Renuka Devi Se Khurshid Mirza Tak
By Begum Khurshid Mirza
Translated by Afshin Afzal
Atlantis Publications
ISBN: 978-969-601-450-8
332pp.

Would you believe that a woman who lived in the last century in this part of the world, could be a dedicated housewife, a successful actor, an influential social worker, a writer and an ideal grandmother, all at the same time?

Yes, that was Begum Khurshid Mirza, who had a prosperous career in the film industry of united India as Renuka Devi, an enviable marriage with a senior police official that stretched over 35 years, and a late innings as a character actor on Pakistan Television, where she played some unforgettable roles.

Translated from A Woman of Substance: The Memoirs of Begum Khurshid Mirza, by Afshin Afzal, Renuka Devi Se Khurshid Mirza Tak is a history book as well as an autobiography of a remarkable woman and artist. It was published originally in English, serialised in the monthly Herald, which later got converted in book form.

Even though she lived from 1918 to 1989, the book first takes you back to the final days of Mughal rule, where one of Khurshid’s ancestors was employed at the court of Bahadur Shah Zafar. You are treated to an insight into the social conditions and lifestyle of Muslims in India over the centuries, which provides some context to Khurshid’s own life and times.

An Urdu translation of the English memoirs of famous yesteryear actor Begum Khurshid Mirza paints a remarkable life lived to the fullest but is also a telling of history

Born in 1918 to Begum Waheed Jahan and Shaikh Abdullah, founder of the Aligarh Women’s College, Khurshid got married to Akbar Mirza, a police officer, at an early age. There is a separate chapter in the book about her father, who dedicated his life to the education of girls.

An educationist, a reformer and a lawyer, he was born as Thakur Das in a Kashmiri family, but contributed most to the cause of women’s education in India. There is another chapter on Khurshid’s remarkable eldest sister, the famous Dr Rashid Jahan. She was also a well-known Urdu writer and member of the Progressive Writers’ Movement, who was married to writer Mahmud-uz-Zafar. Abdullah Lodge of Aligarh, their ancestral home, also has a special place in the book.

Khurshid was married while still in her teens. The anecdotes of her as a young wife would bring a smile to any reader’s face. The budding romance, unheard of in those days, led to marvellous chemistry between the husband and wife. Whatever little problems they encountered remind the reader of issues faced by any normal couple.

In what millennials consider the ‘black and white’ days, Khurshid, along with her husband, spent a life full of colour. They would go hunting, play sports and arrange picnics. And when she got the chance to work in films, she had the full support of her husband. She was in her twenties then and she was given the screen-name ‘Renuka Devi’.

Those were the days when there was no concept of playback singing. The actors had to sing their own songs. Khurshid’s brother, Mohsin Abdullah, used to work for Bombay Talkies, where a meeting with Devika Rani, the owner of Bombay Talkies, turned Khurshid into a star. She was named after Devika Rani’s deceased sister and mostly acted in films produced by Bombay Talkies.

‘Renuka’ acted opposite Ashok Kumar, Masud Pervaiz (of Heer Ranjha fame) and Ishwar Lal in films, which were made during World War II. Why she was called ‘Bhabi’ by the bad guy of post-1960s’ cinema, Pran, is also explained in the book.

The difference between the style and approach of filmmakers of Bombay, Poona and Lahore and the working environment there has been described brilliantly. In 1944, after working for over seven years, Khurshid bid farewell to films and, by 1948, she was settled in Pakistan. The chapter where she recalls the Karachi of October 1947 gives a clear picture of what the country’s largest city looked like at the time.

Khurshid had a close association with Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan, who she knew as ‘Miss Rana’ from her school days. After the creation of Pakistan, she remained deeply engaged with the All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA) and contributed to many worthy causes.

Subsequently settling down in Quetta, she stayed in the Balochistan capital for over a decade. The way she stopped a plane by standing on the runway, to return to Karachi, makes one realise her mischievous nature. From the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan in 1951 to the relocation of the capital to Islamabad in 1968, the book connects well with the background political scenario.

It was after her husband’s passing in 1971, when her children had also settled down, that she was offered an acting role in PTV’s Kiran Kahani. The writer of that serial, Hasina Moin, was quite impressed by Khurshid’s acting. She made sure that she was there in all of her subsequent plays.

Be it Zair Zabar Paish, Uncle Urfi, Dhund or Parchhaiyaan, her first colour serial, she always had a special role in Moin’s serials. Even Akka Bua in Zair Zabar Paish was based on her real life maternal aunt, who Khurshid and her cousins referred to as Akka Bi.

Fatima Surraiya Bajiya also provided her a fresh opportunity to express her theatrical talents, casting her in the long-play Maasi Sharbatay and TV serials such as Afshaan, Aagahi and Ana. She was one of the most respected TV actors until she decided to call it quits in 1984.

A recipient of the Presidential Pride of Performance Award in 1985, Begum Khurshid Mirza’s memoirs end that year only, after she gets the award. She was keeping ill health even then and eventually passed on four years later, in 1989, in Lahore, due to kidney failure.

The reviewer writes on old films, music
and loves reading books. X: @suhaybalavi

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, October 8th, 2023