SUBODH (POP CULTURE)

Muslim realities in films: Muslim Socials and Deccani Cinema

India, when was carved as a nation(??) was carrying within it several sub nations, multiple
heterogeneities within the homogenous socio political entity. Indian cinema, is a rich repository of stories
of different social realities, regions and cultures. The subjects of the films have influences of the
contemporary politics, socio-cultural happenings and historic events. One such subject of Indian films is
the Muslim culture and its social reality. Muslim representation in films, came through a genre called ‘
Muslim Socials’, that began much early in Soharab Modi’s Pukar (1939) and Mehboob Khan’s Najma
(1943). This genre had been discursive as the subjects changed with times. Right from Zamindari ,
Courtesan stories to the contemporary society and politics, these films had been through many shifts in
themes and treatments. Invariable the depiction of an Ideal Muslim culture, in films has been through
Awadhi (Ganga Jamuni) tehzeeb. However later in 70s and 80s, the milleu in this genre too shifted to the
modern cities and metropolis. In recent times, away from the Bollywood’s Hindi-Urdu periphery, a new
stream of films has risen up. The Deccani cinema, which has Hyderabad in backdrop and with a completely
different language, Deccani Urdu, made its mark in the last decade. Here too the Muslim reality was
showcased but in a totally different style and treatment. These films are comedies, that are locally
produced in Hyderabad with the city based artists who themselves have lived the reality that is portrayed.
The Muslim Socials and Hyderabadi Deccani cinema represent completely distinct Muslim Cultures, and
considering the elite nature of Bollywood, it will be interesting to know how effectively these two genres
do justice with the Muslim realities they attempt to showcase.

Muslims, post partition were to be seen as a ‘homogenous’ community that was making the most
of the ‘new nation’, and was depicted so in the films. The idea of education and ‘change’ in mindset
amongst Muslims was considered to be a post partition phenomenon, with the films heavily influenced
by Gandhian-Nehruvian ideals of education as a remedy to social evils. Post-Independence the political
scenario was much more nationalistic and the idea of secular fabric of the new nation was perpetuated
by the government. The masses were made to feel proud about the inclusivity ( based on religion) , and
whenever possible the cinema would invariably adapt this notion into films. Also there was ( and it still is)
a burden over the Muslims to look Secular in order to look Indian. As a Secular Muslim is considered to be
an Ideal Muslim in a Hindu Normalised Indian society.

The Muslim social films pose an altogether different Indian society, unlike what is depicted as a
typical Indian culture, which is primarily Hindu ( upper caste). The earlier Muslim socials released in the
early period of post-independence were set in the backdrops of feudal-Zamindari or featured the lives of
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Nawabs and the Haveli culture. Films like Chaudhavi Ka Chand, Bahoo Begum, Pakeezah were some of the
anachronistic stories that were set in the feudal and provincial India. The post independence Indian
Muslim (again from the haveli background) depicted in the films like Mere Mehboob( 1963), Mere Huzoor
(1968), was pursuing higher education. But the fact that the Muslim, in these films essentially belonged
to the social elite and was into education since pre partition times, at par with the brahmins and upper
castes in non Muslim Indian society.

The early muslim socials of Bollywood, were stories woven around the ideal , secular , Saaf Zaban Muslim
and which had to be from the elite of the Ganga-Jamuni plain. This geographical zone having Aligarh
Muslim University and rich literary movement in Urdu had been also a space for the bringing up of the All
India Muslim League. The Muslim League was a political movement catalyzed by the literary revolution
initiated at the AMU, and which later strongly advocated for a separate Muslim state of Pakistan. It is to
be noted that the literary figures and leaders of this socio political stream came from the Ashraf ( upper
caste) elite amongst the Muslims, just as the congress was led by brahmins and upper castes. The Ajlaf
and Pasmanda ( lower castes amongst Muslims) were never a part this mobilization.

The golden hearted Tawaif, Pakeezah

It was a cult film, from this genre, that took 14 years in making, with brilliant story and
performances from ace stars like Meena Kumari, RajKumar, Veena and Ashok Kumar. But more than this,
the film marks the entry of the golden hearted courtesan (tawaif) into popular films. “ The title Pakeezah
challenges the essence of its own meaning and throughout the film, the hero constantly refers to the
woman protagonist as “pure” and “chaste”, thereby raising her to the level of the “good” woman as
opposed to the character of the courtesan which would otherwise be characterised as the “vamp”. (Ayob
2008)”The romanitcization of the Lucknowi Tawaifs may have been there earlier, but Pakeezah’s portrayal
of the same, was a cult that had future filmmakers to follow. Many films, notably Muqaddar Ka Sikandar
(1978), Deedar E Yaar ( 1982) and many others, had this golden hearted nautch girl character. A Pakistani
film Bol ( 2011) too had reference to Pakeezah and the lucknowi Tawaif who speaks Khalis Urdu, also the
character of Sabina, played by Iman Ali, who calls herself Meena ( after Meena Kumari), is a generous
courtesan who has Meena Kumari’s poster in her room.

