Abandoned by Bollywood, child star extraordinaire pledged allegiance to Pakistan in 1950s; Raj Kapoor tried to lure him back

Born Syed Nazir Ali Rizvi, he became one of the most popular child actors of the Bombay film industry, along with Baby Tabassum and Baby Naaz. He played memorable roles in films such as Baiju Bawra, Boot Polish, Do Bigha Zamin, and Raj Kapoor’s Sargam. But then, a few years after the Independence, he moved to Pakistan. There, he embarked upon a career as a grown-up actor, but like so many other former child stars, he couldn’t transition. After tragically losing his four-year-old daughter in a car crash, he swore off the film industry forever; he took up work as a carpet salesman and died as recently as 2016. He was better known by his stage name: Master Ratan.

In an interview with Express Tribune Pakistan, he reflected on his career, during which he worked with some of the brightest stars of the Indian film industry. He said that he was advised to take a stage name, much like Dilip Kumar. He chose Ratan Kumar. He made his acting debut at the age of five, in the year 1946. “Writer Krishan Chander wrote, directed and produced a film Raakh and he was looking for a child actor. He was a family friend and that’s how Raakh became my debut film,” he said. Over the next few years, he worked with stalwarts such as Meena Kumari (Baiju Bawra, 1952), Nargis (Angaray, 1954), Madhubala (Buhat Din Hoye), director Bimal Roy (Do Bigha Zamin, 1953), BR Chopra and Raj Kapoor.

In 1956, Ratan moved to Pakistan, where, with his brother, they started a production house. They remade the Hindi film Jagriti under the title Bedari, which has its own interesting history. The original film, directed by Satyen Bose, featured the iconic song “Aao Bachchon Tumhe Dikhayen Jhaanki Hindustan Ki,” penned by Kavi Pradeep. When Ratan remade (read, plagiarised) the film in Pakistan as Bedari, the story remained the same, and so did the songs. Only the lyrics were changed from Nehruvian ideals to Pakistani patriotism. The famous line “Aao Bachchon Tumhe Dikhayen Jhaanki Hindustan Ki,” became, “Aao Bachchon Saer Karayen Tumko Pakistan Ki.”

Actor Ratan Kumar. Express Archive

Another lyrics, “De di humein azaadi bina khadag bina dhal/Sabarmati ke sant tu ne kar diya kamaal,” was changed to “De di humein azaadi ki duniya huyi hairaan/Aye Quaid-e-Azam tera ehsaan hai ehsaan.” The reference to Mahatma Gandhi was changed into a reference towards Mohammad Ali Jinnah. In an article for Dawn, a member of Pakistan’s censor board explained some of the cultural context of the era. “Since a ban had been placed in Pakistan against the import or public exhibition of Indian films, the film producers in Lahore in 1956 cashed in on this opportunity to produce a film, namely Bedari – a carbon copy of the story and songs of the Indian film Jagriti. When Bedari was released in Pakistan in 1956, it too made fabulous business in the first few weeks of exhibition. However, it dawned upon the Pakistani cinemagoers that they were watching a plagiarised film. There was a mass uproar that caused public demonstrations against exhibition of the plagiarised film. The Censor Board of Pakistan immediately put a ban on this film,” the man, a Mr Sayed Bokhari, wrote.

Unknowingly, the song mentioned above was discovered by someone in the 1990s; they aired it on PTV, and it became so popular that it was adopted as PTV’s anthem. They didn’t realise that it was a plagiarised song from a banned film. When Mr Bokhari pointed out that the song was plagiarised, it was promptly banned again. “Is it not a shame to pay tribute to the Father of the Nation through a plagiarised Indian song?” he wondered.

Story continues below this ad

Actress Baby Naaz and Ratan Kumar during the shooting of Boot Polish. Express archive photo

By the 1970s, Master Rattan’s career had begun to spiral. “Everyone has ups and downs in their career. When I started out, I was young. I didn’t know what I was doing. But as I grew older, I started understanding how it works,” he told the Tribune, adding, “When it comes easy to you, you don’t learn. That’s why I teach my children not to take anything for granted.” But it was in 1977 when Ratan quit the film industry for good when he was struck by a personal tragedy, the death of his four-year-old daughter in Lahore. “That was when I quit everything. I didn’t want anything to do with the business after that,” he said.

Ratan left Pakistan as well, and settled in the United States. There, he worked as a carpet salesman. It was in the early 1980s when he happened to come across Raj Kapoor, who urged him to return to India and restart working in the films. “It was around ’83 or ’84 and my family came to know that Raj Kapoor was in New York City for a film shoot,” he said. “We resided in New Jersey at the time and upon their insistence, I got in touch with him through his manager. When I told him my name, he instantly recognised me and so, I drove my family to meet him at his hotel room. He asked me to come back to India. He said, ‘Your films are as fresh in people’s minds as they were in 1950s.’ But I didn’t go.”

Jagdev, Geeta Bali, Shekhar, Begum Para and Ratan Kumar enjoying their drinks at the premiere of Naya Ghar. Express archive photo

In the 1990s, Ratan’s lungs collapsed twice in one year. He was in a coma for a week, and was told that he’d never walk again. But he recovered miraculously, and was driving five months later. His final years were marked by health troubles. He had an oxygen cylinder with him at all times. “I take every day as the last day of my life and enjoy it as much as I can. Jo ho gaya so ho gaya (What’s happened is over). I’m really blessed that I achieved all that I could, and I’m just thankful to Allah for all he has given me,” he said. Ratan died at the age of 75 in 2016.

From the homepage