Movie of the Month: KOEL   Release Date 24 December 1959 Director Khuwaja Khurshid Anwar Producers Masood Parvez, Jamal Butt Stars Noor Jahan, Aslam Parvez, Neelo, Allauddin, Sahira, Azad, Ghulam Mohammad and Nazar Music Khuwaja Khurshid Anwar Lyrics Tanveer Naqvi Screenplay Naseer Anwar Editing Husnain Rizvi Photography Nabi Ahmed Sound Recording C. Mandodi, M. Zafar

Story: (click songs to play)

Khansahib Ustad Allah Banday Khan (Allauddin) a talented poor singer lives in a village with his wife (Sahira) and daughter. His daughter Zarina (child star) is friendly with a boy named Salman (child star) who lives next door. It is raining and both kids swing and and sing:

Rim jhim rim jhim pare phuwar.

Ustad receives an invitation from the Government of Pakistan to participate in the Asian Music Conference to be held in Cairo. He accepts the invitation and leaves behind his friend Chunnan Khan (Nazar), a dancer to take care of his family. Due to bad weather the plane crashes and Ustad is pronounced dead. The Government presents a Cheque of Rupees 100,000 (One Lac) on behalf of the insurance company to the widow but she does not want to cash it.

The plane crashed near Basra and Allah Banday Khan is saved by some villagers. One day he reads in the newspaper about his death and wife receiving the Cheque. To let his wife have the money he decides to commit suicide but is saved by Salman’s father (Aslam Parvez) who is a heart patient. He requests Ustad to stay with him to look after his son. One day Salman also reaches Basra and is shocked to see Ustad who is living there with a new name of Allah Daad Khan.

In Pakistan, the villagers start spreading rumors about Ustad’s wife and Chunnan Khan who lives in the same house. They decide to leave the village and move to Karachi where Ustad’s wife works very hard to make both ends meet. Chunnan is after Zarina to learn dancing but her mother objects and starts teaching her singing. One night Chunnan Khan steals the Cheque and goes to the bank but it has expired. He puts it back in the box.

In Basra Salman’s father expires. Time passes and Salman grows to a young man (Aslam Parvez – double role). He gets the news that National Arts Circle, Pakistan is celebrating death anniversary of Ustad Allah Banday Khan and his daughter Zarina (Noor Jahan) will sing on this occasion. The program is aired on the Radio and in Basra Salman and Ustad both listen to Zarina singing:

Dil ka diya jalaya.

At the end of the program the Chairman (Ghulam Mohammad) decorates her with the title of The Koel of Pakistan.

Salman requests Ustad to travel to Pakistan and Ustad asks Salman to lend him Rupees one Lac.

In Pakistan, Zarina’s mother gets sick. Chunnan Khan brings an offer for Zarina from the owner of a Theatre Mr. Kamali (Azad) to sing and dance there. Zarina initially refuses but when her mother faints from sickness she agrees on the condition that her real name will not be revealed. Kamali introduces her as Nagina. She dances and sings in the Theatre:

Mehki fazain gaati hawain.

Zarina earns enough money to move to a new house although her mother never approved it. Meanwhile Salman and Ustad arrive in Karachi and rent a house that is coincidently opposite to Zarina’s house.

Leaving Salman behind, Ustad goes to the village with the Cheque to see his wife. The villagers told him that Ustad’s wife had married with Chunnan Khan and left the village long time back. Ustad is gets extremely upset and returns back to Karachi.

Zarina c0mes to know that somebody from Basra named Salman has moved to next door. She guessed that he would be his old friend. Salman plays the old tune on the flute. Zarina hears and goes to the balcony upstairs and starts singing:

Rim jhim rim jhim paray phuwar

Salman also sings in reply and he too comes to the balcony. He calls her as Zarina but to hide her identity she does not reply.

Salman’s flute tune takes Zarina to his house and she introduces herself as Nagina and tells him that the song was taught by her friend Zarina. At this time Ustad enters the house and orders Zarina to leave because now he hates every woman. Salman enquires about Zarina but Ustad tells a lie that his wife and daughter both have died. Salman gets very disappointed and goes to the club where dancer Sitara (Neelo) is singing:

Dil jala na dil wale.

At the Theatre while Zarina is dancing, Ustad comes and asks her to stop that vulgar dance. Zarina is so much embarrassed that she leaves the stage and requests the Theater owner Kamali to cancel her contract. Kamali asks her to come next day. He plans with Chunnan Khan to bring Salman also. Zarina when comes next day, Kamali offers her wine to drink. She pretends drinking but Salman sees her from the window and returns back. Somehow Zarina gets back the contract. At her house she waits for Salman in the balcony but when he does not appear, she sings:

Tere bina sooni sooni lage re.

Zarina goes to Salman’s house where Ustad tells her that Salman might be at the club. Sitara is dancing at singing at the club:

Masti main jhoom jhoom re.

Zarina arrives at the club and finds Salman drunk and chatting with Sitara. She throws the contract at Salman and leaves. Sitara reads the contract and discovers that Nagina is actually Zarina. She conceals this information from Salman fearing that if known, he will leave her. Sitara asks Salman to take her out of the country and burns the contract.

Chunnan Khan is expelled from the Theatre. He goes to the club to persuade Sitara to sing and dance there but she asks him to teach her to sing better than Zarina. Salman brings the passport for Sitara and informs her about their departure in a few days time. Zarina sings at the Clifton:

Saagar roye lehrain shor machain.

Zarina is once again invited to sing at the death anniversary of his father. This is advertised in the newspapers also. When Salman knew, he comes to Sitara to tell her that Zarina is still alive and he cannot leave the country without meeting her. Sitara is frustrated but Chunnan Khan makes a plan to please Sitara. He disguises himself and sales poisonous sweets to Ustad. When Zarina goes to Ustad’s house to give him the program invitation, he offers her sweets. After eating she finds difficulty in speaking and then her voice is completely lost.

When Sitara knows about the incident, she reports it to the police who arrests Chunnan Khan. Zarina has a throat surgery and goes to the stage where everyone including Ustad, Salman and Sitara are waiting for her. Zarina looks at Salman who is sitting with Sitara, she sings:

O bewafa, main ne tujh se pyar kyun kya.

At the end Zarina faints. Ustad informs that he is her father. He then goes with Zarina to her house. There his wife recognizes him and reveals all the details showing him the Cheque which she never cashed. Ustad is very ashamed and apologizes with everyone. Salman and Zarina are finally joined together and live happily ever after.
 

The End