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{{short description|Indian singer and actress}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Jahanara Kajjan
| name = Jahanara Kajjan
| image = Kajjanbai-pic.jpg
| image = Kajjanbai-pic.jpg
| caption =
| caption =
| birth_date = February 15, 1915
| birth_date = 15 February 1915
| birth_place = Patna, Bihar (British India)
| birth_place = Patna, Bihar (British India)
| death_date = December 1945
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1945|12||1915|02|15|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Bombay, Maharashtra]], India
| death_place = [[Bombay, Maharashtra]], India
| birth_name = Jahanara
| birth_name = Jahanara
Line 13: Line 14:
| years_active = 1930–1945
| years_active = 1930–1945
}}
}}
'''Jahanara kajjan''' (1915&ndash;1945), or "Miss Kajjan",<ref name="hindu">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/peep-into-jahanara-kajjan-a-forgotten-actor-and-a-singing-star-of-the-1930s/article8025934.ece|title=A gem called Jahanara Kajjan|date=December 24, 2015|website=The Hindu|author=Plan Neville|access-date=12 April 2018|archive-date=10 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410140325/http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/peep-into-jahanara-kajjan-a-forgotten-actor-and-a-singing-star-of-the-1930s/article8025934.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> was an Indian singer and actress active during the 1920s and 1930s, often referred to as the "Nightingale of Bengal".<ref name="Orsini 2006: 272">Orsini 2006: 272</ref>
'''Jahanara Kajjan''' (15 February 1915 &ndash; December 1945), or "Miss Kajjan",<ref name="hindu">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/peep-into-jahanara-kajjan-a-forgotten-actor-and-a-singing-star-of-the-1930s/article8025934.ece|title=A gem called Jahanara Kajjan|date=24 December 2015|website=The Hindu|author=Plan Neville|access-date=12 April 2018|archive-date=10 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410140325/http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/peep-into-jahanara-kajjan-a-forgotten-actor-and-a-singing-star-of-the-1930s/article8025934.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> was an Indian singer and actress active during the 1920s and 1930s, often referred to as the "Nightingale of Bengal".<ref name="Orsini 2006: 272">Orsini 2006: 272</ref>
The reigning queen of early Talkie movies glamorous movie sensation the trained classical singer, the fashion icon and the trendsetter, Jahanara Kajjan she was known as ‘Lark of Hindi cinema’ and the ‘Beautiful Nightingale of Bengal Screen’. She along with Master Nissar made most sought after and popular singing pair of the stage and Films.
The reigning queen of early talkie movies glamorous movie sensation the trained classical singer, the fashion icon and the trendsetter, Jahanara Kajjan she was known as "Lark of Hindi Cinema" and the "Beautiful Nightingale of Bengal Screen". She along with Master Nissar made most sought after and popular singing pair of the stage and film.


==Life==
==Life==
Line 20: Line 21:
Born on 15 February 1915 to Suggan begum of [[Lucknow]] who was very famous for her beauty and singing capabilities and the Nawab chammi Saheb of Bhagalpur. Kajjan received education at home and learnt English. Well versed in Urdu literature, she wrote poetry under pseudonym “Ada”she received training in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Hussain Khan of Patna. She was hired by a theatre company at Patna. Then. She joined Alfred Company owned by Madan Theatres of Calcutta. Kajjan attained name and fame as a very popular singer and actor of the stage.
Born on 15 February 1915 to Suggan begum of [[Lucknow]] who was very famous for her beauty and singing capabilities and the Nawab chammi Saheb of Bhagalpur. Kajjan received education at home and learnt English. Well versed in Urdu literature, she wrote poetry under pseudonym “Ada”she received training in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Hussain Khan of Patna. She was hired by a theatre company at Patna. Then. She joined Alfred Company owned by Madan Theatres of Calcutta. Kajjan attained name and fame as a very popular singer and actor of the stage.