The New wave Muslim Social

However there was a phase when the subjects of the films moved to slightly realistic mode that
dealt about historical and the contemporary politics. Noted author, Gautam Chintamani mentions the
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transition of the Muslim social, “If the 1950s and 1960s saw the genre showcase only the elite or upper
class Muslim families, the 1970s paved the path for the so called ‘New-age Muslim socials’ with films
like Dastak (1970) and Garam Hawa (1973). After reaching it’s zenith in Kamal Amrohi’s Pakeezah (1972),
the genre now moved out of the havelis and into the real world where Muslims were more than just well-
dressed people who spoke beautifully” (Chintamani 2012)

The state-run Film Finance Corporation which was later rechristened into National film development
corporation had a bigger role in this transition. Nadira Khatun, Assistant Professor at Xavier’s School of
Communication, in her research mentions that, “In this genre, one of the most significant films was M.S.
Sathu’s Garam Hawa (1973). As there was not much business risk in film portraying Muslims due to the
state finance, filmmakers started making off-beat films such as Salim Langde pe Mat Ro (directed by Saeed
Akhtar Mirza, 1986), and Naseem (directed by Saeed Akhtar Mirza, 1995)” (Khatun 2016)

M Sathyu’s Garam Hawa , a story of a Muslim family in the Partition era, which is all set to move to the
newly formed Pakistan, was a breakthrough narration that dealt with real historic events pertaining to a
Muslim social reality. Sathyu , doesn’t like the term ‘Muslim Social’…..

Later ace producer B.R.Chopra and superstar Jeetendra also ventured into this genre with films like Nikaah
( 1982) and Deedar E Yaar (1982) respectively. While Deedar E Yaar was a Romantic Drama, set in the
Nawabi background , Nikaah brought in the debate over Talaq , under the Shairiah law, into this form of
popular media. Nikaah had posed questions on the male chauvinism in the society. ‘Nilofar’ ( played by
Salma Agha),is an educated woman, who is torn between two men, one Wasim ( Deepak Parashar) who
has divorced her in anger, but now wishes to reconcile and Haider ( Raj Babbar) with whom Nilofar is now
married. The film deals with the objectification of woman that has been ubiquitous in every community
in the country (here Muslim). But even in this modern setting, the producers had maintained the old
fashioned vibe around the Muslims of India (Jha 2017).

It was the backdrop of communal tensions that were rising, when BJP which was gaining strength after 8
years of its formation. It was the successor of the Hindutva leaning Jansangh which was a part of Janata
Party coalition government of 1977. The communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims saw sudden
rise, under the Congress regime. During this phase, with NFDC’s support Saeed Akhtar Mirza brought
newer dimension into this genre through ‘Salim Langde pe Mat ro’. Now the Muslim protagonist, came
out of the traditional settings into the slums of a metropolis. The Muslim now came from the working
class and with economic and industrial slowdown had to move into other professions for survival. The
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vulnerability of an Urban working class Muslim, is doubled with the rise of Hindutva forces and communal
tension. The film, having all the elements of parallel cinema, could be considered as another serious
popular culture representation of the socio political realities pertaining to the minorities, after the brilliant
narrative of Garam Hawa. Also before this, Muzaffar Ali’s Anjuman ( 1986) is a story of a Muslim woman,
Anjuman ( played by Shabana Azmi), a lucknowi chikankari worker, who stands against exploitation of the
chikankari laborers by the traders.

The Muslim Socials in the early 90s, had Sawan Kumar Tak’s Sanam Bewafa (1991) and Bewafa Se Wafa
(1992) didn’t have much reference to the socio-political environment, and were typical Bollywood
dramas.

The anxiety born out of extreme communal divides, especially after the Babri Mosque demolition and the
subsequent riots, was evident in the later films like Benegal’s Mammo (1994), Mirza’s Naseem ( 1995) and
Khalid Mohmmed’s Fiza (2000). The plots of these films revolved around the communal violence and the
aftermaths.

