Khwaja Ahmad Abbas (7 June 1914 – 1 June 1987), popularly known as
K. A. Abbas, was an Indian film director, novelist,
screenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and a
journalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
in the
UrduUrdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
,
HindiStandard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
and
English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
s. He was the maker of important Hindi films such as
Saat HindustaniSaat Hindustani is a 1969 film written and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. The film portrays the heroic story of seven Indians who attempt to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule. The cast included Utpal Dutt, Madhu, A. K. Hangal and Amitabh Bachchan who made his debut with this film...
(1969) and
Do Boond Pani (1972), both of which won the National Film Award for
Best Feature Film on National IntegrationThe Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration is a National Film Award - Silver Lotus, given to an Indian feature film director, for the best film relating to National Integration in India.The winners of the Award:-References:...
,
Palme d'OrThe Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
nominated (
Cannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
)
Pardesi (1957) and
Shehar Aur SapnaShehar Aur Sapna is 1963 Hindi film directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas.It was based on Abbas's own story, 'One Thousand Nights on a Bed of Stones', which describes the struggle in the life of pavement dwellers in the backdrop of rapid industrialisation.-Awards:* 1964 National Film Award for Best Film*...
(1963), which won the
National Film Award for Best FilmThe National Award for Best Feature film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, India, and was constituted in the year 1954. This is one of the Golden Lotus Awards given among National Film Awards...
.
As a screenwriter, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas is considered one of pioneers of Indian parallel or neo-realistic cinema, having penned films like the
Palme d'OrThe Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
winner at the
Cannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
,
Neecha NagarNeecha Nagar is a 1946 Hindi film directed by Chetan Anand. Written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, this film was a pioneering effort in social realism in Indian cinema, and paved the way for many such 'Parallel Cinema' films by other directors and many of them written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas...
(1946),
Jagte RahoJagte Raho is a 1956 film directed by Amit Maitra and Sombhu Mitra, produced by and starring Raj Kapoor. The film centers on the trials of a poor villager who comes to a city in search of a better life. However, the naive man soon becomes trapped in a web of middle-class greed and corruption...
,
Dharti Ke LalDharti Ke Lal is a 1946 Hindi film and the first directorial venture of the noted film director Khwaja Ahmad Abbas...
,
Awara-Film:*Awaara, a 1951 Hindi film*"Awara Hoon", a hit song from the 1950 film*Aashiq Awara, a 1993 Hindi film*Awara Paagal Deewana, a 2002 Bollywood comedy*Awarapan, a 2007 Indo-Pakistani co-produced film...
,
Saat HindustaniSaat Hindustani is a 1969 film written and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. The film portrays the heroic story of seven Indians who attempt to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule. The cast included Utpal Dutt, Madhu, A. K. Hangal and Amitabh Bachchan who made his debut with this film...
and
Naya SansarNaya Sansar is a 1941 Hindi film on radical journalism, directed by reporter turned director, N. R. Acharya , and written by a journalist himself, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, who started his film career with this film. It won him the Bengal Film Journalists Award for the best story and screenplay.It had...
. Apart from this, he wrote the best of
Raj KapoorKnown as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
films,
AwaaraAwaara is a 1951 Hindi film directed and produced by Raj Kapoor who also plays the leading role. His real-life father Prithviraj Kapoor stars as his on-screen father Judge Raghunath. Kapoor's youngest real-life brother Shashi Kapoor plays the younger version of his character...
, Shri 420Shree 420 is a 1955 Bollywood film directed, produced by and starring Raj Kapoor.The film centers on Raj, a poor, but educated orphan who comes to Bombay with dreams of success...
, Mera Naam JokerMera Naam Joker is a 1970 Hindi film directed by Raj Kapoor. The screenplay was written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. This film was the debut of Rishi Kapoor. Mera Naam Joker is a film about a clown who must make his audience laugh at the cost of his own sorrows. The film is reportedly inspired by Raj...
, BobbyBobby is a 1973 Bollywood film directed by Raj Kapoor. The film was widely popular, and widely imitated. It also represented the film début for Dimple Kapadia and the first leading role for Raj Kapoor's son, Rishi Kapoor....
and
HennaFor other uses see Henna Heena is the name of a 1991 Bollywood film produced and directed by Randhir Kapoor and starring his brother Rishi Kapoor, Ashwini Bhave and Zeba Bakhtiyar also renowned as Neha Seti...
.
