In 1978, director-producer Iqbal Yusuf experimented with a Western-style film titled Josh (released in 1979), shot at Evernew Studios in Karachi, which elevated him into the A-list of movie directors. The setting was that of a gambling club where a dancer diverts the attention of the audience with her seductive dance moves, and lets the conmen get into the act.

Eager to create a masterpiece, Iqbal Yusuf convinced a visiting assistant from Bollywood to choreograph the dance number that not only mesmerised all those on the set but also had a spellbinding effect on the viewers. The brains behind the number ‘Koi hai jo mujh ko jeetay’ was Saroj Khan, and the actress who spun the magic was none other than the captivating Rani.

Since Indian artists weren’t allowed to work in Pakistani films even back then, Khan ended up doing the song using the alias Shehnaz. A hard taskmaster, Saroj was the one credited for the remarkable careers for Govinda, Anil Kapoor, Sri Devi and Madhuri Dixit in the ‘80s. During their brief association, Saroj found Rani to be highly attentive even to the minutest of details.

Born as Nasira in December 1946, Rani was a protégé of the Queen of Music, Mukhtar Begum. Mukhtar Begum had earlier rechristened Allah Wasai as Noor Jehan, trained the legendary Farida Khanum (Mukhtar’s sister) and the nightingale Naseem Begum. She later helped Nasira establish herself as a ‘dancing actor’, a rarity back in the ‘60s, and renamed her as Rani.

Being the wife of drama writer Agha Hashar Kashmiri, Mukhtar Begum knew the people in charge, yet Rani was unsuccessful in the beginning. But Lady Luck smiled on her when her talent was spotted by producer/director Hassan Tariq after her separation from Mukhtar Begum. Tariq, subsequently Rani’s husband for over a decade, directed her in 30 films, and many of them were very well-received across the border as well.

Film star Rani earned the title for her scintillating and engaging performances in fi lms. But she also inspired many other illustrious careers in Bollywood

Rani’s films had an indirect effect on the return of Rekha into the fray, the launching of Salma Agha’s filmi career and the short and beautiful stint at the top by Ranjeeta Kaur, in the 1976-86 period. It was the era of VHS cassettes, and Bollywood/Lollywood films found their way into the homes of the parrosis (India and Pakistan) and were often remade across the border.

For example, the Nadeem-Shabnam classic Aaina (1977) was shot as Pyar Jhukta Nahin and Yash Chopra’s Trishul was carved up as Waheed Murad’s and Shabnam’s Ghairao (1981) in Pakistan. After Amitabh Bachchan’s preference for Parveen Babi over Rekha in films stalled the latter’s career in 1980, Hassan Tariq’s epic Anjuman found its way into Jeetendra’s under-production Deedar-i-Yaar (1982), which needed a powerful character.

Rani’s Anjuman presumably became the source for Rekha’s Husna, where the courtesan demanded the company of the younger brother to keep the elder one out of the way. In Lollywood, Waheed Murad played the younger brother to the dashing Santosh Kumar, and took the step to honour his Bhabi, played by the evergreen Sabiha Khanum.

Similarly, producer/director Muzaffar Ali may not have seen Shahid-Rani’s Umrao Jan Ada (1972), but the musical romantic drama film, loosely based on the novel of the same name by Mirza Hadi Ruswa, became a strong reference point for the viewers. Songs such as ‘Kaatay na katay re’ and ‘Jhoomay kabhi naachay’ by Runa Laila, ‘Jo bachatha’ by Madam Noor Jehan, and the music by Nisar Bazmi immortalised the characters and the Lollywood film.

Similarly, singer/actress Salma Agha was launched by B.R. Chopra’s Nikaah (1982). Chopra senior, who lived a large part of his life in Lahore and started his career as a film journalist, wanted to make a ‘Muslim social’ film. B.R. considered himself an authority on Muslim lifestyle, and dug out the complex subject of nikaah halala for the story. The topic had earlier been depicted in Riaz Shahid’s Jawab Do and Hassan Tariq’s Deedaar, both released in 1974, in Lollywood.

Deedaar’s script was penned by M. Sadiq, who had written and directed Guru Dutt’s Chaudhveen Ka Chand (1961), before moving to Pakistan in the late ‘60s. Rani’s character Zeenat was sandwiched between Waheed Murad’s Sartaj Mian and Shahid’s Nawab Shahrukh, while Salma Agha’s Nilofer got stuck between Deepak Prashar’s Waseem and Raj Babbar’s Haider.

Both films flopped badly in Pakistan, while Nikaah was a box-office hit. Similarly, writer/director Raman and Sagar’s Salma (1985) again saw Salma Agha in the title role. In it, the character of Salma Banarsi was rumoured to have been lifted from Rani’s Suraiya Bhopali (1976), where Waheed Murad played the silent lover to Shahid’s Nawab sahib; characters played respectively by Farooq Shaikh and Raj Babbar in the Indian version.

The trio of Hassan Tariq, Rani and Waheed Murad also collaborated on Laila Majnu (1974) and Dilruba (1975). Like B.R. Chopra, Ataullah Hashmi was a former film journalist in the 1940s, and opted for Pakistan in the 1950s. He had contacts in Bollywood and one can trace the ideas’ swapping from here.

Rishi Kapoor’s Laila Majnu (1976) was written by Abrar Alvi who, like M. Sadiq, was an essential part of Guru Dutt’s team that made Chaudhveen Ka Chand (1961) and Sahib, Biwi Aur Tawaif (1963). Dilruba, a story about a gypsy girl who falls in love with a shehri babu (city slicker), was repeated in Tarana, where the title character was ironically named Rani. Ranjeeta Kaur was brilliant as Laila and as Rani, with Rishi Kapoor and Mithun enacting the male leads with ease.

Like her name, Rani reigned over the big screen like a queen, had beauty and brains, and her best work was reserved for films directed by her husband. She had no qualms in playing a prostitute or a barray ghar ki beti (daughter of a well-off family). She used to emote with her eyes and could go in and out of character with ease. Though the Hassan Tariq-Rani duo separated in 1977, they continued to work together and produce a series of box office hits.

With things slowing down for Lollywood in the late ‘70s, whatever hope was left was bulldozed by Gen Ziaul Haq’s martial law. Hassan Tariq, who had freely explored and exposed the masses to the the nawab-tawaaif (courtesan) culture, passed away after making Sangdil (1982), which was plagiarised as Jhoota Such (1984) in Bollywood, and which became a smash hit.

Filmstar Rani was diagnosed with cancer in the mid-’80s. The reigning lady of films also did two television serials, written by veterans Asghar Nadeem Syed and Mustansir Hussain Tarrar; Khwahish and Fareb (1992), respectively. The stage was set for many more when death suddenly cut short her illustrious career and journey in films, and Nasira aka Rani sadly passed away in May 1993, at the young age of 46.

For her many admirers, Rani remains, however, the one and only queen of hearts of Pakistani cinema.

Published in Dawn, ICON, December 17th, 2023