Urdu poet
Urdu poetry ( ur, ) is a tradition of poetry and has many different forms. Today, it is an important part of the cultures of South Asia. According to Naseer Turabi there are five major poets of Urdu which are Mir Taqi Mir (d.1810), Mirza Ghali ...
.
He worked in
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
films, as a writer for a number of classics, from the first
Indian cinema
The Cinema of India consists of motion pictures produced in India, which had a large effect on world cinema since the late 20th century. Major centers of film production across the country include Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, ...
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
nominated ''
Mujhe Jeene Do
''Mujhe Jeene Do'' () is a 1963 Hindi film, directed by Moni Bhattacharjee and written by Aghajani Kashmeri. This dacoit drama stars Sunil Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Nirupa Roy, Rajendranath and Mumtaz.
Shot in the Chambal Valley ravines of ...
'' (1963), to '' Naya Zamana'' (1971). He was known for writing his dialogues in literary
Urdu
Urdu (;"Urdu" '' Salim–Javed
Salim–Javed were an Indian screenwriting duo, composed of Salim Khan and Javed Akhtar, working in Bollywood. They are noted for being the first Indian screenwriters to achieve star status, becoming the most successful Indian screenwriters ...
popularized a more
colloquial
Colloquialism (), also called colloquial language, everyday language or general parlance, is the style (sociolinguistics), linguistic style used for casual (informal) communication. It is the most common functional style of speech, the idiom norm ...
style in the 1970s.
Early life and acting career
Agha Jani Kashmiri was born on 16 October 1908, in
Lucknow
Lucknow (, ) is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is also the second largest urban agglomeration in Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and division ...
, Uttar Pradesh, India. He ran away from home in his late teens to star in an early
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
film, ''Shan e Subhan'' (1933) (variously listed as ''Shan e Subhan'' and ''Shane Subhan'').Agha Jani Kashmiri's filmography on MuVyz.com website Retrieved 10 July 2020 In part, he was inspired by his first cousin, Nawab Kashmiri, also of Lucknow, the best-known character actor in early Indian cinema, with hits such as ''Yahudi ki Ladki'' (Daughter of the Jew), in which Nawab played an elderly Jew. Subsequently, Aghajani returned to
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
, did some small roles and a few lead roles, two of them opposite
Begum Akhtar
Akhtari Bai Faizabadi (7 October 1914 – 30 October 1974), also known as Begum Akhtar, was an Indian singer and actress. Dubbed "Mallika-e-Ghazal" (Queen of Ghazals), she is regarded as one of the greatest singers of ghazal, dadra, and thu ...
. Three of the movies he acted in were ''Miss Manorama'' and ''Anokhi Ada'' and
Bhabhi
Bhabhi may refer to:
* ''Bhabhi'' (1938 film)
* ''Bhabhi'' (1957 film), a 1957 Hindi film
* ''Bhabhi'' (1991 film), a 1991 Hindi film
* ''Bhabhi'' (TV series), a 2002 Hindi TV series aired on StarPlus
* ''Savita Bhabhi
Savita Bhabhi is a ...
- all three films in the 1930s.
Screenwriting
Given his literary upbringing in Urdu – he was a pupil of the famous Urdu poet Arzoo Lackhnavi and was schooled in Urdu literature – Kashmeri joined the film studio
Bombay Talkies
Bombay Talkies was a movie studio founded in 1934. During its period of operation, Bombay Talkies produced 40 movies in Malad, a suburb of the Indian city of Bombay.
The studio was established in 1934 by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. After R ...
, learned screenplay writing with
Himansu Rai
Himanshu Rai (1892 – 16 May 1940), one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, is best known as the founder of the studio in 1934, along with Devika Rani. He was associated with a number of movies, including ''Goddess'' (1922), ''The Light of Asia ...