Music in Muslim Socials

In popular culture Shayaris and Qawwali were and essential component of the Muslim Socials. It
was an unsaid fact that an ideal Muslim hero had to be a good Shayar. Ghazals and songs from these films
consisted of a mix of contemporary and traditional qalams. Madan Mohan’s compositions for the film
Ghazal (1964), had the iconic ghazal “ Rang aur noor ki Baraat” sung by Mohammed Rafi. Pakeezah’s music
by Ghulam Mohammed and Naushad Ali was a masterpiece and where ‘inhi logon ne’, “thare rahiyo”,
“Chalo Dildar Chalo” were brilliant works penned by the likes of Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaif Bhopali, Kaifi
Azmi and Kamal Amrohi. Bahu Begum, by Roshan had amazing rendition by Sahir Ludhianvi “Hum Intezar
Karenge tera Qayamat tak” sung by Asha Bhonsle. Mehboob ki Mehndi, Mere Huzoor had superb Music
by Laxmikant Pyarelal and Shankar Jaikishan respectively. The famous song by Shakil Badayuni “ Chaudavi
ka Chand” composed by Ravi is regarded amongst the best Guru Dutt songs. These examples are from the
early films of this genre, but after films like Garam Hawa, the other realistic Muslim Socials didn’t have
scope for playback music and songs. Garam Hawa infact had musical score by noted Sarod player Ustad
Bahadur Khan, and the Qawwali, “ Maula Salim Chisti” by Waris brothers became very popular.

Laxmikant Pyarelal’s adaptation of Ameer Minai’s “ Sarakti jaye hain rukh se Naqab Ahista Ahista” in
Deedar E Yaar was much appreciated. But what could be considered as a truly iconic crossover voice to
sing for an Indian film was that of Ghulam Ali. For the film Nikaah, apart from other beautiful compositions
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by Ravi, the famous Ghazal by Maulana Hasrat Mohani , “Chupke Chupke Raat din”sung by Ghulam Ali
became a huge hit and contributed to the film’s success also.

Muslim themes in Popular culture, the viewership and reluctance of Bollywood

The socio political environment, has always influenced and found reflections in the Popular
culture, cinema of India. The Muslim social genre declined and rejuvenated against such developments.
At large the Bollywood films, have always had Muslim characters in second or side roles. Director Shyam
Benegal regarded it as the fear of box office failure of films having dominant Muslim characters in the post
partition period and which aggravated during Pak-Bangladesh War. Director Mahesh Bhatt explained this
citing a research on cinema content that inferred ‘overtly Islamic or muslim stories and characters do not
find any takers, but once the story changes to Hindu names it receives stunningly high response. (Khatun
2016)

In the late 80s, after the handy VHS hit the market, much of the Urdu audio visual material came from
across the border. It should be noted that Audience for Urdu had always been there, irrespective of the
political forces ruling in the country. These were not films, but dramas, songs and comedy plays produced
in Pakistan, which had come via the Gulf to India. The void that was created because of limited Urdu and
Muslim issues content in the cinema and other audio visual mediums, was filled with these VHS packages.
Dramas like Dhoop Kinare, Ankahi, Bakra Kishto Pe and more became hugely popular during this phase in
India. It can be inferred, that if market was the concern for film makers (as suggested by Mahesh Bhat),
then India had a better and profitable market for the Muslim and Urdu stories, that could be seconded
from the recent popularity gained by Pakistani Dramas that hit the Indian television ( Zindagi TV). (Tyagi
2016). From this one can assume the target audience that the filmmakers wished to cater, and the fear of
failure was because of the Hindu normative ideals dominant in the society. This belief should have been
broken after the popularity of Urdu content across viewers’ segments, but it seems will take long for the
industry to recognize it.

Deccan (Muslim) Culture in films

The geographical backdrop of most of the Muslim socials was north India, especially the Awadh
region (in the earlier films). Later with more deeper subjects the locations shifted to other cities like
Agra,Delhi and Bombay. Another such location is the Deccan region which is situated around the
earstwhile Hyderabad State. The lead characters Nilofar and Haider of the film Nikaah, are shown as
students of the Osmania University of Hyderabad. But in the film there is no other reference to the
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location in terms of culture and language akin to that region. Deccani Urdu is a nuanced form of the Hindi-
Urdu language that has developed in this region, which is spoken in the widely in Telangana and in some
parts of Maharashtra and Karnataka.Bazaar (1981) , starring Smita Patil, Farooq Shiekh, Supriya Pathak
was a social drama and dealt with the issue of Bride buying. The film is set in the backdrop of Hyderabad
city which has totally different mannerisms from the Ganga-Jamuni pattern of Awadh.

