Music and Arts inHyderabad Deccan

KAMALAKAR PASUPULETI

(Editor: Professor Surjit Singh)

Copyright © 2017 Kamalakar Pasupuleti

All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-1546355892 ISBN-10: 1546355898

Photo Credits: The images are from various sources that have been credited where the images appear.

Cover Design: By the Editor based on a design by Libby Taggart Singh

Glossary: It has been customary in books on India to include a glossary of the Indian terms. It seems that it is unnecessary to do so in the present Internet Age, when many reliable dictionaries and encyclopedias are online, and available at the click of a mouse or the flick of a finger.

By professor toofaanii publishers

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my loving wife Raj

Table of Contents

FOREWORD.............................................................................................1

PREFACE..................................................................................................4

GENERAL.................................................................................................7

A Short History of Music in Early Deccan...........................................7

Arts and Culture in Bijapur Kingdom..................................................7

Art and Culture in Golconda Kingdom................................................8

Legends of the Deccan: Taramati and Premamati................................9

Bhakta Ramadas...................................................................................9

Kshetrayya..........................................................................................10

Reasons for the Popularity of Music in Deccan.................................10

Fall of Golconda.................................................................................11

Re-emergence of Arts and Music.......................................................11

Women Poets of 18th Century Hyderabad..........................................12

Mah Laqa Bai Chanda...................................................................12

LutfunNisa Imtiaz: The first poetess of Hyderabad Deccan.........14

The Theater 1840s-1930.....................................................................18

Beginning of a New Era of Arts, Poetry and Music (1800-1920)......20

Inayat Khan.........................................................................................21

Pandit Motiram...................................................................................22

Janaki Bai of Allahabad......................................................................22

MUSIC AND ARTS HYDERABAD

Gohar Jan of Calcutta.........................................................................22

Dagh Dehlvi........................................................................................23

Ameer Minai.......................................................................................23

28th September 1908: The Deluge of Hyderabad and the Power of Music..................................................................................................24

Memoirs of my grand father...............................................................24

Music as a Medium during the Khilafat Movement...........................30

Music during the last Nizam (1911-1948)....................................31

Bi Amma.......................................................................................31

Ali Bakhsh Qawwal.......................................................................31

Akramuddin qawwal.....................................................................32

Miss Angurbala.............................................................................32

Miss Indubala................................................................................32

Miss Juthika Roy...........................................................................33

Miss Akhtari Bai Faizabadi...........................................................33

Josh Malihabadi.............................................................................33

Mirza Mohammad Hadi Ruswa....................................................34

Fani Badayuni................................................................................34

COURTESANS, TAWAIFS, NAUTCHGIRLS, MUSIC AND DANCE.................................................................................................................36

Courtesans of Chandulal Bela Circa 1830 onward.............................36

Twin Sisters of Golconda: 1910-1940s..............................................37

Miss Indira Bai: Indo-Persian Courtesan of Golconda.......................38

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KAMALAKAR PASUPULETI

Nautch Girls of the Old City...............................................................39

The Courtesans of Gol Bungla...........................................................41

Nautch Girls of Mehboob Ki Mehndi.................................................42

Hindu Nautch Girls of Gowliguda......................................................44

The Lifestyles of the Hindu Courtesans.............................................45

Gulbarga House: Courtesans as Customers........................................46

The Rise and Fall of Courtesans in Hyderabad..................................48

Courtesans on Matchboxes.................................................................50

ORIGINS OF MOVIES: THE HISTORY OF THEATER IN DECCAN.................................................................................................................53

Movies of the Silent Era: Film Production in Hyderabad Deccan.....53

Film Censorship in Hyderabad Deccan..............................................55

1931: Talkie Comes to Town.............................................................55

1931 Talkie Era: Journalism Begins in Hyderabad............................56

14th June 1936: Fire in a City Theater...............................................58

DECCAN RADIO STATIONS...............................................................60

Hyderabad Goes on the Air................................................................60

The Private Radio Station – 1933..................................................60

NashrGah Lasilki, Nizam Radio, Dakan Radio 1935...................61

Aurangabad goes on air......................................................................65

STAGE....................................................................................................69

Early Dramatists of Hyderabad..........................................................69

6

MUSIC AND ARTS HYDERABAD

Ranga Bai......................................................................................69

Harindranath Chattopadhyaya.......................................................69

Makhdoom Mohiuddin..................................................................70

Sunalini Devi and Mrinalini Devi.................................................71

Janab MA Rauf, The Distinguished Ghazal Singer of Hyderabad71

Stage – Dance and Music...................................................................77

