Love, Loss & Lores: Romancing Mirza-Sahiban On The Silver Screen

The tragic love story has been adapted to film since the silent era.

The legend of Mirza-Sahiban, much like Romeo-Juliet, Laila-Majnu and Sohni-Mahiwal, has been part of popular folklore for as long as one can remember. Originally part of an oral tradition, the story of the star-crossed lovers was composed by the 17th century poet Peelu and documented first by RC Temple, a captain of the British army who also happened to be deeply interested in folklore.

With the advent of the movies Mirza Sahiban was an obvious choice of subject with its range of love, loss, drama and tragedy. The first known adaptation was way back in 1929 - a silent film directed by Bhagwati Prasad Mishra and starring Mehar Banu and PR Joshi.

There have been a number of adaptations on the silver screen since in both in India and Pakistan. Even as we gear up to watch Mirzya, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and starring Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher, here’s a throwback to the movies that have kept the love story alive through the years.

Mirza Sahiban (1939)

This 1939 Punjabi adaptation was the debut directorial of acclaimed lyricist DN Madhok and produced by the iconic Ranjit Movietone. And it stands out for two reasons. First, it starred Zubeida, who was the first Indian ‘talking’ film actress, having acted in Alam Ara. In Mirza Sahiban, she aced the role of Sahiban, with Zahur Raja playing Mirza.

Mirza Sahiban was also legendary music composer Naushad’s first big break in Bollywood. Madhok appointed him as an assistant music director for the film with a salary of Rs 75 a month.

Mirza Sahiban was a sensational box office hit and I became a permanent employee on the Ranjit roster.

Naushad, Music composer

Mirza Sahiban (1947)

Mirza Sahiban was the fourth highest grossing film in 1947 and did business of around Rs 35 lakh. It was also the last film in which Noor Jehan, the legendary Malika-e-Tarannum, starred in undivided India before moving to Pakistan post Partition. Directed by K Amarnath, the film had Noor Jehan playing Sahiban to Trilok Kapoor’s (the Kapoor scion Prithviraj Kapoor’s brother) Mirza.

The film leaned heavily on Noor Jehan’s stardom and singing skills. Pandit Amarnath’s musical score was one of its pillars with numbers like Haath Seene Pe Jo Rakh Kar, Rut Rangeeli Aayi, Aaja Tujhe Afsana Judai Ka and Saamne Gali Mein Mera Ghar Hai, adding to the poignancy of the tale.

Mirza Sahiba (1957)

Interestingly, the next adaptation of the folklore also starred a Kapoor descendant. Directed by Ravi Kapoor, the 1957 flick starred Shammi Kapoor - then a struggling starlet - as Mirza with Shyama as Sahiban. The film was a box office dud despite the popularity of the number Tabiyat Thik Thi in Lata Mangeshkar’s magical voice, and Shammi had to wait for his next film Tumsa Nahi Dekha, which released in the same year, to be catapulted to stardom.

Mirza Jat (1967)

One of the most successful Pakistani films in the ’60s, Mirza Jat starred the beautiful Firdous and Ejaz Durrani in the lead roles. Durrani became a superstar in Punjabi cinema after playing Mirza in the 1967 film and it marked the beginning of the Firdous-Durrani era (their chemistry soon spilled into their personal lives, creating a rift between Durrani and his wife Noor Jehan). The music of Mirza Jat by Rashid Attre was a huge hit too, with Noor Jehan doing the playback for the traditional folk love song Mirza Suraan in the film.

Mirza: The Untold Story (2012)

A contemporary adaptation of the famous love story, this Punjabi production was directed by Baljit Singh Deo and stars musician-turned-actor Gippy Grewal and Mandy Takhar in the lead roles along with a cameo by rapper Honey Singh.

Set against the backdrop of the Vancouver underworld, Mirza here is an undercover cop who infiltrates a drug cartel run by Sahiban’s brothers. A slick production shot in Canada, the film went on to become a box office superhit - despite negative reviews about the performances of the lead actors.