Ragni (actress) explained

Ragni
Birth Name:Shamshad Begum
Birth Date:22 October 1924
Birth Place:Gujranwala, Punjab, British India
Death Place:Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Alias:Almond-eyed Beauty
Resting Place:Gulberg gaveyard Lahore[1]
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:1940 – 1983
Parents:Diwan Parmanand (father)
Spouse:
    Children:Abid (son)
    Saira (daughter)

    Ragni (born Shamshad Begum; 22 October 1924 – 27 February 2007), also known as Shaado, was a Pakistani actress. She worked in Urdu and Punjabi films under her stage name Ragni. She also worked in Hindi films in cinema of India.[2] She was known for her beautiful doe like eyes and was known as Almond-eyed Beauty. Ragni is considered to be the highest-paid actress of her time in the 1940s, being paid 1 lakh rupees by AR Kardar for her role in Shahjehan.[3]

    Early life

    Ragini was born as Shamshad Begum in Gujranwala in 1924. Her mother died when Ragni was very young and her father Seth Diwan Parmanand took her with him to Lahore and they lived at a house on Fleming Road. In Lahore filmmaker Roshan Lal Shorey was a neighbour of Ragni and noticed her and convinced Diwan to let Ragni act in films.

    Career

    She started her acting career in a film which launched by Roop K Shorey in the Punjabi film Dulla Bhatti (1940) opposite MD Kanwar. The film was a major success and Ragni became a star overnight. Ragni went on to act in several Lahore based productions in Hindi and Punjabi like Sehti Murad (1941), Nishani (1942), Ravi Par (1942), Poonji (1943), Daasi (1944) and Kaise Kahun (1945).

    In 1945, she left Lahore for Bombay and teamed up with A. R. Kardar. In 1946, she played the titular role in S. M. Yusuf's Nek Pervin. The film was successful at the box office and consolidated her position as a leading actress.[4] Following the success of Nek Pervin, she was approached by Kardar to play Ruhi in Shahjehan. It is said that she was paid rupees one lakh for the film, making her the highest-paid actress of that time.

    After Partition Ragni chose to move to Pakistan but has also done a couple of Indian movies which did not fare well.

    In 1949 she work in her first Punjabi film, Mundri (1949) with Ilyas Kashmiri. Then she worked in films Akaili, Nazrana, Baydari, Kundan and Zanjeer. She also successfully performed a number of character roles in films such as Husn-o-Ishq, Gumnaam, Ghulam, Duniya Na Maane, Mirza Jat and Aab-i-Hayat.

    In 1958, she appeared as the antagonist Dilaram in Anarkali with Noor Jehan and Shamim Ara. Later she worked in film Noukar which was a hit film. Ragni worked in a number of sixty films during her career that spanned some years.

    Personal life

    Ragni's married Mohammad Aslam in the early 1940s, the marriage did not last long but she had two children from her first marriage, Saira and Abid.[5] She again got married in Pakistan in 1947 to S. Gul who produced and co-starred opposite her in Beqarar and her son Abid died from cancer some years ago in USA and her daughter Saira got married and moved to Karachi.[6]

    Illness and death

    After the death of her husband Ragni did not marry again and lived in Gulberg although she remained in contact with her daughter Saira.[5] Ragni was deeply sad about the death of her son and it affected her health.[2] Ragni was admitted at Services Hospital on Tuesday morning.[5] She died on 27 February because she was in an extremely serious condition while she was in hospital at age 82 in 2007.[5] She was laid to rest at Gulberg graveyard Ali-Zeb road Lahore.[7]