The advent of talkies in 1931 brought a revolution in Film industry Madan Theatres of Calcutta, “Shirin Farhaad” based on the stage play scripted by the renowned playwright Agha Hashar Kashmiri. It featured 42 songs by Kajjan and Nissar, already popular singing pair of the stage. The film got overwhelmed success across India with Kajjan emerging as the first superstar of Hindi cinema then came another super hit “Laila Majnu”, followed by “Indrasabha” based on the play written by Agha Hassan Amanat, it had 71 songs, the film still holds the world record as “film with most songs”. The film with duration of three and half hours was entirely in verse and Kajjan sang several songs, it became a blockbuster..
The advent of talkies in 1931 brought a revolution in Film industry [[Madan Theatre]] of Calcutta, “Shirin Farhaad” based on the stage play scripted by the renowned playwright [[Agha Hashar Kashmiri]]. It featured 42 songs by Kajjan and Nissar, already popular singing pair of the stage. The film got overwhelmed success across India with Kajjan emerging as the first superstar of Hindi cinema then came another super hit “Laila Majnu”, followed by “Indrasabha” based on the play written by [[Agha Hasan Amanat]], it had 71 songs, the film still holds the world record as “film with most songs”. The film with duration of three and half hours was entirely in verse and Kajjan sang several songs, it became a blockbuster..
. Some of her other memorable movies were “Bilwamangal”, “Shakuntala”, “Alibaba aur Chalis Chor”, “Aankh ka Nasha”, “Zehari Saanp”, etc.
. Some of her other memorable movies were “Bilwamangal”, “Shakuntala”, “Alibaba aur Chalis Chor”, “Aankh ka Nasha”, “Zehari Saanp”, etc.


By mid 1936 her relation with seth Karnani owner of Madan theatre deteriorated and she left Madan theatres and she had to face a legal case by Karnani which ruined her she had to sell her mansion in Calcutta and all of her property so she left calcutta in early 1938 and Made her own Thaetrical company Jahanara theatrical company and decided to present her famous old shows with less duration and some new settings, she spent 60,000 rupees in those days on a stage project and started doing shows in all over India started from lahore, Amritsar, multan, Delhi and Bombay but her health started to fall so she along with her Mother Suggan bai had to settle in Bombay and started working in bombay film Industry Kajjan's career in Bombay was short-lived from 1941 to 1944, during which she appeared in seven filmsmostly of Ranjit films, sunrise pictures and Minerva films none of them ade big for Kajjan with the exception of Sohrab Modi's “Prithvi Vallabh” in which she was given a character role Further, she was given character roles so she could not made it big in Bombay.
By mid 1936 her relation with seth Karnani owner of Madan theatre deteriorated and she left Madan theatres and she had to face a legal case by Karnani which ruined her she had to sell her mansion in Calcutta and all of her property so she left calcutta in early 1938 and Made her own Thaetrical company Jahanara theatrical company and decided to present her famous old shows with less duration and some new settings, she spent 60,000 rupees in those days on a stage project and started doing shows in all over India started from lahore, Amritsar, multan, Delhi and Bombay but her health started to fall so she along with her Mother Suggan bai had to settle in Bombay and started working in bombay film Industry Kajjan's career in Bombay was short-lived from 1941 to 1944, during which she appeared in seven films mostly of Ranjit films, sunrise pictures and Minerva films none of them made big for Kajjan with the exception of [[Sohrab Modi]]'s “Prithvi Vallabh” in which she was given a character role Further, she was given character roles so she could not made it big in Bombay.
Her films in Bombay were Ghar Sansar, Suhagan, Bharuthari, Prarthna, Merchant of Venice and her last was Ranjit films Mumtaz Mahal in which she played Empress Noor Jahan.
Her films in Bombay were Ghar Sansar, Suhagan, Bharuthari, Prarthna, Merchant of Venice and her last was Ranjit films Mumtaz Mahal in which she played Empress Noor Jahan.
She lived a lavish life at Calcutta.
She lived a lavish life at Calcutta.
Line 29: Line 30:
She died of Cancer in late December 1945 at a young age of 30.
She died of Cancer in late December 1945 at a young age of 30.
Starting her career from stage, she moved to films, joining [[J. J. Madan]]'s Madan Theatres.
Starting her career from stage, she moved to films, joining [[J. J. Madan]]'s Madan Theatres.