His column ‘Last Page’, holds the distinction of being one of the longest-running columns in the history of Indian journalism. The column began in 1935, at
Bombay ChronicleBombay Chronicle was an English-language newspaper, published from Mumbai , started in 1910 by Sir Pherozeshah Mehta , a prominent lawyer, who later became the president of the Indian National Congress in 1890, and a member of the Bombay Legislative Council in 1893.It was an important Nationalist...
, and when it closed, it moved to the
Blitz, where it continued till his death in 1987. He was awarded the
Padma ShriPadma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
in 1969, by
Government of IndiaThe Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
.
Early life and education
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas was born in
PanipatPanipat بَنِبَت is an ancient and historic city in Panipat district, Haryana state, India. It is 90 km north from Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three battles fought at the city were turning points in Indian history. The city is famous in India by the name of "City of...
,
HaryanaHaryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. He was born in the home of celebrated Urdu poet, 'Khwaja Altaf Husain Hali', a student of
Mirza GhalibDabir-ul-Mulk, Najm-ud-Daula Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan , pen-name Ghalib and Asad , was a classical Urdu and Persian poet from India during British colonial rule...
. His grandfather Khwaja Gulam Abbas was one of the chief rebels of the
1857 RebellionThe Indian Rebellion of 1857 began as a mutiny of sepoys of the British East India Company's army on 10 May 1857, in the town of Meerut, and soon escalated into other mutinies and civilian rebellions largely in the upper Gangetic plain and central India, with the major hostilities confined to...
movement, and the first martyr of
PanipatPanipat بَنِبَت is an ancient and historic city in Panipat district, Haryana state, India. It is 90 km north from Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-1. The three battles fought at the city were turning points in Indian history. The city is famous in India by the name of "City of...
to be blown from the mouth of a cannon. Abbas's father Ghulam-Us-Sibtain graduated from Aligarh Muslim University, was a tutor of a prince and a prosperous businessman, who modernised the preparation of Unani medicines. Abbas's mother, 'Masroor Khatoon', was the daughter of Sajjad Husain, an enlightened educationist. Abbas took his early education in 'Hali Muslim High School', which was established by his great grand father Hali. He had his early education till 7th in Panipat. He was instructed to read the Arabic text of the Quran and his childhood dreams swung at the compulsive behest of his father. Abbas completed his matriculation at the age of fifteen. He did his B.A. with English literature in 1933 and LL.B. in 1935 from
Aligarh Muslim UniversityAligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
.
Abbas's family tree goes back to Aiyub Ansari, the companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He was the grandson of Hali, the chief protégé of Urdu poet Ghalib, while Abbas's great grandson is Anwar Azeem, a prominent
MarxistMarxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
journalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and Urdu writer, and father of actor/dancer,
Neelima AzeemNeelima Azeem is an Indian film and TV actress.-Biography :Neelima Azeem's father was Anwar Azeem, a prominent Marxist journalist and Urdu author, who was the grand son of film director, screen writer, Urdu novelist and journalist Khwaja Ahmad Abbas....
, mother of Bollywood sensation
Shahid KapoorShahid Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films. He is also a trained dancer.Starting off his career by working in music videos and advertisements, Kapoor made his Bollywood debut as a background dancer in Subhash Ghai's Taal . Four years later, he made his acting debut in Ishq...
.
Career
Abbas began his career as a journalist, when he joined 'National Call', a
New DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
based paper after his finishing his B.A.. Later while studying law in 1934, started 'Aligarh Opinion', India's first university students' weekly during the pre-independence period.
After completing his education at
Aligarh Muslim UniversityAligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
, Abbas joined the
Bombay ChronicleBombay Chronicle was an English-language newspaper, published from Mumbai , started in 1910 by Sir Pherozeshah Mehta , a prominent lawyer, who later became the president of the Indian National Congress in 1890, and a member of the Bombay Legislative Council in 1893.It was an important Nationalist...
in 1935. He occasionally served a film critic, but after the film critic of the paper died, he was made the editor of the film section.