    Filmography

    Film

    YearFilmLanguage
    1940 Dulla Bhatti Punjabi[8]
    1941 Himmat Hindi / Urdu
    1941 Mera Mahi Punjabi
    1941 Sehti Murad Punjabi
    1942 Nishani Hindi / Urdu
    1942 Patwari Punjabi
    1942 Ravi Par Punjabi
    1943 Poonji Hindi
    1944 Dasi Punjabi
    1945 Shirin Farhad Hindi / Urdu[9]
    1945 Dhamki Hindi / Urdu
    1945 Kaisay Kahun Hindi / Urdu
    1946 Nek Pervin Hindi / Urdu
    1946 Bindiya Hindi / Urdu
    1946 Shahjehan Hindi / Urdu[10]
    1947 Manmani Hindi / Urdu
    1947 Farz Hindi / Urdu
    1948 Teri Yaad Urdu
    1949 Mundri Punjabi
    1950 Beqarar Urdu[11]
    1950 Kundan Urdu
    1951 Akaely Urdu[12]
    1953 Ghulam Urdu
    1954 Gumnam Urdu
    1955 Naukar Urdu
    1955 Shararey Urdu
    1955 Nazrana Urdu[13]
    1955 Iltija Urdu[14]
    1957 Bedari Urdu[15]
    1958 Bahar Urdu
    1958 Anarkali Urdu[16]
    1958 Mumtaz Urdu
    1960 Zanjeer Urdu
    1962 Husn-o-Ishq Urdu
    1963 Aurat Ek Kahani Urdu
    1964 Gehra Daagh Urdu[17] [18]
    1964 Haveli Urdu
    1964 Sher Di Bachi Punjabi
    1965 Saaz aur Awaz Urdu
    1965 Naila Urdu[19] [20]
    1966 Jalwa Urdu
    1966 Insan Urdu
    1966 Laado Punjabi[21]
    1966 Banki Naar Punjabi
    1968 Baalam Urdu
    1968 Yaar Dost Punjabi
    1968 Asmat Urdu
    1968 Sonay Ki Chirya Urdu
    1968 Saiqa Urdu
    1968 Chann 14vin Da Punjabi
    1968 Taj Mahal Urdu
    1969 Dildar Punjabi
    1969 Sheran Di Jori Punjabi
    1969 Meri Bhabhi Urdu
    1969 Naaz Urdu
    1969 Dulla Haidri Punjabi[22]
    1969 Tahadi Izzat Da Sawal A Punjabi
    1970 Sayyan Punjabi[23]
    1970 Charda Suraj Punjabi
    1971 Ucha Naa Pyar Da Punjabi
    1971 Dunya Na Manay Urdu[24]
    1971 Ucha Naa Pyar Da Punjabi
    1972 Khalish Urdu
    1972 Sabaq Urdu[25]
    1972 Puttar Hattan Tay Nein Wikday Punjabi
    1972 Sultan Punjabi[26]
    1973 Farz Urdu
    1973 Jhalli Punjabi
    1974 Ishq Mera Naa Punjabi
    1974 Sidha Rasta Punjabi
    1977 Aina Urdu
    1980 Haseena Maan Jaye Gi Urdu
    1983 Ab-e-Hayat Pashto

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Ragni (Shamshad Begum). Pakistani Film Mania. 2 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20170404044455/http://www.filmmania.com.pk/ragini-shamshad-begum/. 4 April 2017. dead.
    2. Web site: Legendary actress Ragni is no more – Business Recorder . Business Recorder – Pakistan's first financial daily. . 2007-03-20 . 2022-01-06.
    3. Web site: Ragni. https://web.archive.org/web/20170705160619/http://cineplot.com/raagni/. cineplot.com website. 25 March 2021. 2 September 2020. 5 July 2017. dead.
    4. Nek Pervin Love-and-Revolver Muslim Romance! . Filmindia . 14 . January 1946 . 2 . 12 April 2023 .
    5. Web site: Ragni is no more. Dawn News. 24 May 2022.
    6. Web site: Ragni (actress in Pakistani and Indian Cinema). https://web.archive.org/web/20150316062449/http://cineplot.com/raagni/. Cineplot. 2 January 2021. 2 December 2020. 16 March 2015. dead.
    7. live. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211208/p4255Rvhn-Q. 2021-12-08. Ragni The Lost Legend Special Program Tum Yad Ho Ragni Begum Life Story Ep 22 . YouTube.
    8. Book: Cinema the World Over, Volumes 1-3. Karachi: K.S. Hosain. 36.
    9. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 24 . 0-19-577817-0.
    10. Web site: Shahjehan (1946). The Hindu. 23 January 2022.
    11. Web site: فلمی و ادابی شخصیات کے سکینڈلز...قسط نمبر 283. Daily Pakistan. February 27, 2022.
    12. Web site: Remembering Santosh Kumar: the first romantic hero of Pakistan — Part I. Daily Times. 13 August 2021.
    13. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 245 . 0-19-577817-0.
    14. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 245 . 0-19-577817-0.
    15. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 246 . 0-19-577817-0.
    16. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 247 . 0-19-577817-0.
    17. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 201 . 0-19-577817-0.
    18. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 253 . 0-19-577817-0.
    19. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 255 . 0-19-577817-0.
    20. Web site: Four successful films that the newly-established Pakistani cinema produced. Daily Times. 23 November 2021.
    21. Web site: Takhleeq — June 2020 keeps up to its traditions. Daily Times. 2 March 2021.
    22. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 265 . 0-19-577817-0.
    23. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 267 . 0-19-577817-0.
    24. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 269 . 0-19-577817-0.
    25. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 273 . 0-19-577817-0.
    26. Book: Gazdar, Mushtaq . Mushtaq Gazdar . 1997 . Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997 . Oxford University Press . 273 . 0-19-577817-0.