Two of her early Talkies becoming instant hits, ''[[Shirin Farhad (1931 film)|Shirin Farhad]]'' (1931) and ''Laila Majnu'' (1931) both Madan Theatre productions.<ref name="Srivastava2017">{{cite book|author=Manoj Srivastava|title=Wide Angle: History of Indian Cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=18pBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT20|accessdate=13 April 2018|date=6 December 2017|publisher=Notion Press|isbn=978-1-946280-48-0|pages=20–|archive-date=12 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012032729/https://books.google.com/books?id=18pBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT20|url-status=live}}</ref> Her co-star in the two films was Master Nissar and the duo became popular singing sensations, with Kajjan being known as "the lark of India".<ref name="BurraFestivals1981">{{cite book|author1=Rani Burra|author2=India. Directorate of Film Festivals|title=Looking back, 1896-1960|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5nw3AAAAIAAJ|accessdate=13 April 2018|year=1981|publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting}}</ref> Her mother was a "[[tawaif]]" with important connections.<ref name="SkodaLettmann2017">{{cite book|author1=Uwe Skoda|author2=Birgit Lettmann|title=India and Its Visual Cultures: Community, Class and Gender in a Symbolic Landscape|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6xtBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT67|date=30 October 2017|publisher=SAGE Publishing India|isbn=978-93-86446-69-5|pages=67–|access-date=12 April 2018|archive-date=12 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012032730/https://books.google.com/books?id=6xtBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT67|url-status=live}}</ref> Jehanara was educated at home, where she learned [[English language|English]] and [[Urdu language|Urdu]]; she wrote poetry, some of which was published. She received a classical music training from Ustad Hussain Khan.<ref name="hindu" /> She began appearing on stage in the years when women were first allowed to perform in the Indian theatre.<ref name="SkodaLettmann2017" />
Two of her early Talkies becoming instant hits, ''[[Shirin Farhad (1931 film)|Shirin Farhad]]'' (1931) and ''Laila Majnu'' (1931) both Madan Theatre productions.<ref name="Srivastava2017">{{cite book|author=Manoj Srivastava|title=Wide Angle: History of Indian Cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=18pBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT20|accessdate=13 April 2018|date=6 December 2017|publisher=Notion Press|isbn=978-1-946280-48-0|pages=20–|archive-date=12 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012032729/https://books.google.com/books?id=18pBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT20|url-status=live}}</ref> Her co-star in the two films was Master Nissar and the duo became popular singing sensations, with Kajjan being known as "the lark of India".<ref name="BurraFestivals1981">{{cite book|author1=Rani Burra|author2=India. Directorate of Film Festivals|title=Looking back, 1896-1960|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5nw3AAAAIAAJ|accessdate=13 April 2018|year=1981|publisher=Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting}}</ref> Her mother was a [[tawaif]] with important connections.<ref name="SkodaLettmann2017">{{cite book|author1=Uwe Skoda|author2=Birgit Lettmann|title=India and Its Visual Cultures: Community, Class and Gender in a Symbolic Landscape|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6xtBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT67|date=30 October 2017|publisher=SAGE Publishing India|isbn=978-93-86446-69-5|pages=67–|access-date=12 April 2018|archive-date=12 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012032730/https://books.google.com/books?id=6xtBDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT67|url-status=live}}</ref> Kajjan was the daughter of the courtesan Suggan and a Nawab of Bhagalpur.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.indianmemoryproject.com/cinema-citizens/| title=40 SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF INDIAN CINEMA PIONEERS WHO WORKED BETWEEN THE YEARS 1897 - 1947}}</ref> Jehanara was educated at home, where she learned [[English language|English]] and [[Urdu language|Urdu]]; she wrote poetry, some of which was published. She received a classical music training from Ustad Hussain Khan.<ref name="hindu" /> She began appearing on stage in the years when women were first allowed to perform in the Indian theatre.<ref name="SkodaLettmann2017" />


