Razia Begum
| Razia Begum | |
|---|---|
 Advertisement from The Bombay Chronicle (15 March 1924) | |
| Directed by |
|
| Screenplay by | Nanubhai Desai |
| Story by | Nanubhai Desai |
| Starring | |
Production company | Majestic Film |
Release date |
|
| Country | British India |
| Language | Silent |
Razia Begum (transl. 'Queen Razia')[1] is a 1924 Indian silent historical[2] film co-directed by B. P. Mishra and Nanubhai Desai,[3] the latter of whom also wrote the story and screenplay.[2] Produced under the banner of Majestic Film, it starred Raja Sandow and Jilloo.[2] The film marked Mishra's directorial debut.[4]
Based on the life of the 13th century historical ruler Razia Sultan, the film depicted the Muslim queen falling in love with a Hindu man.[5][6][7] Made during the colonial rule of India, it employed an anti-colonial discourse to promote nationalism and communal harmony among the masses.[8] It was the first of several Indian films to portray Razia Sultan on screen, preceding Razia Sultana (1961) and Razia Sultan (1983).[9]
Razia Begum was passed by the Bombay Censor Board in March 1924,[10] and was a commercial success when released in Bombay.[11] However, the film was refused censor certification in Punjab, Delhi, the United Provinces, Bihar and Orissa on the grounds that it was "immoral, indecent and offensive to Mohammedans".[1][10][11]
The controversy intensified after a distributor, Dhirendra Nath Ganguly, exhibited the film at a theatre in the Muslim princely state of Hyderabad, leading the Nizam's government to order Ganguly and his associates to leave the state within twenty-four hours.[11] The incident resulted in the closure of Ganguly's Lotus Film Company.[5]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Vasudev, Aruna (1978). Liberty and Licence in the Indian Cinema. Vikas. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-7069-0625-7.
- 1 2 3 Chabria, Suresh; Usai, Paolo Cherchi (1994). Light of Asia: Indian Silent Cinema, 1912-1934. Wiley Eastern. p. 96. ISBN 978-81-224-0680-1.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 2014, p. 638.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 2014, p. 147.
- 1 2 Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 2014, p. 19.
- ↑ Norton, James H. K. (1999). India and South Asia. Dushkin/McGraw-Hill. p. 168. ISBN 978-0-07-024954-7.
- ↑ American Cinematographer. ASC Holding Corporation. 1989. p. 33.
- ↑ Karmakar, Goutam; Catterall, Pippa (3 November 2025). Nation, Nationalism and Indian Hindi Cinema. Taylor & Francis. pp. 2: 102. ISBN 978-1-040-71150-7.
- ↑ Monter, William (24 January 2012). The Rise of Female Kings in Europe, 1300-1800. Yale University Press. p. 288. ISBN 978-0-300-17807-4.
- 1 2 Garga, Bhagwan Das (1996). So Many Cinemas: The Motion Picture in India. Eminence Designs. p. 38. ISBN 978-81-900602-1-9.
- 1 2 3 Bose, Mihir (9 May 2008). Bollywood: A History. Roli Books. p. 106. ISBN 978-93-5194-045-6.
Sources
[edit]- Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (2014). Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-94318-9.
External links
[edit]- Razia Begum at IMDb