, and wrote his first movie in the early 1930s. It was directed by German director Franz Osten, who worked in Bombay Talkies at the time. The movie, named ''
Vachan
''Vachan'' (Hindi: वचन English: Word) is a 1955 Indian Bollywood film directed by Raj Rishi and produced by Devendra Goel. The film stars Geeta Bali and Rajendra Kumar in lead roles.
The film marked the debut of composer Ravi. It was also ...
'' (1938), proved successful and Kashmeri went on to write more than 50 movies.
Personal life
In Bombay (now
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — List of renamed Indian cities and states#Maharashtra, the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' fin ...
) he and his wife lived with their sons Zuhair Kashmeri and Sarwar Kashmeri. He wrote for Bollywood producer-directors including Subodh Mukherjee, Sashadhar Mukherjee, Sunil Dutt,
Mehboob Khan
Mehboob Khan (born Mehboob Khan Ramzan Khan; 9 September 1907 at filmreference.com. – 28 ...
,
Himanshu Rai
Himanshu Rai (1892 – 16 May 1940), one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, is best known as the founder of the studio in 1934, along with Devika Rani. He was associated with a number of movies, including ''Goddess'' (1922), ''The Light of Asia ...
of
Bombay Talkies
Bombay Talkies was a movie studio founded in 1934. During its period of operation, Bombay Talkies produced 40 movies in Malad, a suburb of the Indian city of Bombay.
The studio was established in 1934 by Himanshu Rai and Devika Rani. After R ...
, Franz Osten,
Pramod Chakravorty
Pramod Chakravorty (15 August 1929 – 12 December 2004) was an Indian Hindi film producer and director.
Career
Chakravorty is best known for directing Hindi film classics like ''Ziddi'', '' Love in Tokyo'', '' Tumse Achcha Kaun Hai'' in roman ...
; and actors
Ashok Kumar
Kumudlal Ganguly (13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), better known by his stage name Ashok Kumar and also by Dadamoni, was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema and who was a member of the cinematic Ganguly family.
He ...
, Veena,
Devika Rani
Devika Rani Choudhuri (30 March 1908 – 9 March 1994), usually known as Devika Rani, was an Indian actress who was active in Hindi films during the 1930s and 1940s. Widely acknowledged as the first lady of Indian cinema, Devika Rani ha ...
,
Noor Jehan
Noor Jehan ( Punjabi: ) (born () Allah Rakhi Wasai ; 23 September 1926 – 23 December 2000; sometimes spelled Noorjehan),Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema,'' British Film Institute, Oxford University Pres ...
,
Suraiya
Suraiya Jamal Sheikh (15 June 1929 – 31 January 2004), popularly known by the mononym Suraiya, was a popular actress and playback singer in India's Hindi-language films. She was active from 1936 to 1963, and was the most celebrated actress ...
, Sadhana,
Saira Banu
Saira Banu (born 23 August 1944) is a former Indian actress who mainly worked in Hindi language films. She was one of the most popular actresses in her heyday in the Indian film industry in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Career
Saira Banu was the ...
,
Joy Mukherjee
Joy Mukherjee (24 February 1939 – 9 March 2012) was an Indian actor and director. He was titled as the 'heart throb of the 1960s and 1970s'.
Family background
Joy Mukherjee was the son of Sashadhar Mukherjee and Sati Devi. His father was a ...
, Shammi Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and
Nimmi
Nawab Bano (18 February 1933 – 25 March 2020), better known by her stage name Nimmi, was an Indian screen actress who achieved stardom in the 1950s and early 1960s in Hindi films. She was one of the leading actresses of the "golden era" of Hin ...
.
Death and legacy
Agha Jani Kashmiri died on 27 March 1998. His son Zuhair Kashmeri is a journalist in Canada.
Tumse Achha Kaun Hai
''Tumse Achha Kaun Hai'' () is a 1969 Romantic-Comedy Drama Indian film, written by Sachin Bhowmick and produced-directed by Pramod Chakravorty. The film starred Shammi Kapoor, Babita, Mehmood, Lalita Pawar and Pran. The music was composed b ...
