Legends live for ever, but garnished and modified from time to time. Thanks to Karimuddin Asif (14 June 1922 to 9 March 1972), the legend now remains open-ended so that Anarkali may return.
Anarkali has been a darling of the Film fraternity, apart from story-writers and the dramatists. Imtiaz Ali portrayed her as a virgin slave in his theatrical presentation in 1922.As many as eight Films have been made and released on the subject thereafter and at least four more have been attempted, but not completed, including a sequel envisioning a storyline nowhere in the original legend. The earliest known, Loves of a Moghul Prince was a silent film made in 1928,the 2nd production of the Great Eastern Corporation of Delhi, directed by Prafulla Roy and Charu Roy, with Sita Devi(Renee Smith renamed) in the role. Ardeshir Irani, the pioneer of Talkies in India, had made two, the first a silent movie in the same year,1928,named Monument of Tears, and the other, a talkie in 1935, both directed by Rama Shankar Choudhury, both with Sulochana (Ruby Meyers renamed) and C. Dinshaw Bilimoria playing the lead, remembered for the passionate kissing scene between the duo .Filmstan’s Anarkali, released in 1953,directed by Nandlal Jaswantlal with unforgettable melodies by C Ramachandra (ignoring Basant Prakash, brother of Khemchand Prakash, although Basant had already composed a song for the film),catapulted Bina Rai (who had then debuted in Kishore Sahu’s Kalighata in 1951) into fame, along with Pradeep Kumar and Mubarak in the other major roles. Sulochana, the Anarkali of yester-years, played the role of the mother in this Film. Tamil and Telegu versions followed in 1955, and also a Malayali edition in 1966.
Much earlier, K Asif had planned the magnum-opus in 1944 with music by Anil Biswas, a project which got inordinately delayed. The fiery Chandramohan, selected to play Emperor Akbar expired in 1946. On partition of India in 1947, the producer migrated to Pakistan, The lead actors, Nargis and A K Sapru had to bear with uncertainty. Once Nutan was also offered the role, which she considered unsuitable for her. Ultimately Mughal-e-Azam was released on 5th August 1960 (after large headlines blared in the previous day’s newspapers : “Tomorrow is the day”) with music by Naushad, giving the glory to Madhubala, Dilip Kumar and Prithviraj Kapoor in the leading roles.
When the film was released, initially with the as-per-legend ending of Anarkali engraved alive, obvious questions were raised : Why the title “Mughal-e-Azam”? During those days when Kings and Emperors (including Mohammed Jalaluddin Akbar) were freely acquiring unlimited supply of damsels, used to maintain large harems and also closed their eyes to similar activities of their nobility including their amorous sahajades, why could’nt the Emperor tolerate the affairs of the prince with a mere courtesan ? Where was the greatness of the Emperor ? The question was never answered, but the legend was mutiliated. The film was revised, and the end-part was modified, ending it with unknown magnanimity of the Emperor in allowing Anarkali to escape in a secret passage to a distant land to live in anonymity, after justifying his earlier rage with memorable dialogues : Mein mohabbat ka dushman nahin hoon, lekin asool ka ghulam hoon.(The same revised version was also released in colour later on 12th November 2004,although two sequences in the initial and also the revised versions were in colour.) The legend was modified, the title got justified, but the question was not answered, because the cause of annoyance of Emperor Akbar had to be kept as a closely guarded secret.
Chetan Anand was also once determined to film a version, offering the glory to his favourite, Priya Rajvansh, but the project did not materialise. Lata Mangeshkar had been selected to sing the songs for her in this film.
Still earlier, Kamal Amrohi did not want to lag behind, and announced to re-create the legend with his then favourite Meena Kumari in the lead role. But presumably, Pakeeza got the preference, although completed and released as late as in 1971.
An ambitious project was also planned by Rajshri Productions with Ranjita as Kali Anar Ki with eleven songs, and Sulakshna Pandit was selected to sing the songs for the “Kali”. But this project also did not materialise.
Was the Anarkali story a mere legend, or a part of history? Unfortunately, there is no dependable record or evidence as to what exactly happened, although rumours were perpetuated by generations, and various versions were casually mentioned by various writers much later. During those days Akbar had not settled down in Agra Fort which he re-constructed after his mis-adventure to establish his capital in Fatehpur-Sikri and his camp used to shuttle between Lahore, Delhi, Agra and Fatehpur-Sikri. presently house the Secretariat of the Province of West Punjab of Pakistan. Many do not believe that such an incident happened at all, since the memoirs of Jehangir does not even mention her. A question would also arise, if the incident took place in 1599 AD and Prince Salim became the Emperor in 1604, why did he wait till 1615 to construct the tomb, as claimed by many, that too five years after his infatuation and marriage with Mehr-un-Nissa ?
How could the Emperor tolerate an affair by his son with a concubine of his father? Hence Anarkali had to die. But the film-makers would not disclose the truth, which would be contrary to the Iconism in Indian cinema, that the young and beautiful heroine must be depicted to be a virgin, pure and untouched. She must not be shown as already used and ravished by the Emperor, in interest of the box-office prospects of the film. So the truth had to be suppressed as a closely guarded secret. K Asif, while suppressing the truth, presented the Emperor as most cruel to the lovers in the public, but compassionate to the girl in private, to justify the greatness of the Emperor.
Once the legend got modified by K Asif, doors were left wide open for Anarkali to return in a sequel, perpetuating the legend further. In fact such a sequel was planned by Sultan Ahmed to be titled Sahebzadi Anarkali. But such an attempt is still awaited.
Who says Anarkali is no more? She is waiting at the wings to re-appear on the golden screen, when an unknown drama will unfold, perhaps recreating the Dushyant-Shakuntala episode. Prince Salim, now Emperor Jehangir, infatuated with the already married (and mother of a girl) Mehr-un-nissa, will refuse to remember or recognize Anarkali, till it would be too late, by when he would have made Mehr-un-nissa. We will be waiting for Anarkali to return.
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