Khwaja Ahmad Abbas

Khwaja Ahmad Abbas Biography

Khwaja Ahmad Abbas, shortly known as K. A. Abbas was a famous film director, novelist, screenwriter, and a journalist who worked in Hindi, Urdu and English movies. It was through his directorial venture the super star of the millennium, Amitabh Bachchan and Malayalam actor, Madhu of Chemmeen fame entered Bollywood. Though this movie with Madhu in leading role and Big B as one among the six supporting actors released in 1969 bombed at box office, it received National award for Best feature film based on National integration award. In 1971, his movie, Do Boond Pani won him the same award again. In 1963 Shehar Aur Sapna won him the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.

As a screenwriter he has given new dimensions to many of the blockbusters of Raj Kapoor camp – Awara, Bobby, Shree 420, Henna and Mera naam joker are a few. Neecha Nagar, Naya sansar, Saat Hindustani, Jagte raho and Dharti Ke Lal are other noted screenplays. His column ‘Last Page’ has been one of the longest running columns of Indian newspapers. He continued writing he died in 1987.

Khwaja Ahmad Abbas was born in Panipat, Haryana on 7 June 1914. His grandfather Khwaja Gulam Abbas was a chief rebel of the 1857 Rebellion movement and was the first martyr of Panipat. His father Ghulam-Us-Sibtain modernized the preparation of Unani medicines. His mother Masroor Khatoon was the daughter of educationist Sajjad Husain. After completing matriculation at the age of 15, Abbas did degree in English literature in 1933 and LL.B. in 1935 from Aligarh Muslim University. He started his career as a journalist at Delhi with Bombay Chronicle in 1935. He entered films as a part-time publicist for Bombay Talkies in 1936 where he gave his first screenplay – Naya Sansar in 1941. Thus began his film journey. Dharti ke lal was his debut movie as a film director.

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Updated: January 25, 2014