He entered films as a part time
publicistA publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
for
Bombay TalkiesThe Bombay Talkies Limited was a movie studio produced 102 movies, founded in 1934 in Malad, Bombay , India, by Himanshu Rai, Rajnarayan Dube and Devika Rani along with businessmen like F. E...
in 1936, a production house owned by
Himanshu RaiHimanshu Roy , one of the pioneers of Indian cinema, is best known as the founder of the Bombay Talkies in 1934. He was associated with a number of movies, including Goddess , The Light of Asia , Siraj , A Throw of Dice , and Karma .He was married to actress Devika Rani.-Bombay Talkies:He was...
and
Devika RaniDevika Rani Chaudhuri Roerich was an early Indian movie star.- Career :Born in Waltair , Devika Rani came from a distinguished background: she was the great-grandniece of the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and her father, Col. M. N. Chaudhuri, was the first Indian Surgeon-General of Madras...
, to whom he sold his first screenplay
Naya SansarNaya Sansar is a 1941 Hindi film on radical journalism, directed by reporter turned director, N. R. Acharya , and written by a journalist himself, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, who started his film career with this film. It won him the Bengal Film Journalists Award for the best story and screenplay.It had...
(1941).
While at the
Bombay Chronicle, (1935–1947), he started a weekly column called 'Last Page', which he continued when he joined the Blitz magazine. "The Last Page", (‘Azad Kalam’ in the Urdu edition), thus became the longest-running political column in India's history (1935–87). A collection of these columns was later published as two books. He continued to write for The Blitz and Mirror till his last days.
Meanwhile he had started writing scripts for other directors,
Neecha NagarNeecha Nagar is a 1946 Hindi film directed by Chetan Anand. Written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, this film was a pioneering effort in social realism in Indian cinema, and paved the way for many such 'Parallel Cinema' films by other directors and many of them written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas...
for Chetan Anand and
Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar KahaniDr. Kotnis ki Amar Kahani is a 1946 Indian film made in Hindi as well as English and directed by V. Shantaram. The English version was titled The Journey of Dr. Kotnis.Both the versions starred V. Shantaram in the title role of Dr...
for V. Shantaram.
In 1945, he made his directorial debut with a film based on the
Bengal famine of 1943The Bengal famine of 1943 struck the Bengal. Province of pre-partition India. Estimates are that between 1.5 and 4 million people died of starvation, malnutrition and disease, out of Bengal’s 60.3 million population, half of them dying from disease after food became available in December 1943 As...
,
Dharti Ke LalDharti Ke Lal is a 1946 Hindi film and the first directorial venture of the noted film director Khwaja Ahmad Abbas...
(
Children of the Earth) for the
Indian People's Theatre AssociationIndian People’s Theatre Association was an association of leftist theatre-artists and others mostly based in Kolkata, West Bengal, Mumbai and Assam, India. Its goal was to bring cultural awakening among the people of India. It was the cultural wing of the Communist Party of India...
(
IPTAIPTA can refer to:* Indian People's Theatre Association* International Pulsar Timing Array...
). In 1951, he founded his own production company called Naya Sansar, which consistently produced films that were socially relevant including,
Anhonee,
Munna,
Rahi (1953), based on a
Mulk Raj AnandMulk Raj Anand was an Indian writer in English, notable for his depiction of the lives of the poorer castes in traditional Indian society. One of the pioneers of Indo-Anglian fiction, he, together with R.K...
story, was on the plight of workers on tea plantations, the National Film Award winner,
Shehar Aur SapnaShehar Aur Sapna is 1963 Hindi film directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas.It was based on Abbas's own story, 'One Thousand Nights on a Bed of Stones', which describes the struggle in the life of pavement dwellers in the backdrop of rapid industrialisation.-Awards:* 1964 National Film Award for Best Film*...
(1964) and
Saat HindustaniSaat Hindustani is a 1969 film written and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. The film portrays the heroic story of seven Indians who attempt to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule. The cast included Utpal Dutt, Madhu, A. K. Hangal and Amitabh Bachchan who made his debut with this film...
(1969), which won the
Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National IntegrationThe Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration is a National Film Award - Silver Lotus, given to an Indian feature film director, for the best film relating to National Integration in India.The winners of the Award:-References:...
and is also remembered as Bollywood icon,
Amitabh BachchanAmitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
's debut film.
A prolific writer, and novelist, during his illustrious career spanning five decades, Abbas wrote over 73 books in English, Hindi and Urdu. Abbas was considered a leading light of the Urdu short story. His best known fictional work remains 'Inquilab', based Communal violence, which made him a household name in Indian literature. Like Inquilab, many of his works were translated into many Indian, and foreign languages, like Russian, German, Italian, French and Arabic.