It is subtle and many times ignored fact that there is a certain cultural hierarchy maintained, and that the
lucknowi-Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb would always have higher regards as a culture than the deccani culture.

The lucknow Tawaif figure is so romanticized ( through Umrao Jaan, Pakeezah), that there is very little or
just a passing reference to the dark realities of the profession. Whereas the mainstream films that have
deccani cultural references ( though less in number), have a very rustic and old city or rural Muslim culture.
Well done Abba (2010) by Shyam Benegal, is a political satire, with protagonist as a Muslim man from a
village near Hyderabad. In its typical Benegal styling the film had some commentary on the practice of
bride buying by Saudi Sheikhs in region.

Deccanwood , the deccani cinema

Amidst this there is a new form of cinema that has arisen from this place of Deccani zabaan.
Deccani Cinema is a new genre that has surfaced in the last decade, It began with a small budget
production in 2005, ‘The Angrez’, with a good response in the core areas of exhibition. Slowly the film
gained popularity in the other parts which identified or where familiar with the deccani Urdu. Although
there were some deccani representations in the mainstream hindi movies, but here it was a full-fledged
Deccani content both in language and location. The Angrez , is set in the era of IT boom in the city of
Hyderabad, and had a comical take on the insecurities that the old city youngsters have around the sudden
entry of multi nationals. The central characters Ismail Bhai ( Dhiren Srivastav), Salim Pheku (Mast Ali) and
Jahangir (Aziz Naser) wish to take revenge from the NRIs (whom they call Angrez) over a spat in an old city
Irani Hotel. Salim and Jahangir are bullies and who call themselves as Ismail’s patthe (Sidekicks).

The comedy type is overtly slapstick, but seems perfect for the ever-loud characters who never take time
to loose temper. This film initiated a completely new genre that was waiting to be created. Hyderabadi
Nawabs (2006) was the second film with the same lead cast. Deccani Urdu, the language of this cinema,
came as a fresh wave amidst the Bombay,Delhi or Northern hindi dominance over Bollywood. The
Hyderabadi dialect (of Deccani Urdu) and the familiarity with the characters of these films, made viewers
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enjoy , despite the low production quality. The films are liked overseas, especially in the Gulf and the US
which has a large diaspora from the deccan region of India.

If Salim Pheku , Jahangir and Ismail Bhai became cult figures, the character of Gullu Dada, played by Adnan
Sajid Khan in the film FM-Fun aur Masti ( 2007) got immensely popular. This was perhaps the most liked
character of deccani films, that pushed the producers to make three sequels in the Gullu Dada series. In
an interview with Rajyasabha TV, actor Adnan Sajid Khan mentioned the reason for this popularity of these
films is the Hyderabadi accent, and that many people have tried incorporating it into Hindi films but could
not give justice (Khan 2018)1.

The society and culture flourished in public sphere, where interactions, business and commerce happen.
These spaces where the working class meets regularly, culture and aesthetics develops significantly.
Meanings, language, literature also prospers around these spaces. K B Jani, another prominent actor
underlining the importance of the middle class backdrop in these films, says no high class spaces can have
scope for comedy, it is from the insecurities and routines associated with the middle class, the comedy
arises2.

Actors and also Producers, Kuntaa Nikkil, RK Mama were the ones who ventured into deccani cinema for
the first time. Actor Azeez Naser, who is also an acclaimed voice over artist has himself directed several
successful Deccani films of which Berozgaar, Stepney are notable ones, which he wrote and directed too.
He says that these stories have no dramatics line but are essentially situational comedies, and which are
liked by those who don’t even relate with this dialect of Urdu. With Youtube and other video streaming
sites the viewership other than deccani regions, also comes from Delhi, Punjab, other Northern territories
and Mumbai3.

