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Top 10 Remarquable Facts about Noor Jehan

Humjoli by Unknown Arthur/

Noor Jehan is a famous Pakistan singer and actress; she sang twelve war songs that were recorded and broadcast.

She began singing at a young age and received early training in classical singing under Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan a famous Hindu vocalist.

Jehan was born in September 1925 in Kasur Punjan. She came from a Muslim family with rich musical traditions.

She worked both in India and Pakistan. She blossomed into a talented stage performer at a young age.

Her career spanned more than six decades and has recorded over 10,000 songs. She could sing in several languages Urdu, Hindu, Punjab, and Sindhi making her one of the most influential singers in South Asia.

Her first break in Pakistan was in the film Chanwey acted alongside Santosh Kumar. Known by her appellation title Malika-E-Tarannum meaning Queen of Melody.

She holds the record of having given voice to the largest film songs in the history of Pakistan cinema.

1. Jehan established herself as a top actress in the film Dopatta

Noor Jehan in Zeenat By Unknown Arthur/

Jehan established herself as a top actress in films like Dopatta, Intesa, and Koel. She trained at a young age in classical music by Ghulam Ali Khan.

She made her first appearance with her older sister and sang a Punjabi song Langh Aja Patan Chanaan da O Yaar.

In Pakistan, Jehan made fourteen films. Her first playback singer and heroine were after her three years settlement in Pakistan.

Sher worked in a range of classical music, traditional folks, and popular theatre. She moved to Calcutta with her family and started to work in Diwan Sandari Lal’s theatre.

Madam Noor went to Tokyo for the world song festival as a Pakistan representative. She played the main lead Pran Khandaan, it was her first role as an adult.

Jehan visited India to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the Indian Talkie movies where she met Indian Prime minister Indira Gandhi.

Noor Jehan acted and sang along with her sister the Punjabi song langh Aga Patan  Chanaan da o yar  This became her earliest hit.

2. Noor was the first female singing superstar of Indian cinema alongside the famous Shanta Ape

Shanta Apte in Prabhat Picture’s Gopal Krishna By Unknown Arthur/

Noor Jehan was the first female singing superstar of Indian Cinema and helped lay the foundation for playback singing. She shared melodies with Shanta Apte in Duhai.

She inspired a generation of singers including Lata Mangeshkar. She single-handedly kick-started music in Pakistan and inspired a generation.

Jehan helped to lay the foundation of playback singing. In a list of greatest Bollywood singers of all time compiled by UK weekly legendary Pakistan singer Begum Noor Jehan was ranked sixteen.

3. Awards and Honors the famous singer and actress achieved in her life

Jehan became the first Pakistani female to direct Chanwey. She made over forty films, the last film she made before her death was Mizza Ghalib.

She has the credit of singing over ten thousand songs in various languages. She received the Pakistan honors Tamgha-E-Imitiaz.

Noor is a beneficiary of the President’s award for the pride of performance for her contribution to acting and singing.

4. Ejaz art exhibition brings her famous Mother Noor Jean back to life

art exhibition by Anastassiya Redko/

Nineteen years since Pakistan singer-actor Noor Jehan’s death. In an exhibition titled love letters held by her youngest daughter Nazia Ejaz.

When Ejaz was studying art in London, she would get letters from her mother every week the letters were beautifully written in Urdu and her friends would be fascinated and ask her to translate for them.

Several paintings display Ejaz’s style of pattern which is abstract, in the body of work Ejaz used abstraction to address intangible ideas surrounding her mother.

5. Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jean the two fascinating Melodious Queens

Lata Mangeshkar graces Saregama album launch by Bollywood Hungama/

Lata Mangeshkar was awarded Nightingale of India, and Noor Jehan was honored as Mallika-E-Tarannum in Pakistan.

The death of Lata Mangeshkar was not only mourned in India but also across the world including Pakistan.

The friendship between the two melody Queens was lost after the partition of India and Pakistan. When she first started singing in movies, Noor Jehan had a significant influence on Lata Mangeshkar.

Noor Jehan assisted Lata in her career growth and both appreciated their singing careers, her singing career spanned seven decades.

6. Married to two husbands, The famous actress, and singer’s love life

Pakistan wedding by Pablo Heimplatz/

Madam Noor Jehan was married twice the first husband was called Shaukat Hussain Rizvi and the second was Ejaz Durrani.

She had six children from both marriages Zil-E-Huma, Hina Durrani, Mina Hasan, Nazia Ejaz Khan, Akbar Hussain Rizvi, and Asghar Hussain Rizvi. She balanced both her career and family life.

Jehan and Rizvi had problems and got divorced due to personal problems, she kept custody of her three children.

7. Google’s tradition to honor iconic personalities honored the legendary Noor Jehan

Pakistan Airforce by Sameer Akhtari/

It’s tradition for google to honor iconic personalities, they honored the legendary Pakistan singer Noor Jehan.

Jehan’s biggest claim to fame was her role in lending her voice to boost the morale of Pakistan forces during the war, for which she was awarded the top civilian award Tamgha-E-Imtiaz.

8. Interesting fact Noor Jehan’s real name was Allah Rakhi Wasai

Noor Jehan’s real name is Allah Rakhi Wasai into a Punjab Muslim family in Kasur, she is one of the eleven children of Imdad Ali and Fateh Bibi

9. Jehan was diagnosed with heart complications that made her stop singing

Jehan was diagnosed with heart complications in 1989 when she was still a popular singer. She was conscious of her health developing health but did not make it public.

When her heart condition became worse the doctors forbade her from singing. Noor Jehan was a very bold, defiant, and self-respecting person.

On a tour of North America Jehan suffered chest pains, she was diagnosed with Angina Pectoris and underwent bypass surgery.

10. Noor suffered a chronic Kidney disease that led to her demise

Noor Jehan passed away in December 2000 in Karachi. In her last days, she suffered from chronic kidney disease and she was undergoing dialysis.

She was ranked in the list of the most influential Pakistan after Muhammad Ali Jinnah; she is also known as the first woman to sing Qawali.

The President of Pakistan Pervez Musharraf said that Noor deserved a state funeral, she was 79 years when she passed away.

In her last film as an actress-singer Ghalib, this contributed to strengthening her iconic status and gained a huge audience.