Abbas interviewed several renowned personalities in literary and non-literary fields, including the Russian Prime Minister Khrushchov, American President Roosevelt, Charlie Chaplin, Mao-Tse-Tung and Yuri Gagarin.
He went on to write scripts for
Jagte RahoJagte Raho is a 1956 film directed by Amit Maitra and Sombhu Mitra, produced by and starring Raj Kapoor. The film centers on the trials of a poor villager who comes to a city in search of a better life. However, the naive man soon becomes trapped in a web of middle-class greed and corruption...
, and most of the prominent
Raj KapoorKnown as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
films including
AwaaraAwaara is a 1951 Hindi film directed and produced by Raj Kapoor who also plays the leading role. His real-life father Prithviraj Kapoor stars as his on-screen father Judge Raghunath. Kapoor's youngest real-life brother Shashi Kapoor plays the younger version of his character...
, Shri 420Shree 420 is a 1955 Bollywood film directed, produced by and starring Raj Kapoor.The film centers on Raj, a poor, but educated orphan who comes to Bombay with dreams of success...
, Mera Naam JokerMera Naam Joker is a 1970 Hindi film directed by Raj Kapoor. The screenplay was written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. This film was the debut of Rishi Kapoor. Mera Naam Joker is a film about a clown who must make his audience laugh at the cost of his own sorrows. The film is reportedly inspired by Raj...
, BobbyBobby is a 1973 Bollywood film directed by Raj Kapoor. The film was widely popular, and widely imitated. It also represented the film début for Dimple Kapadia and the first leading role for Raj Kapoor's son, Rishi Kapoor....
and
HennaFor other uses see Henna Heena is the name of a 1991 Bollywood film produced and directed by Randhir Kapoor and starring his brother Rishi Kapoor, Ashwini Bhave and Zeba Bakhtiyar also renowned as Neha Seti...
.
His autobiography,
I Am not an Island: An Experiment in Autobiography, was first published in 1977 and later released in 2010.
Films
- 1964: National Film Award for Best Film
The National Award for Best Feature film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, India, and was constituted in the year 1954. This is one of the Golden Lotus Awards given among National Film Awards...
: Shehar Aur SapnaShehar Aur Sapna is 1963 Hindi film directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas.It was based on Abbas's own story, 'One Thousand Nights on a Bed of Stones', which describes the struggle in the life of pavement dwellers in the backdrop of rapid industrialisation.-Awards:* 1964 National Film Award for Best Film*...
- 1946: Wrote screenplay, for Neecha Nagar
Neecha Nagar is a 1946 Hindi film directed by Chetan Anand. Written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, this film was a pioneering effort in social realism in Indian cinema, and paved the way for many such 'Parallel Cinema' films by other directors and many of them written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas...
, which became the only Indian film to win a Palme d'OrThe Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
(Golden Palm) at the Cannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
.
- 1942: BFJA Awards: Best Screenplay: Naya Sansar
Naya Sansar is a 1941 Hindi film on radical journalism, directed by reporter turned director, N. R. Acharya , and written by a journalist himself, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, who started his film career with this film. It won him the Bengal Film Journalists Award for the best story and screenplay.It had...
(1941)
- 1957 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*André Maurois *Jean Cocteau *Maurice Genevoix *Georges Huisman *Maurice Lehmann *Marcel Pagnol *Michael Powell *Jules Romains...
: Golden Palm: Pardesi: Nominated
- 1964: Maharashtra State Award: Fakira
Fakira is a 1976 Hindi movie produced by N.N. Sippy and directed by C.P. Dixit. The film stars Shashi Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, Asrani, Aruna Irani, Danny Denzongpa, Asit Sen, Ramesh Deo, Madan Puri and Shetty. The music is by Ravindra Jain. The film became a box office hit. The film's team of...
- 1965: International Film Festival Awards (Santa Barbara, USA)): Hamara Ghar
- 1966: Jury Member: 16th Berlin International Film Festival
The 16th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from June 24 to July 5, 1966.-Jury:* Pierre Braunberger * Franz Seitz* Emilio Villalba Welsh* Khwaja Ahmad Abbas* Pier Paolo Pasolini* Lars Forssell* Hollis Alpert...
- 1970: Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration
The Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration is a National Film Award - Silver Lotus, given to an Indian feature film director, for the best film relating to National Integration in India.The winners of the Award:-References:...
: Saat HindustaniSaat Hindustani is a 1969 film written and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. The film portrays the heroic story of seven Indians who attempt to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule. The cast included Utpal Dutt, Madhu, A. K. Hangal and Amitabh Bachchan who made his debut with this film...