Aside from acting, she and [[Ghulam Mohammed (composer)|Ghulam Mohammed]] also taught [[Noor Jehan]] when the latter was young, making her do ''riyaz'' up to 12 hours each day.<ref>PTV World News</ref> Kajjan stopped singing in 1930,{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} however, she continued to star in movies such as ''[[Shirin Farhad (1931 film)|Shirin Farhad]]'' and ''Layla Majnun'' opposite [[Nissar]], becoming a symbol of on-screen romance in the [[cinema of India]].<ref name="Orsini 2006: 272"/>
Aside from acting, she and [[Ghulam Mohammed (composer)|Ghulam Mohammed]] also taught [[Noor Jehan]] when the latter was young, making her do ''riyaz'' up to 12 hours each day.<ref>PTV World News</ref> Kajjan stopped singing in 1930,{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} however, she continued to star in movies such as ''[[Shirin Farhad (1931 film)|Shirin Farhad]]'' and ''Layla Majnun'' opposite [[Nissar]], becoming a symbol of on-screen romance in the [[cinema of India]].<ref name="Orsini 2006: 272"/>


==Notable films==
==Notable films==
''[[Shirin Farhad (1931 film)|Shirin Farhad]]'' (1931), the second Indian Talkie to be made, was released two months after the landmark [[Alam Ara]],<ref name="Ranade2006">{{cite book|author=Ashok Damodar Ranade|title=Hindi Film Song: Music Beyond Boundaries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZI1wqkWsIjYC&pg=PA94|accessdate=13 April 2018|year=2006|publisher=Bibliophile South Asia|isbn=978-81-85002-64-4|pages=94–}}</ref> which released on 11 March 1931.<ref name=Sen>{{cite web|last1=Sen|first1=Shomini|title=100 years of Indian cinema: The first talkies and era of taking risks|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/100-years-of-indian-cinema-the-first-talkies-and-era-of-taking-risks/378487-8-66.html|website=ibnlive.in.com|publisher=ibnlive.com|accessdate=13 April 2018|archive-date=19 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819121836/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/100-years-of-indian-cinema-the-first-talkies-and-era-of-taking-risks/378487-8-66.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The story centred on a folk-legend from the Shahnama, and was already a success on the Parsi stage. J. J. Madan adapted it to film form with Master Nissar and Kajjan playing the lead roles. According to author Gooptu, the film "created a box-office record".<ref name="Gooptu2010">{{cite book|author=Sharmistha Gooptu|title=Bengali Cinema: 'An Other Nation'|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DcUtCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA39|accessdate=13 April 2018|date=November 2010|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-91217-7|pages=39–|archive-date=12 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012032656/https://books.google.com/books?id=DcUtCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA39|url-status=live}}</ref> It was "twice as successful" compared to Alam Ara, and had 17 (out of the 18) songs sung by Jehanara Kajjan and Master Nisaar.
''[[Shirin Farhad (1931 film)|Shirin Farhad]]'' (1931), the second Indian Talkie to be made, was released two months after the landmark [[Alam Ara]],<ref name="Ranade2006">{{cite book|author=Ashok Damodar Ranade|title=Hindi Film Song: Music Beyond Boundaries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZI1wqkWsIjYC&pg=PA94|accessdate=13 April 2018|year=2006|publisher=Bibliophile South Asia|isbn=978-81-85002-64-4|pages=94–}}</ref> which released on 11 March 1931.<ref name=Sen>{{cite web|last1=Sen|first1=Shomini|title=100 years of Indian cinema: The first talkies and era of taking risks|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/100-years-of-indian-cinema-the-first-talkies-and-era-of-taking-risks/378487-8-66.html|website=ibnlive.in.com|publisher=ibnlive.com|accessdate=13 April 2018|archive-date=19 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819121836/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/100-years-of-indian-cinema-the-first-talkies-and-era-of-taking-risks/378487-8-66.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The story centred on a folk-legend from the Shahnama, and was already a success on the Parsi stage. J. J. Madan adapted it to film form with Master Nissar and Kajjan playing the lead roles. According to author Gooptu, the film "created a box-office record".<ref name="Gooptu2010">{{cite book|author=Sharmistha Gooptu|title=Bengali Cinema: 'An Other Nation'|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DcUtCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA39|accessdate=13 April 2018|date=November 2010|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-91217-7|pages=39–|archive-date=12 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012032656/https://books.google.com/books?id=DcUtCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA39|url-status=live}}</ref> It was "twice as successful" compared to Alam Ara, and had 17 (out of the 18) songs sung by Jehanara Kajjan and Master Nisaar.


*''Laila Majnu'' (1931)
*''Laila Majnu'' (1931)
Line 57: Line 58:


==Death==
==Death==
Kajjan died in 1945 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India.<ref name="TheHindu">{{cite news|last1=Neville|first1=Pran|title=A gem called Jahanara Kajjan|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/peep-into-jahanara-kajjan-a-forgotten-actor-and-a-singing-star-of-the-1930s/article8025934.ece|accessdate=13 April 2018|agency=The Hindu|publisher=The Hindu|date=24 December 2015|archive-date=10 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410140325/http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/peep-into-jahanara-kajjan-a-forgotten-actor-and-a-singing-star-of-the-1930s/article8025934.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>
Kajjan died in 1945 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India.<ref name="TheHindu">{{cite news|last1=Neville|first1=Pran|title=A gem called Jahanara Kajjan|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/peep-into-jahanara-kajjan-a-forgotten-actor-and-a-singing-star-of-the-1930s/article8025934.ece|accessdate=13 April 2018|agency=The Hindu|work=The Hindu|date=24 December 2015|archive-date=10 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180410140325/http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/peep-into-jahanara-kajjan-a-forgotten-actor-and-a-singing-star-of-the-1930s/article8025934.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>