'' (1969) (dialogue)
* ''
Love in Tokyo
''Love In Tokyo'' is a 1966 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed and produced by Pramod Chakravorty. The film was a hit at the box office.
Plot
A young man Ashok's (Joy Mukherjee) mother makes him go to Tokyo, Japan in search of h ...
'' (1966) (dialogue)
* ''
April Fool
April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day is an annual custom on 1 April consisting of practical jokes and hoaxes. Jokesters often expose their actions by shouting "April Fools!" at the recipient. Mass media can be involved in these pranks, which may ...
'' (1964) (dialogue)
* ''
Gazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
'' (1964) (writer)
* ''
Ziddi ''Ziddi'' may refer to:
* ''Ziddi'' (1948 film), a Hindi film
* ''Ziddi'' (1964 film), a film by Pramod Chakravorty
* ''Ziddi'' (1973 film), a Pakistani film in Punjabi language
* ''Ziddi'' (1997 film), an Indian action film starring Sunny Deol and ...
'' (1964) (dialogue)
* ''
Mujhe Jeene Do
''Mujhe Jeene Do'' () is a 1963 Hindi film, directed by Moni Bhattacharjee and written by Aghajani Kashmeri. This dacoit drama stars Sunil Dutt, Waheeda Rehman, Nirupa Roy, Rajendranath and Mumtaz.
Shot in the Chambal Valley ravines of ...
'' (1963) (written by)
* ''
Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke
''Yeh Rastey Hain Pyar Ke'' () is a 1963 Hindi film starring Sunil Dutt and Leela Naidu in the lead roles. This film was Sunil Dutt's debut production, directed by R.K. Nayyar, with music composed by Ravi.
Premise
Dutt's favourite writer A ...
'' (1963) (written by)
* ''
Junglee
Junglee may refer to:
* ''Junglee'' (1961 film), an Indian film
* ''Junglee'' (2009 film), a Kannada-language Indian film
* ''Junglee'' (2019 film), a Hindi-language Indian film
* Junglee.com, a defunct e-commerce website by Amazon.com
*Junglee, a ...
'' (1961) (dialogue)
* ''
Love in Simla
''Love In Simla'' is a 1960 Indian romance film, produced by Sashadhar Mukherjee and his Filmalaya production house. Directed by R. K. Nayyar, who co-wrote the script with Agha Jani, the film had the producer's son, Joy Mukherjee, in the lead r ...
Amar
Amar may refer to:
People
Given name
* Amar (British singer) (born 1982), British Indian singer born Amar Dhanjal
* Amar (Lebanese singer) (born 1986), born Amar Mahmoud Al Tahech
* Amar Bose (1929–2013), Founder of Bose Corporation
* Amar Gup ...
Anmol Ghadi
Anmol Ghadi (English translation: Precious Watch
) is a 1946 Indian drama film directed by Mehboob Khan, starring Surendra, Suraiya and Noor Jehan.
The film was a musical hit and still remembered for its music by Naushad, with hits like "Aawaaz ...
'' (1946) (writer)
* ''
Humayun
Nasir-ud-Din Muhammad ( fa, ) (; 6 March 1508 – 27 January 1556), better known by his regnal name, Humāyūn; (), was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire, who ruled over territory in what is now Eastern Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northe ...
'' (1945) (writer)
* ''
Lal Haveli
Lal Haveli (Urdu: ) is a historic haveli located in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. It is also the political centre for the Pakistani politician Sheikh Rashid Ahmad.
History
The haveli was built by Dhan Raj Sehgal who left for India leaving the Haveli to ...
'' (1945) (dialogue)
* ''
Vachan
''Vachan'' (Hindi: वचन English: Word) is a 1955 Indian Bollywood film directed by Raj Rishi and produced by Devendra Goel. The film stars Geeta Bali and Rajendra Kumar in lead roles.
The film marked the debut of composer Ravi. It was also ...