- 1972: Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration
The Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration is a National Film Award - Silver Lotus, given to an Indian feature film director, for the best film relating to National Integration in India.The winners of the Award:-References:...
: Do Boond Paani
- 1980: Gold Award for direction: The Naxalites
Literary
Haryana State Robe of Honour for literary achievements in 1969, the prestigious Ghalib Award for his contribution to Urdu prose literature in 1983
Vorosky Literary Award of the Soviet Union in 1984, Urdu Akademi Delhi Special Award 1984, Maharashtra State Urdu Akademi Award in 1985 and the Soviet Award for his contribution to the cause of Indo-Soviet Friendship in 1985.
Filmography
- Naya Sansar
Naya Sansar is a 1941 Hindi film on radical journalism, directed by reporter turned director, N. R. Acharya , and written by a journalist himself, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, who started his film career with this film. It won him the Bengal Film Journalists Award for the best story and screenplay.It had...
(1941) – Screenplay, Story
- Neecha Nagar
Neecha Nagar is a 1946 Hindi film directed by Chetan Anand. Written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, this film was a pioneering effort in social realism in Indian cinema, and paved the way for many such 'Parallel Cinema' films by other directors and many of them written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas...
(1946) - Screenwriter
- Dharti Ke Lal
Dharti Ke Lal is a 1946 Hindi film and the first directorial venture of the noted film director Khwaja Ahmad Abbas...
(1946) - Screenwriter, Director, Producer
- Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani
Dr. Kotnis ki Amar Kahani is a 1946 Indian film made in Hindi as well as English and directed by V. Shantaram. The English version was titled The Journey of Dr. Kotnis.Both the versions starred V. Shantaram in the title role of Dr...
(1946) – Screenwriter, Story
- Aaj Aur Kal
Aaj Aur Kal is a 1947 Indian Hindi language film. The film is directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas.-Music:* "Kaliyon Ko Masalane" - Singer: Naseem Akhtar* "Ao Sathi Ao" - Singer: Zeenat Begum, Imadad Husain* "Pade Ishq Mein" - Singer: Zeenat Begum...
(1947) - Director
- Awara
-Film:*Awaara, a 1951 Hindi film*"Awara Hoon", a hit song from the 1950 film*Aashiq Awara, a 1993 Hindi film*Awara Paagal Deewana, a 2002 Bollywood comedy*Awarapan, a 2007 Indo-Pakistani co-produced film...
(1951) - Screenwriter, Dialogue
- Anhonee (1952) - Screenwriter, Dialogue, Story, Director, Producer
- Rahi 1953 - Director
- Naghma (1953) – Director
- Munna (1954) – Screenwriter, Director, Producer
- Darwaza (1954) - Director
- Baradari (1955)
- Jawab (1955) - Director
- Sabse Bada Rupaiya
Sabse Bada Rupaiya is a 1955 Bollywood film made by P. L. Santoshi, and starring Sunder, Shashikala, Agha, Alhad, and Achla Sachdev.It had songs sung by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar....
(1955)
- Shahzada (1955)
- Shree 420 (1955) – Screenwriter, Dialogue, Story
- Jagte Raho (1956) - Screenwriter
- Jallad (1956) -
- Bada Bhai (1957) –
- Pardesi (1957)– Screenwriter, Director
- Mehfil (1957) - Director
- Hathkadi (1958) - Director
- Zindagi Ya Toofan (1958)
- Chaar Dil Chaar Rahen (1959) – Screenwriter, Dialogue, Director
- Zara Bachke (1959) – Director
- Eid Mubarak (1960) Documentary / Short - Director
- Qatil (1960) – Director
- Gir Game Sanctuary (1961) Documentary - Director
- Flight to Assam (1961) - Director
- Pyar Ki Dastan (1961) – Director
- Gyarah Hazaar Ladkiyan (1962) - Director
- Roop Lekha (1962) - Director
- Maya Mahal (1963) - Director
- Teen Gharaney (1963) - Director
- Shehar Aur Sapna
Shehar Aur Sapna is 1963 Hindi film directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas.It was based on Abbas's own story, 'One Thousand Nights on a Bed of Stones', which describes the struggle in the life of pavement dwellers in the backdrop of rapid industrialisation.-Awards:* 1964 National Film Award for Best Film*...
