Doyen of BENGALI Cinema Saumitra CHATTERJEE : Reminiscences of Bhopal early days : ARUN JOSHI

Doyen of Bangla Cinema, legendary actor who left indelible mark on film scenario of Country, Soumitra Chatterjee will always be remembered as a star in the sky. Will anyone believe I have a brief remeniscence with him !! Even I don’t believe now but it has happened. Narrating this let me take you through memory lanes of Bhopal’s History too.
1959 – Bhopal.
I was in the fifth standard then at Obaidia Middle school (Named after Obaidulla Khan, Elder brother of Bhopal Nawab Hameedulla Khan). The school was located across a large ground of a grand Masque called Taj-ul-Masajid (Crown of Masque). This is India’s largest and Asia’s one of the largest Masques.The ground would fill with tents of Islamic Scholars from world over in an annual event called Ejstima once in a year.
In the winters of 1959, we found some activities across the wall of majestic Tajul Masajid. During the recess we few classmates reached near the site and found that a film was being shot there. All along the wall of mosque, a horse was galloping with rider dressed in medieval era. It was first and rare occaseion for a student of primary classes like me to see a film shooting. The excitement was on high waves. We realized that it was a Bangla Film. Everyone was speaking in Bangla. A director with a peak cap, a camera man, and an extremely handsome young man oozing with charms were surrounded by local Bengalese. There wasnt much crowd but a few Bhopalees were there. One was saying Aree Miyan Ye Hero to Yousuf Bhai ko takkarr de ria he. (Hero is a guy who is competing with Dilip Kumar). We returned home after the classes. Next day in morning news papers we saw the stories on shooting there giving Details on film. The Movie entitled Kshudit Pashaan was being directed by a noted director Tapan Sinha and handsome hero was Soumitra Chatterjee. In the school some of our Bangali freinds would passionately tell us about Bangla films and Sattyajeet Ray.
We also came to know much later in life that shooting of this Movie was facilitated in Bhopal mosque by Tarun Kumar Bhaduri the father of Jaya Bhaduri. He was then correspondent of Statesman at Bhopal and a close freind of Tapan Sinha. Tarun ji would always visit Calcutta and watch Tapan Sinha’s Shooting. Being a well-known respected journalist Tarun Bhaduri could make all the arrangements of film shooting at Bhopal for movie Kshudit Pashaan. Along Tapan Sinha Tarun Bahduri had good relations with Sattyajeet Ray who gave a chance to Jaya Bhaduri to act in the Movie Mahanagar in her school days. Anyway lets get back to the flashback.
It turned out to be a crush and a few of us started bunking our classes to see shooting braving our Headmaster who was very strict. Being a Muslim he disliked shooting in a mosque. Our class fellow Mohd Yunus who was son of a mosque employee would facilitate us close Proximity to see the shooting activity.
Not much spectators would assemble there as it was shooting of Bangla Film. Had it been a Bollywood film the crowds would have been unmanageable. We had Heard the stories about Bhopalees who thronged in thoudands to see shooting of film Naya Daur in the hilly track of Budhni every Day. Bhopalees were thrilled to see their icon Dilip Kumar in a style of Bhopali Tanga wala.
As there wasn’t much crowd we were noticed as a regular visitors by shooting crew. We got mesmerised to see Arundhati Devi the female lead. She looked like a goddess in medieval royal attires.
One day we got near Soumitra Chatterjee who was sitting on a chair. He smiled at us smoothly friendly and called us. In a mixed Hindi Bangla he asked that who we were ? Raising our fingers at school site we told him about us. He enquired about our classes. Then with a funny smile he asked if we were bunking classes to see shooting. We said yes. He said okay bunking classes is fun at times but not at the cost of studdies. Do good study at home and bring good marks. Later he left for a shot. Next day shooting shifted to some other venue probably at Moti Masjid Of Bhopal.
Though Bhopalees didn’t gather for shooting but movie Kshudit Pashaan was screened in Bhopal people rushed to see remembering venues shot in. Some dialogues were Hindi that made story of film easy to understand.
History of this Mosque and and her maker is very interesting. If you watch the Movie you Will find incomplete Minarets of Mosque. A photo is here showing incomplete Minarets. It was so in my school days also with a big ramp.
Bhopal has a unique History as the state was ruled by very powerful four women Nawabs who were daughters in succession from 1819 to 1936. Nawab Qudsia Gohar Begam, Nawab Sikandar jaha Begam, Nawab ShahJahan Begam and Nawab Sultan Jahan Begam as there was no male heir. They were reformers, good administrator, Educated, Liberal and open minded. They started revenue system, postal system, Schools for women and helped the then universities. They contributed money to bring railways to state. Three of them didn’t observed purdah or veil. They would play polo, go for hunting as swords woman and archer. All of them made good buildings in Bhopal. Two of them penned good books. They were well versed with Indian and foreign languages.
Shahjahan Begam like Mughals was very much fond of raising buildings. She started making Taj-ul-Masajid and a imposing palace Tajmahal with a huge complex where she would live.Between these two there is a tank known as Motia Talab. Nawab Begam Shahjahan would go to Mosque in a boat. Tajmahal palace was such a huge complex that hundreds of Sindhi refugees families were settled in 5he rooms and big halls by last Bhopal Nawab Hamidullah Khan in 1947. Shahjahan Begam was rular of Bhopal from 1844 to 1860 and 1868 to 1901. The Mosque making was in the second period. The state was in paucity of funds as Shah Jahan Beggam was not getting well with daughter Sultan Jahan who was Heir. Even she didn’t meet her for many years. She died in 1901 hence minarets remained incomplete. The work on Minarets began in 1970 with funds from world over and completed.
In our school days at any nook and corner of city one could feel the sense of royal regalia with remnants of historical buildings
I am very much thankful to my Journalist friend J P Diwan for providing me photos of Obaidia School.