Majnu (actor)
Majnu | |
|---|---|
| Born | Harold Lewis November 2, 1913 |
| Died | March 26, 1975 (aged 61) Bombay, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1929 – early 1970s |
| Relatives |
|
Harold Lewis (2 November 1913 – 26 March 1975), known professionally as Majnu, was an Indian actor and director.
He was a frequent collaborator of director Roop K. Shorey and was known for portraying comic sidekicks, sometimes with morally ambiguous traits, in Shorey's films.
Majnu was the grandson of Indian preacher Imad ud-din Lahiz, who had converted from Islam to Christianity. Majnu's family was Punjabi Christian and based in Amritsar. His brother was the badminton player George W. Lewis.
Majnu began his career by co-directing and acting in Shorey's production Unlucky Loves (1929), although the film was not commercially released. He gained widespread recognition for playing the titular role in the comedy Majnu (1935), a parody of Layla and Majnun. The film was a critical and commercial success and inspired him to adopt "Majnu" as his screen name.
Majnu subsequently appeared in both Hindi- and Punjabi-language films, including Himmat (1941), Shalimar (1946), Chaman (1948), Ek Thi Larki (1949), and Ek Do Teen (1953). He also ventured into film direction with Paapi (1943) and went on to direct more than ten films until 1960, including Badnami (1946).
Acting credits
 |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Unlucky Loves | Also director; did not receive a commercial release | ||
| 1931 | Kismet Ke Here Phere | Silent film | ||
| 1935 | Majnu | Majnu | ||
| 1939 | Khuni Jadugar | |||
| 1941 | Himmat | |||
| 1941 | Nishani | |||
| 1945 | Din Raat | |||
| 1946 | Badnami | Also director | ||
| 1946 | Shalimar | |||
| 1948 | Chaman | |||
| 1949 | Ek Thi Ladki | Mohan | ||
| 194? | Do Saudagar | |||
| 1950 | Putli | |||
| 1951 | Sabz Baagh | |||
| 1951 | Dholak | |||
| 1951 | Mukhda | |||
| 1952 | Zamane Ki Hawa | |||
| 1952 | Shrimatiji | |||
| 1953 | Ek Do Teen | Hiralal | ||
| 1955 | Jalwa | |||
| 1955 | Shri Naqad Narayan | |||
| 1956 | Hum Sab Chor Hain | |||
| 1958 | Chandu | Also director | ||
| 1959 | Bhangra | |||
| 1959 | Madam X. Y. Z. | |||
| 1960 | Return of Mr. Superman | |||
| 1964 | Jagga | Bansa | ||
| 1966 | Chaddian Di Doli | |||
| 1968 | Mere Huzoor | Train passenger | ||
| 1971 | Haseenon Ka Devata | Bhola |
Directorial credits
| Year | Title | Banner | Language | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Unlucky Loves | — | Silent film co-directed by Roop K. Shorey; did not get a commercial release | ||
| 1943 | Paapi | Hindi | |||
| 1946 | Humari Galiyan | Shorey Studios | Incomplete film being made in Lahore; abandoned due to migration to Bombay | ||
| 1946 | Badnami | Punjab Film Corporation | |||
| 1954 | Vanjara | Punjabi | |||
| 1955 | Son of Ali Baba | Hindi | |||
| Tatar Ka Chor | |||||
| 1956 | Baghi Sardar | ||||
| Basre Ki Hoor | |||||
| Mallika | |||||
| 1957 | Muklawa | Punjabi | |||
| 1958 | Chandu | Chitra Niketan / N. R. Productions | Hindi | ||
| 1960 | Pagdi Samhal Jatta | Punjabi |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Majnu profile". Indian Cinema Heritage Foundation (Cinemaazi.com) website. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- 1 2 Ahmed, Ishtiaq (16 June 2023). Pre-Partition Punjab's Contribution to Indian Cinema. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1000905908.
- ↑ Siddique 2022, p. 153.
- ↑ "Mrs. G. Lewis Dead – Mother of Internationally Famous Badminton Star". Civil & Military Gazette. Lahore, Pakistan. 22 September 1949. p. 4.
- 1 2 3 Narwekar 2005, pp. 9, 157.
- ↑ Narwekar 2005, p. 158.
- 1 2 "Majnu 1935 At Globe Talkies". The Bombay Chronicle. 19 July 1936. p. 33. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - 1 2 Siddique 2022, p. 29.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 "Majnu filmography". Upperstall.com website. Archived from the original on 29 March 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
- ↑ Chabria & Usai 1994, p. 188.
- ↑ Rangoonwalla & Das 1970, p. 149.
- ↑ Rangoonwalla & Das 1970, p. 163.
- 1 2 Rangoonwalla & Das 1970, p. 175.
- ↑ Rangoonwalla & Das 1970, p. 215.
- 1 2 3 Reuben 2005, p. 398.
- ↑ Gokulsing & Dissanayake 2013, p. 166.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 312.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Siddique 2022, p. 154.
- ↑ Reuben 2005, p. 65.
- 1 2 Reuben 2005, p. 400.
- ↑ Reuben 2005, p. 159.
- 1 2 Reuben 2005, p. 404.
- ↑ Reuben 2005, pp. 404–405.
- 1 2 Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 627.
- ↑ Siddique 2022, p. 31.
- 1 2 Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 580.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 654.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 646.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 649.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 582.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 615.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 621.
- ↑ Rajadhyaksha & Willemen 1999, p. 587.
Sources
- Chabria, Suresh; Usai, Paolo Cherchi (1994). Light of Asia: Indian Silent Cinema, 1912-1934. Wiley Eastern. ISBN 9788122406801.
- Gokulsing, K.; Dissanayake, Wimal (17 April 2013). Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinemas. Routledge. ISBN 9781136772917.
- Narwekar, Sanjit (2005). Eena Meena Deeka: The Story of Hindi Film Comedy. Rupa. ISBN 9788129108593.
- Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1999). The Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema. British Film Institute. ISBN 9780851706696.
- Rangoonwalla, Firoze; Das, Vishwanath (1970). Indian Filmography: Silent & Hindi Films, 1897-1969. J. Udeshi.
- Reuben, Bunny (2005). ...and Pran: A Biography. HarperCollins. ISBN 9788172234669.
- Siddique, Salma (2022). Evacuee Cinema: Bombay and Lahore in Partition Transit, 1940–1960. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781009175524.