The film’s plot revolves around Shin Shinaki (Rehana) who dreams of killing the man, Taishi, who had killed her parents. When the villain dies, she transfers her vengeful energies on to the man’s son. The story involves a fortune­teller, Chiang, who only surfaces publicly one day per year. The other key figure is her lover, the bandit Boobla Boo (Ranjan), who eventually falls in with her plans…

Other Info

Rehana in Shin Shinaki Boobla Boo (1952)

This orientalist fantasy with one of the most peculiar film titles was based on the modern dance ballets Sadhona Bose had been associated with on stage. Shin Shinaki Boobla Boo was one of the first films experimenting with jazz and Latin American rhythms by P.L. Santoshi’s regular composer, C. Ramchandra.  Classic songs include Yeh khilti kali koi lai… Han dai taka lai (Lata and C. Ramchandra) in a kind of question-answer mode using a fast-paced chorus, Shin’s number Aae baba yeh hansi baba yeh khushi baba (Lata) and her duet with Boobla, Kuch chahelen ho, kuch charchein ho (Lata and Kishore Kumar).

This film was the unlikely first victim of the central government’s authority to overrule the censor board, an action enabled by the Indian Cinematograph Act passed that year. Given a Universal certificate by the censors, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting banned the film because of its ‘low moral tone’ and because it `throws the glamour of romance and heroism over criminal characters, treats sacred subjects irreverently and is, in consequence, opposed to the interests of public decency and morality’. The ban was later revoked but ruined the film’s commercial chances.

The temporary ban on this film sent Rehana’s career (one of the top heroines of late 40s and early 50s) on a sharp decline. She was reduced to B-grade films like Hazar Raatein (1953), Samrat (1954) etc and then as a second lead in films like Dhola Maru (1956) and Delhi Darbar (1956). She migrated to Pakistan in 1955, but wasn’t able to make her mark even in Lollywood.

Trivia

Lyricist/Director P. L. Santoshi who directed this film was so infatuated with Rehana, that one cold night he spent the entire night outside her door. Rehana did not reciprocate his feelings. The disheartened and dishevelled Santoshi went home and penned one of his most memorable songs based on this experience – “Tum kya jaano, tumhari yaad mein hum kitna roye, hum kitna roye” (Do you know how many tears I shed remembering you… ), one of the finest thumris sung by Lata.

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 1952?, Genre – Fantasy, Country – India, Language – Hindi, Producer – P.L. Santoshi,  Director – P.L. Santoshi , Music Director – C. Ramchandra, Cast - Sadhona Bose, Rehana, Ranjan, Veera, Baby Tabassum, Radhakrishen, Mumtaz Ali, Tiwari, Samson, Indu Paul, Shama Gulnar

Rehana

Rehana took the cine-world by storm, when she first appeared on the silver screen way back in the mid-40s. After doing some unmemorable supporting roles, Rehana made her debut as a leading lady in Hum Ek Hain (1946) – a movie about national unity. Incidentally, Hum Ek Hain also marked Dev Anand’s debut.

The success of two Filmistan’s films Shehnai and Sajan (1947), made Rehana an overnight star. In Shehnai, she was paired with Dilip Kumar’s younger brother Nasir Khan and the success of the film can be attributed to its superhit musical score by C. Ramchandra including such hits as Maar katari mar jana (sung by Amirbai Karnataki) and Aana meri jaan meri jaan Sunday ke Sunday (sung by C. Ramchandra Shamshad Begum and Meena Kapoor). Late 40s and early 50s was the best phase of her career and with the exception of Dilip Kumar, Rehana was paired with almost all top Indian heroes of her era including Dev Anand (Dilruba), Raj Kapoor (Sunhere Din, Sargam), Kishore Kumar (Cham Chhama Chham), Prem Nath (Sagai) and Prem Adeeb (Actress).

Throughout her career, Rehana remained an undistinguished actress with theatrical acting style and artificial performances. However, it was her seductive dances and her knack for landing into controversies that kept her in limelight throughout the late 40s and early 50s. Whether it was her infamous “lesbian act” with Nigar Sultana in Sunehre Din (1949), or the famous bath scene in Dilruba (1950), Rehana stayed in the news. Shin Sinaki Boobla Boo (1952) became the first film to be banned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting because of its low moral tone, and because it ‘throws the glamour of romance and heroism over criminal characters,treats sacred objects irreverently and is, in consequence, opposed to the interests of public decency and morality’.

After 1952, Rehana’s career sharply went on the decline as films like Rangeeli (1952), Chham Chhama Chham (1952), Hazar Raatein (1953), Samrat (1954) and Delhi Durbar (1956) all sank at the box-office. Frustrated by her predicament, she decided to migrate to Pakistan. Her first film in Pakistan was Shalimar (1956), where she co-starred with Sudhir. The film flopped terribly at box-office. She worked in a few more films but failed to impress Pakistani audience. Perhaps, during the making of Raat Ke Rahi (1960), she married its producer Iqbal Shehzad and gradually moved away from films as she became more engrossed on the home front. Later they got separated, and Rehana married a businessman, Sabir Ahmed. Her last appearances were in cameo forgettable roles including Zeba-Kamal starrer Dil ne Tujhe Maan Liya and Nayyar Sultana-Darpan starrer Dulhan, both released in 1963.

She was last seen as one of the panel of judges for `The Nigar Film Awards’ in 1995. Nowadays, Rehana is leading a window’s life in seclusion.