Majnu (actor)
Majnu | |
|---|---|
| Born | Harold Lewis November 2, 1913 |
| Died | March 26, 1975 (aged 61) Bombay, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1929 – early 1970s |
| Relatives |
|
Harold Lewis (2 November 1913 – 26 March 1975), known professionally as Majnu, was an Indian actor and director.[1][2]
He was a frequent collaborator of director Roop K. Shorey and was known for portraying comic sidekicks, sometimes with morally ambiguous traits, in Shorey's films.[3]
Majnu was the grandson of Indian preacher Imad ud-din Lahiz, who had converted from Islam to Christianity.[1] Majnu's family was Punjabi Christian and based in Amritsar.[2] His brother was the badminton player George W. Lewis.[4]
Majnu began his career by co-directing and acting in Shorey's production Unlucky Loves (1929), although the film was not commercially released.[5] He gained widespread recognition for playing the titular role in the comedy Majnu (1935), a parody of Layla and Majnun.[6][7] The film was a critical and commercial success and inspired him to adopt "Majnu" as his screen name.[7][8]
Majnu subsequently appeared in both Hindi- and Punjabi-language films, including Himmat (1941), Shalimar (1946), Chaman (1948), Ek Thi Larki (1949), and Ek Do Teen (1953).[1] He also ventured into film direction with Paapi (1943) and went on to direct more than ten films until 1960, including Badnami (1946).[9]
Acting credits
[edit] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Unlucky Loves | Also director; did not receive a commercial release | [5] | |
| 1931 | Kismet Ke Here Phere | Silent film | [10] | |
| 1935 | Majnu[1] | Majnu | [8] | |
| 1939 | Khuni Jadugar | [11] | ||
| 1941 | Himmat[1][9] | [12] | ||
| 1941 | Nishani[1][9] | [13] | ||
| 1945 | Din Raat | [14] | ||
| 1946 | Badnami[9] | Also director | [15] | |
| 1946 | Shalimar[1][9] | [13] | ||
| 1948 | Chaman[1][9] | [16] | ||
| 1949 | Ek Thi Ladki[1] | Mohan | [17][18] | |
| 194? | Do Saudagar | [15] | ||
| 1950 | Putli[9] | [19] | ||
| 1951 | Sabz Baagh | [20] | ||
| 1951 | Dholak[9] | [18] | ||
| 1951 | Mukhda[9] | [18] | ||
| 1952 | Zamane Ki Hawa | [20] | ||
| 1952 | Shrimatiji | [18] | ||
| 1953 | Ek Do Teen[9] | Hiralal | ||
| 1955 | Jalwa | [18] | ||
| 1955 | Shri Naqad Narayan | [18] | ||
| 1956 | Hum Sab Chor Hain[1][9] | [21] | ||
| 1958 | Chandu[9] | Also director | [22] | |
| 1959 | Bhangra[1][9] | |||
| 1959 | Madam X. Y. Z. | [23] | ||
| 1960 | Return of Mr. Superman | |||
| 1964 | Jagga[1] | Bansa | ||
| 1966 | Chaddian Di Doli[1] | |||
| 1968 | Mere Huzoor | Train passenger | ||
| 1971 | Haseenon Ka Devata | Bhola |
Directorial credits
[edit]| Year | Title | Banner | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Unlucky Loves | — | Silent film co-directed by Roop K. Shorey; did not get a commercial release | [5] | |
| 1943 | Paapi | Hindi | [24] | ||
| 1946 | Humari Galiyan | Shorey Studios | Incomplete film being made in Lahore; abandoned due to migration to Bombay | [25] | |
| 1946 | Badnami[9] | Punjab Film Corporation | [26][15] | ||
| 1954 | Vanjara | Punjabi | [27] | ||
| 1955 | Son of Ali Baba | Hindi | [28] | ||
| Tatar Ka Chor | [29] | ||||
| 1956 | Baghi Sardar[9] | [26] | |||
| Basre Ki Hoor | [30] | ||||
| Mallika | [31] | ||||
| 1957 | Muklawa | Punjabi | [32] | ||
| 1958 | Chandu[9] | Chitra Niketan / N. R. Productions | Hindi | [33][22] | |
| 1960 | Pagdi Samhal Jatta | Punjabi | [24] |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Majnu profile". Indian Cinema Heritage Foundation (Cinemaazi.com) website. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 Ahmed, Ishtiaq (16 June 2023). Pre-Partition Punjab's Contribution to Indian Cinema. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1000905908.
- ↑ Siddique 2022, p. 153.
- ↑ "Mrs. G. Lewis Dead – Mother of Internationally Famous Badminton Star". Civil & Military Gazette. Lahore, Pakistan. 22 September 1949. p. 4.
- 1 2 3 Narwekar 2005, pp. 9, 157.
- ↑ Narwekar 2005, p. 158.
- 1 2 "Majnu 1935 At Globe Talkies". The Bombay Chronicle. 19 July 1936. p. 33. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - 1 2 Siddique 2022, p. 29.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Majnu filmography". Upperstall.com website. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ Chabria & Usai 1994, p. 188.
- ↑ Rangoonwalla & Das 1970, p. 149.
- ↑ Rangoonwalla & Das 1970, p. 163.
- 1 2 Rangoonwalla & Das 1970, p. 175.
- ↑ Rangoonwalla & Das 1970, p. 215.
- 1 2 3 Reuben 2005, p. 398.
- ↑ Gokulsing & Dissanayake 2013, p. 166.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 312.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Siddique 2022, p. 154.
- ↑ Reuben 2005, p. 65.
- 1 2 Reuben 2005, p. 400.
- ↑ Reuben 2005, p. 159.
- 1 2 Reuben 2005, p. 404.
- ↑ Reuben 2005, pp. 404–405.
- 1 2 Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 627.
- ↑ Siddique 2022, p. 31.
- 1 2 Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 580.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 654.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 646.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 649.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 582.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 615.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 621.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 587.
Sources
[edit]- Chabria, Suresh; Usai, Paolo Cherchi (1994). Light of Asia: Indian Silent Cinema, 1912-1934. Wiley Eastern. ISBN 9788122406801.
- Gokulsing, K.; Dissanayake, Wimal (17 April 2013). Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas. Routledge. ISBN 9781136772917.
- Narwekar, Sanjit (2005). Eena Meena Deeka: The Story of Hindi Film Comedy. Rupa. ISBN 9788129108593.
- Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1999). The Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. British Film Institute. ISBN 9780851706696.
- Rangoonwalla, Firoze; Das, Vishwanath (1970). Indian Filmography: Silent & Hindi Films, 1897-1969. J. Udeshi.
- Reuben, Bunny (2005). ...and Pran: A Biography. HarperCollins. ISBN 9788172234669.
- Siddique, Salma (2022). Evacuee Cinema: Bombay and Lahore in Partition Transit, 1940–1960. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781009175524.