Mehtab

Mehtab Modi (born Najma Khan; 28 April 1913– 10 April 1997), known professionally as Mehtab, was an Indian actress of Hindi-Urdu films who worked from 1928 to 1969.

Early life She was born in Sachin, Gujarat, to a Muslim family and named Najma Khan. Her father, Nawab Sidi Ibrahim Mohammad Yakut Khan III, was the Nawab of Sachin, near Surat in the state of Gujarat. Starting her career in the late 1920s with small roles in films like Second Wife (1928), Indira B. A. (1929) and Jayant (1929), she went on to do character roles before acting in the lead opposite Ashraf Khan in Veer Kunal (1932). After almost a decade of doing mainly action-oriented roles, she came into prominence with the Kidar Sharma-directed Chitralekha (1941).

She married her early co-star Ashraf Khan with whom she had a son. They divorced later and she married Sohrab Modi in 1946, with whom she had another son. Modi cast her in the historical drama Jhansi Ki Rani (1953), which in spite of having spectacular scenes and lavish sets could not work well at the box office. She stopped acting in films following 1953 except to act in her last role as a character artist in Modi's Samay Bada Balwan (1969). She died in Mumbai on 10 April 1997.

Career Mehtab acted in her early feature film Kamaal-e-Shamsheer (1930) with W. M. Khan, which was produced by her mother under Excelsior film company.

Following the birth of her son, and subsequent divorce from Ashraf Khan, Mehtab acted in the Film Corporation of India film Qaidi (1940), which had Ramola, Madhuri, Wasti and Nandrekar co-starring along with her. She got a chance in the film Chitralekha (1941). Chitralekha was also the debut of actor Bharat Bhushan, though in a small role. Mehtab was cast in Sharda (1942), along with Wasti, Ulhas and Nirmala Devi by A. R. Kardar for his Kardar Productions. The film is famous for the thirteen-year-old Suraiya, who became famous giving playback singing for a much older Mehtab. 1943 saw her acting in two more Kardar directed films; Kanoon with Shahu Modak, Nirmala Devi and Jagirdar and Sanjog a comedy film opposite Noor Mohammed Charlie, Wasti and Ulhas. The same year she did a Wadia Productions film directed by Homi Wadia, Vishwas (1943), which also starred Surendra, and Trilok Kapoor, with composer Firoz Nizami debuting as the music director.

In 1944, Sohrab Modi cast Mehtab in the Central Studio production Parakh. Mehtab recalled in an interview that it was while shooting for this film that the two had grown closer. Mehtab acted in films like Ismat (1944), Ek Din Ka Sultan (1945), Saathi (1946) and Shama (1946). In 1953, Modi produced, directed and acted in Jhansi Ki Rani, which starred a now ageing Mehtab as the young Jhansi Ki Rani. The film was a big financial disaster and the last starring role of Mehtab. Mehtab acted in Modi's Samay Bada Balwan (1969) in a character role.

Personal life Mehtab, a Muslim, married Sohrab Modi, a Parsi, on 28 April 1946, her birthday. According to Mehtab, the marriage was not approved of by Modi's family. Mehtab and Modi had one child together called Mehelli Modi, who they brought up as a Parsi. Sohrab Modi died on 28 January 1984, at the age of 86 years. Mehtab died on 10 April 1997, 18 days before her 84th birthday, in Mumbai, Maharashtra and was buried at the Bada Qabrastan, Marine Lines, Mumbai.

Filmography

Second Wife (1928) Jayant (1929) Indira B. A. (1929) Kamaal-e-Shamsheer (1930) Hamara Hindustan (1930) Prithviraj (1931) Virni Vibhuti (1931) Diwano (1931) Husn Pari (1931) Shooro Sainik (1931) Jange Davlat (1931) Shaliwahan (1931) Khubsoorat Khawasan (1932) Veer Kunal (1932) Bhola Shikar (1933) Krishna Sudama (1933) Miss 1933 (1933) Pardesi Preetam (1933) Ranchandi (1933) Cinema Queen (1934) Prem Pariksha (1934) Veer Pujan (1934) Laheri Jawan (1935) Magic Horse (1935) Stree Dharma (1935) Taqdeer (1935) Bholi Bhikharan (1936) Moti Ka Haar (1937) Jeevan Swapna (1937) Devbala (1938) Baghi (1939) Leatherface (1939) Ek Hi Bhool (1940) Qaidi (1940) Chitralekha (1941) Masoom (1941) Bhakta Kabir (1942) Chaurangee (1942) Sharda (1942) Kanoon (1943) Sanjog (1943) Vishwas (1943) Bahar (1944) Jeevan (1944) Ismat (1944) Parakh (1944) Ek Din Ka Sultan (1945) Behram Khan (1946) Sathi (1946) Shama (1946) Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) Samay Bada Balwan (1969)