One of the surprising moves that Noor Jehan made was to migrate to Pakistan. It was surprising because the centre of filmmaking was Bombay, where she had established herself as the leading singing star of her time.

Though she was born in Kasur and had spent her early years in the Punjab, especially in Lahore, her husband, Shaukat Hussain Rizvi, was from Allahabad. Unlike many Muslim artistes and film personnel who were hugely successful but not from the part of the subcontinent that became Pakistan, they too decided to come here. They buckled down to set up Shahnoor Studio on the burnt remains of Shori Studio.

Many of the Muslim artistes and industry personnel did not move to Pakistan and stayed on in India to carve out places for themselves in the galloping growth of the film industry there.

Noor Jehan was noticed early. With her sisters, she performed at various stage shows and melas. Together, the three of them were known as the Punjab Mail. Very early on, she got a break facilitated by Master Ghulam Haider in films and sang Shala Jawanian Mane in Sheela - Pind Di Kuri, which became hugely popular across the length and breadth of the film-viewing public.

As singing was an essential part of performance in the subcontinent, as evidenced in the Natshastra, heroes and heroines were required to sing while acting, as there was no playback technology available initially. She cut across a swathe of female singers in those years to emerge as the leading heroine, leaving others behind.

It was an uphill task.The leading singing star of her time took it up as a challenge and executed it resolutely.

When she decided to come to Pakistan, the composers were bereft. Some went so far as to say the films had become mute because of her migration. It is said that K Dutta actually wept when he heard of her decision.

It was not easy in Pakistan despite an ‘open’ field. She struggled with her husband to kick-start the film industry here. Most of the technicians had left.Many of the creative individuals, including non-Muslims, had also migrated. So it was an uphill task which the leading singing star of her time took up as a challenge and executed resolutely. The films started rolling after a while.

She was content to work with the composers around her. They were far fewer and less diverse than those she had left behind in Bombay. But she made do with what was there and re-established filmmaking and singing.

Times were changing and so were sensibilities. She survived Shaukat Hussain Rizvi. Her Punjabi repertoire grew and some of her gems became examples of changing musical taste.

She went back to India only once, after about 35 years, and people there yearned to hear her live. She obliged them. For many, the wound of her leaving abharya mela started to bleed again.

The writer is a Lahore-based culture critic.