Nasir Hussain (1926–2002) was an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and producer who worked in Hindi cinema. He is widely credited with shaping the template of the Hindi musical romance from the late 1950s onwards, with films built around youthful romance, family conflict, lost-and-found plots, and elaborate song picturisations. He was the founder of Nasir Hussain Films and a key figure in the rise of stars such as Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parekh and, later, Aamir Khan.
Key facts
| Full name | Nasir Hussain |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 November 1926, Bhopal, Central India Agency, British India |
| Died | 13 March 2002, Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Occupation | Director, screenwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1948–1998 |
| Industry | Hindi cinema |
| Production house | Nasir Hussain Films |
| Notable films | Tumsa Nahin Dekha, Dil Deke Dekho, Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai, Teesri Manzil, Caravan, Yaadon Ki Baaraat, Hum Kisise Kum Naheen, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (producer) |
| Family | Tahir Hussain (brother, producer); Mansoor Khan (son, director); Aamir Khan (nephew); Imran Khan (grand-nephew) |
Background
Nasir Hussain was born in Bhopal in 1926 into a family that would later become deeply associated with Hindi cinema. He moved to Bombay in the 1940s and joined Filmistan Studios as a writer, where he served his apprenticeship in story and screenplay writing during the late 1940s and early 1950s. His early credits as a writer at Filmistan include Anarkali (1953) and Munimji (1955), the latter directed by Subodh Mukherji and starring Dev Anand.
Career
Filmistan years and directorial debut
Hussain made his directorial debut with Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957), produced by Filmistan and starring Shammi Kapoor and Ameeta. The film is generally regarded as the moment that established Shammi Kapoor's rebel-romantic screen persona and set the tone for a new strand of breezy, music-driven Hindi cinema. He followed it with Dil Deke Dekho (1959), which introduced Asha Parekh as a leading lady opposite Shammi Kapoor.
Independent production
In 1960, Hussain set up his own banner, Nasir Hussain Films. Under this banner he directed Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961) with Dev Anand and Asha Parekh, and Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963) with Joy Mukherjee and Asha Parekh. He produced Teesri Manzil (1966), directed by Vijay Anand and starring Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh, with music by R. D. Burman; the film became a landmark in Hindi film music and thriller-romance.
1970s
The 1970s marked the peak of his work as a director-producer. Caravan (1971), Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) and Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977) were major commercial successes featuring stars including Jeetendra, Asha Parekh, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Zeenat Aman, Tariq, Rishi Kapoor and Kaajal Kiran. Yaadon Ki Baaraat, in particular, is often cited as the prototype of the modern "lost-and-found" multi-starrer and as an early masala film, with a score by R. D. Burman that became enormously popular.
Later work
His later directorial outings included Zabardast (1985). In 1988 he produced Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, directed by his son Mansoor Khan, which launched his nephew Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla as stars and is considered a turning point for Hindi cinema's romantic genre in the late 1980s. He also produced Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) and Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995), both directed by Mansoor Khan.
Style and significance
Hussain's films are characterised by:
- Light, youthful romances built around misunderstandings and family secrets.
- "Lost-and-found" narratives in which siblings or family members are separated and reunited, most famously in Yaadon Ki Baaraat.
- An emphasis on song and dance as central narrative devices, in long collaborations with composers O. P. Nayyar, Shankar–Jaikishan and especially R. D. Burman, and lyricists Majrooh Sultanpuri and others.
- Star-launching: he was instrumental in establishing the screen images of Shammi Kapoor, Asha Parekh and Aamir Khan, among others.
He is frequently described in Indian film criticism as one of the architects of the Hindi musical romance and an important precursor to the masala film tradition that dominated Hindi cinema in the 1970s.
Family
Hussain's younger brother Tahir Hussain was also a film producer (Caravan, Zakhmee, Locket) and was the father of actor Aamir Khan and producer Faisal Khan. Nasir Hussain's son, Mansoor Khan, became a director with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. Actor Imran Khan, who is Mansoor Khan's nephew, is Nasir Hussain's grand-nephew. The extended family is one of the most prominent film families in Hindi cinema.
Selected filmography
As director
- Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957)
- Dil Deke Dekho (1959)
- Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai (1961)
- Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon (1963)
- Baharon Ke Sapne (1967)
- Pyar Ka Mausam (1969)
- Caravan (1971)
- Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973)
- Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977)
- Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai (1981)
- Manzil Manzil (1984)
- Zabardast (1985)
As producer (selected)
- Teesri Manzil (1966)
- Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak (1988)
- Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992)
- Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995)
As writer (selected)
- Anarkali (1953)
- Munimji (1955)
- Paying Guest (1957)
Death
Nasir Hussain died in Mumbai on 13 March 2002.