Buland Akhtar is heavily indebted, but maintains a lifestyle beyond his means. Anwar’s sister, Najma (Nimmi) is a stage artist, and she has distanced herself from Anwar due to the stigma associated with her profession, fearing it might tarnish her brother’s social image and career prospects. Another layer of irony is added to the story when we discover that Nawab Sahib loved Najma, but couldn’t make their relationship public for the same reason – her unacceptable social position.
While Muslim society appears deeply stratified by class and status, the film pleasantly portrays a warm friendship between a Hindu and a Muslim man – Anwar and Bindadeen. A sense of nostalgia for a declining Muslim civilization pervades the film, something challenging to imagine in today’s India, where aversion towards the Muslim Mughal emperors has permeated national discourse.
Jinnah had opposed Gandhi’s support of the Khilafat Movement, arguing that it would introduce religion into the political discourse of India. Ironically, Gandhi created a secular India, while Jinnah’s Pakistan became a Muslim state – quite contrary to their original political positions.
It is notable that the film is directed by a Hindu filmmaker, and both lead roles are played by Hindu actors, yet it exhibits a sense of respect and nostalgia for high Muslim culture in every aspect. The film is adorned with the poetry of the famous Muslim poet, Shakeel Badayuni, in songs composed by Muslim music composer, Naushad Ali, who was bestowed with the title of Mosiqaar-e-Azam or the Great Maestro, after his iconic music for one of the greatest hits from Indian cinema, “Mughal-e-Azam'' or The Great Mughal (Akbar), directed by K. Asif. The lofty use of idioms in Shakeel Badayuni’s poetry conveys a deep sense of refinement of Muslim culture in North India, where Urdu language and poetry flourished. Similarly, Naushad Ali’s compositions and background scores reflect the style of music developed under the patronage of Muslim kings, adorned with the vocals of yet another Muslim artist, Mohammad Rafi.
Harman Singh Rawail’s selection of both Muslim and Hindu actors, lyricist, music composer, and vocalists serves as a testament to the mutual respect among the various communities in Jawaharlal Nehru’s India during the 1960s. Other films from the same era exhibit nostalgia and sometimes anger about the Partition of India in 1947. Films made in India during that period seemed obsessed with this notion and made a conscious effort to portray a close and warm relationship between Hindus and other communities, particularly Muslims. It was a way of making a statement against the very idea of Partition on communal and religious grounds. However, this appears to be a thing of the past, as today’s India, led by Modi Ji’s BJP, has colored the nation saffron with the ideology of Hindutva – a virulent Hindu nationalism. India no longer appears to be a secular state , an idea it once boasted about to disprove the Partition and hence the Two Nation Theory - the theory of communal difference that was the reason for the Partition.
Jinnah had opposed Gandhi’s support of the Khilafat Movement, arguing that it would introduce religion into the political discourse of India. Ironically, Gandhi created a secular India, while Jinnah’s Pakistan became a Muslim state – quite contrary to their original political positions. Seventy-six years later, Jinnah’s Pakistan seems ready to revisit the role of religion in political and state affairs, while Gandhi’s India appears to be dominated by Hindutva. If one is judged against the claims one makes, India's claim to secularism is being challenged from within.
It, therefore, remains to be seen if an Indian filmmaker can create another “Mere Mehboob” in Modi’s India.