M. Sadiq

M. Sadiq (10 March 1910– 3 October 1971) was an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter.

He directed 28 films in a career spanning three decades. His notable works include Rattan (1944), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), and Taj Mahal (1963), Bahu Begum (1967) and Noor Jehan (1967).

Sadiq's commercial breakthrough came in the musical Rattan (1944), starring Karan Dewan and Swaran Lata. Film critic Baburao Patel panned the film as a "clumsy attempt" and wrote, "Sadiq has not been able to improve on his work in Namaste. On the contrary, he has gone back a bit." Nonetheless, Rattan became a box office success. After the leading studio Bombay Talkies fell apart in the early 1940s, Sadiq's success, alongside that of Mehboob Khan and Kishore Sahu, was seen as the rise of independent filmmakers in Hindi cinema.

Following Rattan, Sadiq's career underwent a decline before he accepted the directorial responsibility of Guru Dutt's production Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960); Dutt did not wish to direct after the failure of his previous venture. Chaudhvin Ka Chand was a critical and commercial success, and is considered a prominent example of Muslim social film genre.

Commenting on Sadiq's 1963 film Taj Mahal, film critic Ziya Us Salam wrote, "Sadiq, who had earlier given us Chaudhvin ka Chand, scores as a director in the backdrop of the film by going beyond the romantic routine to take a shot at court politics ... Films about Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal's romance had been made before ... Yet Sadiq's Taj Mahal remains an unparalleled ode to love."

In the early 1970s, Sadiq went to Pakistan to direct and produce Baharo Phool Barsao. He died in 1971, midway during production. The film was later finished by Hassan Tariq, released in 1972, and proved to be popular with audiences.

Personal life According to film historian Bunny Reuben, in late 1940s, Sadiq was chosen by actress Suraiya's family as a prospective groom. He proposed marriage to her, but she turned him down due to her romance with Dev Anand.

Writer Raju Bharatan quotes Suraiya as saying:

Filmography Namaste (1943) Jeevan a.k.a. Bahar (1944) Rattan (1944) Saathi (1946) Jag Biti (1946) Sham Savera (1946) Dak Bangla (1947) Kajal (1948) Char Din (1949) Anmol Ratan (1950) Pardes (1950) Sabak (1950) Khazana (1951) Saiyan (1951) Poonam (1952) Shabaab (1954) Musafirkhana (1955) Chhoo Mantar (1956) Anjaan (1956) Mai Baap (1957) Duniya Rang Rangili (1957) Khota Paisa (1958) Jawani Ki Hawa (1959) Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960) Taj Mahal (1963) Bahu Begum (1967) Noor Jehan (1967) Baharo Phool Barsao (1972; Pakistani release)