Ragini Passed Away, Ragini the 'Aaho Chashm' Options

[Inaam]

Film actress Ragni, popularly known as Aahu Chashm Ragni, passed away in Lahore on Tuesday after a protracted illness. She was 85, Pakistan Television reported.

She played versatile roles in a number of films. Her famous films are Shah Jahan, Daasi, Shirin Farhad, Nek Parveen, Naila and Anarkali.

Pic courtesy: Jamal Akber

[surhall]

very sad newsone & best her time as herone 1940 .
i have news paper cuting with me.
R a g n i

For Her Eyes Only!

The upturned curves of those eyes had magic in them. On top of that (literally!), her eyebrows accentuated that affect. Aahoo Chashm Ragni, as she was called in the cinema world, took the world by ~ storm, when she first appeared on the silver screen, back in the early 1940s.
Ragni was born Shamshad Begum, in 1923, at Gujranwala, in a bazaar, where, to quote that great sage, Agha Hashar, "Days are dormant and nights wide awake." Her mother named her Shamshad Begum, and her father, Seth Diwan Parmanand, happily allowed a Muslim name. But, her mother died during her childhood, and Diwan took this young girl from Gujranwala to Lahore. Even this early, Ragni had the looks that made her noticeable. In those days, the classical sense of beauty was quite different. Large, sparkling eyes and a fair complexion was enough for any girl in the films to be termed beautiful. Aahoo Chashm Ragni and Pari Chehra Naseem (Saira Bano's mother) were both considered the epitome of beauty, although young people question those attributes today as "just average".
Ragni was not able to go to school for undisclosed reasons, although she had a happy childhood. Diwan Sahab's good friend, Roop K. Shod was a well known film maker, and one day, while visiting his house, he noticed the girl child. "Isn't she cute?" he said. "She has the looks of a fine film actress." Although Diwanjee had some reservations about allowing the girl to join the industry, Shod pledged that he would look after her at every step of the shootings. In those days, there were very few girls in the industry. To find a seventeen year old girl as the heroine meant that you had hit the jackpot. Shod cast Shamshad as Ragni, in Kamla Movietones' Punjabi film, Dulla Bhatti in 1940. M.D. Kunwar was the hero, while Ragni played Nooran in the film. It was a hit and people were spellbound by her charm. Her next film, Sehti Murad did not make such a bang. Later, she worked in many films before Partition, including Poonji, Kaise Kahoon, Dasi, Shirin Farhad and others. In A.R. Kardar's film, Shahjahan, Ragni played Mumtaz Mehel, while her first hero, M. D. Kunwar, who had done Dulla Bhatt’s role, characterized Shahjahan with great aplomb. Kunwar was so enamoured of Ragni that he had requested Kardar for the role, to be close to Ragni. Unfortunately, Ragni did not respond to his romantic advances, and Kunwar sank himself in perpetual drunkenness, which led to his getting infected by tuberculosis and his death soon after that.
After Kardar’s Shahjhan, Ragni did a few more films before Partition, namely Nek Parveen, Farz, etc. Amongst these, director Narinjan's film, Farz was Sudhir's first film too, and Ragni played the lead with him. Ragni was welcomed with open arms in Pakistan. She worked as the heroine in films like Mundri, Akeli, Nazrana, Beqarar, Shararey, Mumtaz and Zanjeerin Pakistan. I still remember that Radio Pakistan , during its creative days, used to play the hit songs of Beqarar, Naukar and Bedari in the 1960s. The song from producer S. Gul and director NazeerAjmeri's 1950 film, Beqararis still played on the radio. It is phrased Dil ko laga ke kaheen thokar na khana. It was sung by Ali Bux Zahoor and Munawwar Sultana, and remains one of the earliest hit duets of our films. Ragni was an expressive character actress, who did a variety of roles in films like Husn o Ishq, Anarkali, and Aab e Hayat She made a perfect Mumtaz Mehel in Naseem usSaqlain's Taj Mehel, although she wore a half veil in some of the scenes. It was a remarkable spectacle, but flopped because the local audience could not understand its historical significance. A huge expense to uplift it, with superb costumes, apart from the details taken care of during the royal procession shown in the film, are its high point. Ragni was able to use her arching eyebrows and expressive eyes brilliantly in Taj Mehel. Much has been written about her intimacy with famous producer, S. Gul, but he always maintained and proved by his actions that he had sympathy and reverence for her and shared her grief and heart felt fondness for the good times she had spent in the undivided India. Ragni is alive and well, and lives in Lahore. A couple of years ago, it was nice to see her at the Nigar Awards, where she was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for her services towards cinema

god help to all.
dhall

[Inaam]

Thank you very much, Dhall ji, for sharing this article. It is wonderful indeed. BTW what is the source of this article? When and in which newspapper it was published?

Can anyone share more articles and pictures?

[noorie]

She was wonderful in Shahjehan. May her soul rest in peace. Ameen.

[bawlachintu]

One of the most expressive pair of eyes she had!

[surhall]

Thank you very much, Dhall ji, for sharing this article. It is wonderful indeed. BTW what is the source of this article? When and in which newspapper it was published?

Can anyone share more articles and pictures?

I have this picture now see, if i have more news soon u/l



thanks,
dhall