==Songs==
==Songs==
Line 66: Line 67:
*Kookat koyalia
*Kookat koyalia


==Films<ref name="hindu"/>==
==Films==
Source:<ref name="hindu"/>
*''[[Shirin Farhad (1931 film)|Shirin Farhad]]'' (1931)
*''[[Shirin Farhad (1931 film)|Shirin Farhad]]'' (1931)
*''Laila Majnu'' (1931)
*''Laila Majnu'' (1931)
Line 78: Line 80:
==Sources==
==Sources==
* {{cite book|title=Love in South Asia: A Cultural History|last=Orsini|first=Francesca|authorlink=Francesca Orsini|publisher=Cambridge University|location=United Kingdom|year=2006}}
* {{cite book|title=Love in South Asia: A Cultural History|last=Orsini|first=Francesca|authorlink=Francesca Orsini|publisher=Cambridge University|location=United Kingdom|year=2006}}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.ptvworldnews.com.pk/celebritydetail5.asp |publisher=Pakistan Television Corporation World News |accessdate=2007-01-04 |title=Noor Jahan (The legend of Pakistani Music) |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060811004415/http://www.ptvworldnews.com.pk/celebritydetail5.asp |archivedate=2006-08-11 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.ptvworldnews.com.pk/celebritydetail5.asp |publisher=Pakistan Television Corporation World News |accessdate=4 January 2007 |title=Noor Jahan (The legend of Pakistani Music) |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060811004415/http://www.ptvworldnews.com.pk/celebritydetail5.asp |archivedate=11 August 2006 |url-status=dead }}


==External links==
==External links==
Line 88: Line 90:
[[Category:20th-century Indian singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian singers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian actresses]]
[[Category:Indian courtesans]]

Latest revision as of 00:14, 13 September 2024

Jahanara Kajjan
Born
Jahanara

15 February 1915
Patna, Bihar (British India)
DiedDecember 1945(1945-12-00) (aged 30)
Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Occupationsinger/actress
Years active1930–1945

Jahanara Kajjan (15 February 1915 – December 1945), or "Miss Kajjan",[1] was an Indian singer and actress active during the 1920s and 1930s, often referred to as the "Nightingale of Bengal".[2] The reigning queen of early talkie movies glamorous movie sensation the trained classical singer, the fashion icon and the trendsetter, Jahanara Kajjan she was known as "Lark of Hindi Cinema" and the "Beautiful Nightingale of Bengal Screen". She along with Master Nissar made most sought after and popular singing pair of the stage and film.

Life

[edit]

Born on 15 February 1915 to Suggan begum of Lucknow who was very famous for her beauty and singing capabilities and the Nawab chammi Saheb of Bhagalpur. Kajjan received education at home and learnt English. Well versed in Urdu literature, she wrote poetry under pseudonym “Ada”she received training in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Hussain Khan of Patna. She was hired by a theatre company at Patna. Then. She joined Alfred Company owned by Madan Theatres of Calcutta. Kajjan attained name and fame as a very popular singer and actor of the stage.

The advent of talkies in 1931 brought a revolution in Film industry Madan Theatre of Calcutta, “Shirin Farhaad” based on the stage play scripted by the renowned playwright Agha Hashar Kashmiri. It featured 42 songs by Kajjan and Nissar, already popular singing pair of the stage. The film got overwhelmed success across India with Kajjan emerging as the first superstar of Hindi cinema then came another super hit “Laila Majnu”, followed by “Indrasabha” based on the play written by Agha Hasan Amanat, it had 71 songs, the film still holds the world record as “film with most songs”. The film with duration of three and half hours was entirely in verse and Kajjan sang several songs, it became a blockbuster.. . Some of her other memorable movies were “Bilwamangal”, “Shakuntala”, “Alibaba aur Chalis Chor”, “Aankh ka Nasha”, “Zehari Saanp”, etc.