The Dialectic of the Tehzeebs

Hyderabad, old city had its own cultural and literary movement within the Nizami and later post-
independence period, this was a reality different from the partition reflexive Muslim regions of North
India.The Muslim tehzeeb and culture is always associated with the old Nizami and Nawabi cities of
Hyderabad and Lucknow. But it was always, the Awadh( Lucknowi) culture that found more takers in the
film industry, perhaps because of the sophistication and the purity of zabaan (Urdu) or the historical

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importance given to Gangetic plains. Bollywood’s filmmakers must have not regarded Hyderbad’s old city
culture as worth depicting Muslim tehzeeb. Actor Naseeruddin Shah who has worked in the Muslim
Socials of the ‘romanticized’ Awadhi Culture raised questions over it. In an interview, he expressed “At
times I feel that the Awadhi Culture is a myth, I am more impressed with the place like Hyderabad. I feel
that if one really wants to see what Muslim Culture is about then Hyderabad is the place rather then
Lucknow…4”. Notably, Shah has acted in film set in Deccan, named Hero Hiralal (1988). It is perhaps the
‘high culture’ perception around the Awadh Muslims that has greatly influenced popular culture and
somehow ignore Hyderabad in the same.

Deccani films, portray an altogether different visual of the Muslim Culture than the Lucknowi one that
dominated the Muslim socials largely. These films, though comical and having minimalistic and low cost
production, have characters from the middle and lower income groups with passing references to their
socio economic problems. But more importantly the films cut a breakthrough from the cultural crises that
the mainstream Hindi cinema was adhering vehemently to the Muslims, and for the first time the Muslim
characters were treated normally, within the Indian reality. The stereotype of Muslims with skull caps, or
having long beard (maulana types) or with taweez and soorma in eyes is somewhat broken by the deccani
films. The characters appear to be closer to reality in not just by their looks and attire but with their
mannerisms and interactions that we will find people often carrying. It was also for the first time, the
Muslim characters were not sketched in the milieu of haveli, or any social or communal crisis. Here was a
muslim whose mother praises her graduate son and tells her hindu neighbor that he will get a good job
today, the graduate son who is tired of facing interviews and being jobless for long, the jobless son who
gets frequent taunts from his father ( Berozgar, 2010). All this presented devoid of any melodrama, but
with a comical treatment and slapstick humour.

Muslim Social, the contestations

Deccan wood, as it is called, has come a long way from 2005, with over 25 films produced till date.
Jahangir, Salim Pheku , Gullu Dada, RK Mama, Ismail Bhai have become cult characters in these years, also
these artists like Azeez Naser, Mast Ali, Akbar Bin Tabar perform shows in the country and abroad. The
Deccani films, that cover these realistic and comic nuances of daily lives, are written and produced by the
artists who themselves belong this reality unlike that in the regular Muslim socials. Hence we may find a

4
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social commentary on the lives of Muslims, or an account of the Muslim other in the mainstream cinema,
whereas the deccani films have self reflexive nature that adds greatly to the aesthetics of the films.

The term Muslim Social has been contested often, even by the ones associated with it like M S Sathyu. He
argued that,“It (Muslim Social) is a skewed way to look at cinema. When there is no Hindu Social or
Christian social, how can there be a Muslim Social…….” (Kumar 2014). However, it is the habit of
generalizing by the media and academia, which through its Hindu Savarna gaze, compartmentalizes every
cultural representation. There has been no sincere effort in to gauge whether Muslim realities, properly
represented or not. With market dependency of the popular cinema, we may never find such sincerities
coming from within the filmdom and allied academia. In such a scenario, the Deccani cinema, brings a
new wave in adaptation the Muslim and old city culture into films. The cinema, although has been existing
for more than a decade, doesn’t find any serious takers from the elite film analytics and critics. It’ll be very
early to comment on the aesthetics and underlying meanings in the stories of Deccani cinema but one can
surely look as these films in the light of portrayal of Muslim and old city society, which is certainly different
than that in the established genre of Muslim Socials.

Works Cited
Ayob, Asma. 2008. "The Changing Construction of Women Characters in Popular Hindi-language Cinema
from 1970-2007." Masters in Dramatic Art Thesis. University of Johannesberg.

Chintamani, Gautam. 2012. "Bollywood's Monster: the Muslim Socials." Dawan, May 30: 1.

Jha, Lata. 2017. "The rise and fall of the Muslim social drama." Live Mint, February 05.

Khan, Adnan, interview by Syed Mohammed Irfan. 2018. Guftagoo (May 13).

Khatun, Nadira. 2016. "Imagining Muslim Identity: An interpretative Study of Indian Cinema." PhD Thesis.
Mumbai: Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

Kumar, Anuj. 2014. "Back with the wind." The Hindu, November 13.

Tyagi, Amit. 2016. "10 Landmark Pakistani Shows hugely popular in India." India Today, October 5.