(1964) – Director, Screenwriter
- Hamara Ghar (1964) - Director
- Tomorrow Shall Be Better (1965) - Director
- Aasman Mahal (1966) – Director
- Dharti Ki Pukaar (1967) Short Film - Director
- Char Shaher Ek Kahani (1968) Documentary - Director
- Bombai Raat Ke Bahon Mein (1968) - Producer
- Saat Hindustani
Saat Hindustani is a 1969 film written and directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. The film portrays the heroic story of seven Indians who attempt to liberate Goa from the Portuguese colonial rule. The cast included Utpal Dutt, Madhu, A. K. Hangal and Amitabh Bachchan who made his debut with this film...
(1970) – Director, Producer
- Mera Naam Joker
Mera Naam Joker is a 1970 Hindi film directed by Raj Kapoor. The screenplay was written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. This film was the debut of Rishi Kapoor. Mera Naam Joker is a film about a clown who must make his audience laugh at the cost of his own sorrows. The film is reportedly inspired by Raj...
(1970) – Screenwriter, Story
- Do Boond Pani (1972) - Director
- Bharat Darshan (1972) Documentary - Director
- Bobby
* nickname of Robert or RobinBobby or Bobbie may refer to:* Bobby , a given name * Bobby , a free online tool used to validate websites* Bobby , an album by Bobby Brown...
(1973) – Screenwriter, Story
- Kal Ki Baat (1973) Short Film - Director
- Achanak
Achanak is a 1973 Hindi film made by Gulzar. Vinod Khanna is in the lead role. It was a bold experiment by Gulzar, which earned him a Filmfare nomination as Best Director. The film has no songs, which is very unusual for a film in Bollywood, as it is the songs that generally contribute to the...
(1973) - Screenwriter
- Juhu (1973) (TV) - Director
- Faasla or Faslah (1974) – Director, Producer
- Papa Miya of Aligarh (1975) Documentary - Director
- Phir Bolo Aaye Sant Kabir (1976) Documentary - Director
- Dr. Iqbal (1978) - Documentary - Director
- The Naxalites (1980) – Screenwriter, Director
- Hindustan Hamara (1983) Documentary / Short - Director
- Love in Goa (1983) - Screenwriter
- Nanga Fakir (1984) (TV) - Director
- Ek Aadmi
Ek Aadmi is 1988 Hindi language movie directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and starring Shabana Azmi, Parikshat Sahni, Tun Tun....
(1988) - Director
- Akanksha (1989) (TV) – Dialogue, Screenplay
- Henna
For other uses see Henna Heena is the name of a 1991 Bollywood film produced and directed by Randhir Kapoor and starring his brother Rishi Kapoor, Ashwini Bhave and Zeba Bakhtiyar also renowned as Neha Seti...
(1991) – Story
Books
- Outside India: The Adventures of a Roving Reporter, Hali Pub. House, Delhi, 1939.
- An Indian looks at America (The Rampart library of good reading), 1943.
- An Indian looks at America, Thacker, Bombay, 1943.
- Tomorrow is ours! A novel of the India of Today; Bombay, Popular Book Depot, 1943.
- "Let India fight for freedom", Bombay, Sound magazine (Publication dept.), 1943.
- Defeat for death: A story without names, Padmaja Publications 1944.
- "...and One Did Not Come Back!", Sound magazine, 1944
- A report to Gandhiji: A survey of Indian and world events during the 21 months of Gandhiji's incarceration, 1944
- Invitation to Immortality: a one-act play, Bombay: Padma Pub., 1944.
- Not all Lies. Delhi: Rajkamal Pub., 1945.
- Blood and stones and other stories. Bombay: Hind Kitabs, 1947
- Rice and other stories, Kutub, 1947
- Kashmir fights for freedom, 1948
- I Write as I Feel, Hind Kitabs, Bombay, 1948
- Cages of freedom and other stories, Bombay, Hind Kitabs Ltd., 1952.
- China can make it: Eye-witness account of the amazing industrial progress in new China, 1952.
- In the Image of Mao Tse-Tung, Peoples Publishing House, 1953
- INQILAB. First Great Novel of the Indian Revolution, Jaico Publishing House
Jaico Publishing House publishes books in a range of subjects, and is a major publisher in India. Jaico was founded in 1946 by Jaman Shah as a book distribution business for U.S. paperback publishers...