By mid 1936 her relation with seth Karnani owner of Madan theatre deteriorated and she left Madan theatres and she had to face a legal case by Karnani which ruined her she had to sell her mansion in Calcutta and all of her property so she left calcutta in early 1938 and Made her own Thaetrical company Jahanara theatrical company and decided to present her famous old shows with less duration and some new settings, she spent 60,000 rupees in those days on a stage project and started doing shows in all over India started from lahore, Amritsar, multan, Delhi and Bombay but her health started to fall so she along with her Mother Suggan bai had to settle in Bombay and started working in bombay film Industry Kajjan's career in Bombay was short-lived from 1941 to 1944, during which she appeared in seven films mostly of Ranjit films, sunrise pictures and Minerva films none of them made big for Kajjan with the exception of Sohrab Modi's “Prithvi Vallabh” in which she was given a character role Further, she was given character roles so she could not made it big in Bombay. Her films in Bombay were Ghar Sansar, Suhagan, Bharuthari, Prarthna, Merchant of Venice and her last was Ranjit films Mumtaz Mahal in which she played Empress Noor Jahan. She lived a lavish life at Calcutta. She even had two tiger cubs as pets. Kajjan had learnt western dancing and was a regular visitor to Calcutta Club, it is said that she was intimately involved with Najmul Hassan, a popular Star in 1930s. She died of Cancer in late December 1945 at a young age of 30. Starting her career from stage, she moved to films, joining J. J. Madan's Madan Theatres. Two of her early Talkies becoming instant hits, Shirin Farhad (1931) and Laila Majnu (1931) both Madan Theatre productions.[3] Her co-star in the two films was Master Nissar and the duo became popular singing sensations, with Kajjan being known as "the lark of India".[4] Her mother was a tawaif with important connections.[5] Kajjan was the daughter of the courtesan Suggan and a Nawab of Bhagalpur.[6] Jehanara was educated at home, where she learned English and Urdu; she wrote poetry, some of which was published. She received a classical music training from Ustad Hussain Khan.[1] She began appearing on stage in the years when women were first allowed to perform in the Indian theatre.[5]

Aside from acting, she and Ghulam Mohammed also taught Noor Jehan when the latter was young, making her do riyaz up to 12 hours each day.[7] Kajjan stopped singing in 1930,[citation needed] however, she continued to star in movies such as Shirin Farhad and Layla Majnun opposite Nissar, becoming a symbol of on-screen romance in the cinema of India.[2]

Notable films

[edit]

Shirin Farhad (1931), the second Indian Talkie to be made, was released two months after the landmark Alam Ara,[8] which released on 11 March 1931.[9] The story centred on a folk-legend from the Shahnama, and was already a success on the Parsi stage. J. J. Madan adapted it to film form with Master Nissar and Kajjan playing the lead roles. According to author Gooptu, the film "created a box-office record".[10] It was "twice as successful" compared to Alam Ara, and had 17 (out of the 18) songs sung by Jehanara Kajjan and Master Nisaar.

  • Laila Majnu (1931)
  • Bilwamangal (1933)
  • Sakhi Lutera (1934)
  • Zehri Saanp (1934)
  • Shaitan Ka Pash (1935)
  • Rasheeda (1935)
  • Manorma (1936)
  • Regeneration (1936)
  • Mera Pyara (1936)

Death

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Kajjan died in 1945 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India.[11]

Songs

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  • Kahe neha lagaye sajania
  • tumhare darshan ko naina
  • Ek dhundla sa mohabat ka hai naqsha
  • Aya sawan aja sajan
  • Kookat koyalia

Films

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Source:[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Plan Neville (24 December 2015). "A gem called Jahanara Kajjan". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b Orsini 2006: 272
  3. ^ Manoj Srivastava (6 December 2017). Wide Angle: History of Indian Cinema. Notion Press. pp. 20–. ISBN 978-1-946280-48-0. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  4. ^ Rani Burra; India. Directorate of Film Festivals (1981). Looking back, 1896-1960. Directorate of Film Festivals, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  5. ^ a b Uwe Skoda; Birgit Lettmann (30 October 2017). India and Its Visual Cultures: Community, Class and Gender in a Symbolic Landscape. SAGE Publishing India. pp. 67–. ISBN 978-93-86446-69-5. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  6. ^ "40 SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF INDIAN CINEMA PIONEERS WHO WORKED BETWEEN THE YEARS 1897 - 1947".
  7. ^ PTV World News
  8. ^ Ashok Damodar Ranade (2006). Hindi Film Song: Music Beyond Boundaries. Bibliophile South Asia. pp. 94–. ISBN 978-81-85002-64-4. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  9. ^ Sen, Shomini. "100 years of Indian cinema: The first talkies and era of taking risks". ibnlive.in.com. ibnlive.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  10. ^ Sharmistha Gooptu (November 2010). Bengali Cinema: 'An Other Nation'. Routledge. pp. 39–. ISBN 978-1-136-91217-7. Archived from the original on 12 October 2020. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  11. ^ Neville, Pran (24 December 2015). "A gem called Jahanara Kajjan". The Hindu. The Hindu. Archived from the original on 10 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.

Sources

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