1931 Miss Indubala in Hyderabad.................................................77

Dance by Meeravati Devi: Sept 1931............................................78

Miss Azurie in Hyderabad – 1938.................................................80

Dance and Music with film Pak Daman........................................81

Dilkash Mehfil Raqs –o-Sarod......................................................83

Raqs-o-Sarod: 1st and 2nd Jan 1942.............................................84

Naseem Akhter with other singers................................................85

Jalsa-e-Mouseqi: Prof Bundu Khan and Sons...............................87

Dance and Music by Soofiya Sultana............................................89

Film Saaqi and Dance and Music.................................................90

Nat Samrat Balgandharv in Hyderabad.........................................90

Uday Shankar in Hyderabad..........................................................92

Chowringhee with Mushaira.........................................................93

Film Mazdoor Ki Beti plus Stage Program...................................94

Numaish Hyderabad: A Yearly Entertainer........................................97

Circus: An entertainment for all ages...............................................100

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KAMALAKAR PASUPULETI

EARLY ACTRESSES...........................................................................104

Miss Ameena: From Circus to Screen..............................................104

Jaddan Bai: A Lady of Many Talents...............................................105

Jahan Ara Kajjan: A Forgotten Actress............................................107

Mushtari: The First Fatality of Hindi movies...................................108

Rampyari: The Pride of Nagulachinta..............................................109

Miss Ruqayya Khatoon: From Clubs to Screen and Town Halls.....111

Sardar Akhtar: Aurat in Real life......................................................112

Zebunnisa: The Greta Garbo of Hindi Movies.................................114

Miss Zohra, A forgotten actress.......................................................114

Movies in Telugu, Tamil and Marathi languages.............................117

FILMS....................................................................................................120

Music, Music Directors and Music Fans..........................................120

Ghulam Mohammad....................................................................120

Ashraf Khan: Actor turned Sufi Saint.........................................126

Secunderabad Deccan, A European City in Hyderabad State..........129

Theaters and Cinema Halls of Hyderabad........................................130

The Royal Cinema.......................................................................131

Krishna Opera House..................................................................132

The Excelsior...............................................................................133

1933 Urooj picture hall comes into existence.............................134

Theaters Closed During Muhurram.............................................135

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MUSIC AND ARTS HYDERABAD

Touring Cinema................................................................................137

Secunderabad Touring cinema....................................................138

Basic needs for both cinema halls and the public............................139

NASEERUDDIN HASHMI..................................................................141

Film Actress......................................................................................143

Why Do Our Actresses Fade Away Soon........................................146

Actresses of Europe and India..........................................................148

The Difficulties of Indian Actresses.................................................150

Lack of Education Among Indian Actresses....................................152

Film 300 Days And After (1938): Review........................................153

Film Pukar: 1939 A Bird's Eye View...............................................155

A Cursory Eye on the Film Mahabharat 1933.................................158

MEMOIRS.............................................................................................161

Muslim Socials.................................................................................161

K Asif's Phool, a reminiscence of the Khilafat Movement.........161

Re-screening of film Phool 1975-76...........................................165

Similarities in K Asif's movies: Phool and Mughal-e-Azam.......167

Mehboob Khan's Elaan 1947: An ill fated movie with a powerful message.......................................................................................167

Shama 1946: The Story of Nawab saheb’s Good Wife..............170

Lal Muhammad: A Musician in Obscurity.......................................173

The Pushcart Cinema Theater of Hyderabad....................................179

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KAMALAKAR PASUPULETI

Gulfarosh Hussain Bros Qawwal.....................................................183

About the Nawab Saheb and His Music Sessions............................187

Music sessions (1961-67)............................................................188

Refreshments...............................................................................190

MA Ghafoor: The Cinema Booklet Man of Hyderabad Deccan......191

Reddy Hotel: KL Saigal Remembered.............................................193

About My Maternal Grandfather......................................................196

About the village.........................................................................197

The Nawabs of Gandipet.............................................................197

Bi Amma, the village courtesan..................................................198

Water and Electricity...................................................................198

Transport.....................................................................................198

Picnic place..................................................................................199

Guest houses................................................................................199

Personalities.................................................................................199

Fani Badayuni and Josh Malihabadi...........................................199

Actress Neena in Hyderabad and Gandipet.................................200

My uncles....................................................................................201

INDEX...................................................................................................204

BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................205

ABOUT THE AUTHOR.......................................................................208

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Illustration Index

Illustration 1: Hayat-e-Mah Laqa Bai Chanda........................................12

Illustration 2: Nizam Observatory..........................................................24

Illustration 3: Ibrahim Bagh area.............................................................37

Illustration 4: Char Minar.......................................................................40

