Because the movie clocked 63 years as we speak, Okay Asif’s grandson Javed Siddiqui has shared some attention-grabbing anecdotes with ETimes concerning the time when Mughal-e-Azam was launched in theatres and the way he had witnessed the frenzy among the many viewers.
“It was fifth August 1960. I used to be new to Bombay and was working in a newspaper. I bought to know that the movie was releasing in Maratha Mandir which was additionally a brand new theatre at the moment. My editor instructed me to cowl that occasion. Our workplace was in Byculla and Maratha Mandir was fairly close by so I fortunately went there,” Siddiqui recalled.
He continued, “What I noticed was that there was no likelihood to maneuver forward from the Membership Again street. The entire space was so jampacked that you simply couldn’t even muscle your manner out from the group. The identical was the case on the opposite aspect until Lamington Street and Saat Rasta. There have been rumours that every one the celebs had come to Maratha Mandir and the movie’s print was going to reach on an elephant. It was a totally new factor. There was a Navy band enjoying and your entire surrounding space was lit up.”
“I attempted to not less than attain the street from the place the juloos was going to go. All of a sudden, there have been shouts of the juloos arriving and in just a few moments I didn’t know the place had been my spectacles, sneakers, and so forth. After I composed myself I bought to know that the police had began to thwart individuals away. So, I got here again and filed information with some spice,” he added.
In these 63 years, Siddiqui stated that he bought to learn about Mughal-e-Azam and Okay Asif. He met lots of people who knew Okay Asif and the movie up shut. He feels lucky to have gotten the chance to speak to Wajahat Mirza who was the dialogue author of the movie.
“I believe writers ought to watch Mughal-e-Azam repeatedly as a result of it’s writers’ bible. I’ve realized quite a bit from it, particularly learn how to say one thing extra impactful in fewer phrases,” he added.
Siddiqui then went on to share what Dilip Kumar had shared with him about Okay Asif. He talked concerning the incident when Okay Asif had gone to relate the story to Prithviraj Kapoor and Meena Kumari and the way each of them felt that it was their movie.
“Dilip Kumar used to fondly discuss Okay Asif. He narrated one incident that exhibits that not solely he was appreciative of poets, however he himself was additionally an excellent story narrator. When he narrated the script to Prithviraj Kapoor, the actor was very excited to play the titular position and he agreed. Okay Asif stated that he needed to solid Meena Kumari to solid within the movie. She used to remain at Janki Kutir in these days. So, Naushad, Prithviraj Kapoor, and Okay Asif went to fulfill Meena Kumari. Okay Asif defined the position of Anarkali and the entire story to Meena Kumari. After the two-hour narration, after they stepped out, Prithviraj Kapoor requested Okay Asif, ‘What am I doing within the movie?’ Simply think about how sensible a narrator he will need to have been. When he narrated the story to Kapoor he thought the movie was his, and when he narrated to Kumari she felt that it was her movie,” Siddiqui concluded.