, 1958
- Face To Face with Khrushchov, Rajpal & Sons, 1960
- Till We Reach the Stars. The Story of Yuri Gagarin, Asia Pub. House, 1961
- The Black sun and Other stories, Jaico Publishing House
Jaico Publishing House publishes books in a range of subjects, and is a major publisher in India. Jaico was founded in 1946 by Jaman Shah as a book distribution business for U.S. paperback publishers...
, 1963.
- Raat ki bahon mein, Hindi, Radhakr̥ishṇa Prakashan, 1965.
- Indira Gandhi; return of the red rose, Hind Pocket Books, New Delhi, 1966.
- Divided heart, Paradise Publications, 1968
- When Night Falls, 1968.
- Chabili, Hindi, Allahabad, Mitra Prakashan, 1968.
- The most beautiful woman in the world, Paradise Publications, 1968
- Salma aur Samundar, Urdu/Hindi, New Delhi, Komala Pocket Books, 1969.
- Mera Naam Joker, 1970
- Maria, Delhi, Hind Pocket Books, 1971.
- Teen Pahiye, Urdu/Hindi, Delhi, Rajpal & Sons, 1971.
- Bobby, Urdu/Hindi, 1973
- Boy meets Girl, Sterling Publishers, 1973
- That Woman: Her Seven Years in Power; New Delhi, Indian Book Co., 1973
- Jawaharlal Nehru: Portrait of an integrated Indian; New Delhi, NCERT, 1974.
- Fasilah", Urud/Hindi, Hind Pocket Books, Delhi, 1974
- Distant dream, New Delhi, Sterling Pub., 1975.
- The walls of glass: A novel, 1977
- Barrister-at-law: A play about the early life of Mahatma Gandhi, New Delhi, Orient Paperbacks, 1977.
- Men and women: Specially selected long and short stories, 1977
- Mad, mad, mad world of Indian films, 1977
- I Am not an Island: An Experiment in Autobiography, New Delhi, 1977.
- Four Friends, Arnold-Heinemann, New Delhi, 1977.
- 20 March 1977: a day like any other day, Vikas Publishing House, New Delhi, 1978.
- Janata in a jam?, 1978.
- The Naxalites, Lok Publications, 1979.
- Bread, beauty, and revolution: being a chronological selection from the Last pages, 1947 to 1981, Marwah Publications, New Delhi, 1982.
- Nili Sari aur Doosri Kahaniyan̲, Urdu, Maktabah-e-Jamia, New Delhi, 1982.
- The gun and other stories, Arnold-Heinemann, New Delhi, 1985.
- The Thirteenth Victim, Amar Prakashan, 1986.
- The World Is My Village: A Novel With An Index, Ajanta, 1984. ISBN 81-202-0104-3
- Bombay My Bombay: A Love Story of the City, Ajanta Publications/Ajanta Books International, 1987. ISBN 81-202-0174-4
- Indira Gandhi: The Last Post; Bombay, Ramdas G. Bhatkal, 1989
- Defeat for death: a story without names. Baroda: Padmaja Pub., 1994
- How Films Are Made, National Book Trust, 1999, ISBN 81-237-1103-4
- Soney Chandi ke Butt, Urdu, Alhamra, 2001, ISBN 969-516-074-3
For detailed listing :
Books on Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
- Ahmad Hasib - The Novels of Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, Seema. 1987
- Hemendra Singh Chandalia - Ethos of Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, novelist, film-maker, and journalist: A study in social realism, Bohra Prakashan (1996)
- Raj Narain Raz - Khawaja Ahmed Abbas-Ifkar. Guftar, Kirdar, Haryana Urdu Akademi
- Vasudev and Lenglet, eds., Indian Cinema Super-bazaar, Vikas, New Delhi, 1978.
Articles on Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
- Dr. R.G. Mathapati, "Abbas: An Island"
- Indian Film Culture (New Delhi), no. 4, September 1964.
- Film World, vol. 1, no. 10, October 1978.
- Ghish, S., "K. A. Abbas: A Man in Tune with History", Screen (Bombay), 19 June 1987.
- Obituary in Jump Cut (Berkeley, California), no. 33, February 1988.
- Abbas, Communicator of repute, The Dawn, 13 October 2002.
- Shoba S. Rajgopal, The Legacy of Ajitha
- Bollywood Film Script Writers
- Ismat Chughtai, "Bachu", Urdu
- V. P. Sathe, "K.A. Abbas, The Crusader", Filmfare, June 16–30, 1987
External links