Illustration 5: Gohar Jan.........................................................................50

Illustration 6: Gora Jan...........................................................................51

Illustration 7: Goolab Jan.........................................................................52

Illustration 8: Cinema Magazine.............................................................57

Illustration 9: NashrGah sample program...............................................64

Illustration 10: Hyderabad Radio Program.............................................65

Illustration 11: Aurangabad Radio Program...........................................67

Illustration 12: Miss Indubala.................................................................77

Illustration 13: Meera Devi program ad.................................................79

Illustration 14: Azurie in Hyderabad......................................................80

Illustration 15: Pak Daman 1..................................................................81

Illustration 16: Pak Daman 2..................................................................82

Illustration 17: Dilkash Mehfil................................................................83

Illustration 18: Raqs-o-Sarod 1942.........................................................84

Illustration 19: Raqs-o-Sarod Naseem Akhtar........................................85

Illustration 20: Raqs-o-Sarod Surmai.....................................................86

KAMALAKAR PASUPULETI

Illustration 21: Jalsa-e-Mauseeqi Bundu Khan.......................................88

Illustration 22: Film Saqi and Dance and Music....................................90

Illustration 23: Bal Gandharv ad.............................................................91

Illustration 24: Uday Shankar.................................................................92

Illustration 25: Film Chowringhee with Mushaira..................................93

Illustration 26: Mazdoor Ki Beti 1..........................................................94

Illustration 27: Mazdoor Ki Beti 2..........................................................95

Illustration 28: Mazdoor Ki Beti 3..........................................................96

Illustration 29: Numaish Inauguration....................................................97

Illustration 30: Circus 1........................................................................101

Illustration 31: Circus 2........................................................................102

Illustr,ation 32: Mushtari......................................................................109

Illustration 33: Zohra Jan......................................................................116

Illustration 34: Balanagamma (Telugu) poster.....................................118

Illustration 35: Bhagat Damaji (Marathi) poster..................................119

Illustration 36: Royal Cinema ad..........................................................131

Illustration 37: Krishna Opera House...................................................132

Illustration 38: Excelsior cinema..........................................................134

Illustration 39: Urooj picture hall.........................................................135

Illustration 40: Dilshad closed during Muhurram................................136

Illustration 41: Darbari Raqqasa...........................................................137

Illustration 42: Raja film ad..................................................................138

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MUSIC AND ARTS HYDERABAD

Illustration 43: Vishnu Touring Talkie.................................................139

Illustration 44: Naseeruddin Hashmi....................................................141

Illustration 45: Sketch of a pushcart cinema.........................................180

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author wish to express his grateful thanks to Ms Khadija HashmiZubair d/o Late Naseeruddin Hashmi the renowned Urdu scholar ofHyderabad for sending me her father's full article on LutfunNisa Imtiaz,the first women poetess of Hyderabad Deccan and permitting me topublish the same in my book. She was also of great help in refreshing mewith many other details pertaining to arts and entertainment in erstwhilestate of Hyderabad. She lives in UK.

Late Nusarat Mohiuddin son of Late Makhdoom Mohiuddin, therenowned poet of Hyderabad for helping me with the material for mybook from his father's collection of books and magazines.

Late Khalid Hasan the eminent journalist and author of many booksincluding translation of Stars From Another Sky by Sa'adat Hasan Mantofor his encouragement.

Thota Merwan and Tripuraneni Gopichand, the two students ofPortland state university, OR, for helping me in lending rare books andmagazines borrowed on their names through the inter library loan.

Alek Pasupuleti of Portland, OR, for useful material for the book.Syed Elias of Austin, TX, a former student of Osmania University for

his help and advice.Sarwar A Raz of Dallas, TX an active member of the Google group,

alt.language.urdu.poetry (ALUP) for help in the transliteration of thepoetry of LutfunNisa in Roman Urdu.

Dr Vijayalakshmi Suravaram for helping me with archival materialfrom State central library, Hyderabad, India.

Dr SV Sathyanarayana, Professor, Osmania University Hyderabadfor personally escorting me to the Hyderabad archives.

My sincere thanks to Dr Mythili Anoop, an eminent dancer and guestfaculty at University of Hyderabad, for kindly writing a fitting Forewordfor my book.

My profuse thanks to Prof Surjit Singh, who not only agreed to theediting of the book, but is also responsible for its publication throughAmazon books - From blog to book, a dream was fulfilled through hisefforts which was otherwise impossible on my own.

Lastly my wife Raj, my son Gautam Pasupuleti, and my daughter-in-law Dr Mrinalini for their cooperation and guidance, by sparing their