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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Sheesh Mahal
| image = Sheesh Mahal (1950).jpg
| image_size =
| caption =
| director = [[Sohrab Modi]]
| producer = Sohrab Modi
| writer = Khan-Bahadur Hakim Ahmad Shuja
| narrator =
| starring = {{ubl|[[Naseem Banu]]|[[Sohrab Modi]]|[[Gajanan Jagirdar]]|Eruch Tarpore|[[Pushpa Hans]]}}
| music = [[Vasant Desai]]
| cinematography = M. Malhotra
| editing = {{ubl|D. D. Shirdhankar|P. Bhalchander}}
| distributor =
| studio = Minerva Movietone
| released = 1950
| runtime = 144 minutes
| country = [[India]]
| language = [[Urdu|Hindi]]
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'''''Sheesh Mahal''''' (Palace of Mirrors) is a [[List of Bollywood films of 1950|1950]] social [[Urdu]]/[[Hindi]] film produced and directed by [[Sohrab Modi]] for Minerva Movietone. The story writer was the late Khan-Bahadur [[Hakim Ahmad Shuja]], an [[Urdu]] poet and writer. The screenplay and dialogue were by Munshi Abdul Baqui and Shams Lucknawi.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gomolo.com/sheesh-mahal-movie/2089|title=Cst and crew Sheesh Mahal 1950|publisher=Gomolo.com|access-date=21 December 2014}}</ref> The music direction was by [[Vasant Desai]] and the lyricists were Aajiz, Shams Lucknowi and Nazim Panipati.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lyricsbogie.com/category/movies/sheesh-mahal-1950|title=Music Sheesh Mahal 1950|publisher=Lyricsbogie.com|access-date=21 December 2014}}</ref> The film starred [[Sohrab Modi]], [[Naseem Banu]], [[Mubarak (actor)|Mubarak]], [[Pran (actor)|Pran]], [[Nigar Sultana (actress)|Nigar Sultana]], [[Pushpa Hans]], Jawahar Kaul and [[Leela Mishra]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citwf.com/film316036.htm|title=Sheesh Mahal|publisher=Alan Goble|access-date=21 December 2014}}</ref>

Naseem plays the daughter of a feudal aristocrat who sticks to his old ways in spite of being reduced to penury. In contrast to her role in ''[[Pukar (1939 film)|Pukar]]'' (1939), she "dressed simply, with little make-up", with her acting leaving an emotional impact on the audiences. And Bakwas is the builder of Sheesh Mahal<ref name=Pandya>{{cite news|last1=Pandya|first1=Haresh|title=Naseem Banu First female superstar of Indian Cinema|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/sep/04/guardianobituaries.filmnews|access-date=21 December 2014|agency=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|date=4 September 2002}}</ref>

==Plot==
An old feudal aristocrat, Thakur Jaspal Singh ([[Sohrab Modi]]) lives with his two daughters, Ranja ([[Naseem Banu]]) and Nalini (Pushpa Hans), and son Balram in a grand mansion called Sheesh Mahal. He maintains his long family ancestry and honour, citing the valour of olden days. His way of life far exceeds the money he has. His children try to warn him regarding his excessive spending, but his feudal mind-set refuses to let others see that they are in dire straits. They finally have to sell their mansion to a former worker, Durgaprasad ([[Mubarak (actor)|Mubarak]]), who is now rich. They settle in a small hovel-like place. The brother finds work in the factory, but meets with an accident where his leg is amputated. Desperate Ranjana finds work as a maid to Roopa ([[Nigar Sultana (actress)|Nigar Sultana]]), Durgaprasad’s daughter. Jaspal Singh refuses Durgadas when he comes to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage to his son Vikram (Jawahar Kaul) claiming that Durgadas may have bought the Sheesh Mahal, but he's still a labourer compared to the aristocratic family. Balram argues with his father about keeping up false pretences. Sundarmukh ([[Pran (actor)|Pran]]), who was to marry Ranjana, but has broken the engagement because they are poor, comes and tells Jaspal that his daughter, in the guise of working at Durgadas' house is having an affair with his son. Jaspal is furious and rushes to kill Ranjana to avenge the Rajput honour. At the Sheesh Mahal, Durgadas stops him with a lecture on different warriors and honour. Jaspal falters and falls down the steps. Before he dies, he blesses the union between Ranjana and Vikram.

==Cast==
* [[Sohrab Modi]] as Thakur Jaspal Singh
* [[Naseem Banu]] as Ranjana
* [[Mubarak (actor)|Mubarak]] as Durgadas
* [[Nigar Sultana (actress)|Nigar Sultana]] as Roopa Devi
* [[Pran (actor)|Pran]] as Sundarmukh
* Jawahar Kaul as Vikram
* Amarnath as Balram
* [[Leela Mishra]] as Vikram’s mother
* Ghulam Mohiuddin
* Sadat Ali

==Crew==
* Producer: Sohrab Modi
* Music director: Vasant Desai
* Lyricist: Aajiz, Shams Lucknowi, Nazim Panipati (as well as an adaptation of Hakim Ahmad Shuja's poem)
* Cinematographer: M. Malhotra
* Dances: Prem Dhawan
* Editing: D. D. Shirdhankar and P. Bhalchander
* Processed: Bombay Film Laboratory
* Make-up Artist: M. N. Borkar
* Recording Director: M. Edulji
* Art Director: Rusi K. Banker

==Review==
Though the film is still praised for its lavish sets show-casing the mansion almost on par with [[Mughal-E-Azam]] as cited by [[Amrit Gangar]], the film came in for extremely harsh criticism from [[Baburao Patel]] of ''[[Filmindia]]'', who had an old feud going with Modi. Patel in the October 1950 issue of ''Filmindia'' claimed "... Sheesh Mahal fails miserably to appeal".<ref name=Gangar>{{cite book|last1=Gangar|first1=Amrit|title=Sohrab Modi The Great Mughal of Historicals|date=2008|publisher=Wisdom Tree|location=New Delhi, India|isbn=9788183281089|pages=67}}</ref> However, ''Motions Picture Magazine'' in its February 1951 issue commended Modi for assuring the public that he still retained the "mastery of his craft".<ref name=MPM>{{cite journal|last1=Parshuram|first1=Daulatram|title=The year 1950 in review|journal=Motions Picture Magazine|date=February 1951|volume=15|issue=1–2|pages=18|url=http://hindi-films-songs.com/books/Motion-Picture-Magazine-February-1951.pdf|access-date=25 December 2014}}</ref>
In overall terms, the film, despite some shortcomings, has a strong storyline and is well-directed by Modi, with exceptional roles by Naseem and Mubarak.<ref>''Showbiz'' Karachi, 1951</ref>

==Soundtrack==
The singers were Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt, Pushpa Hans and [[Mohammed Rafi]]. [[Pushpa Hans]] was a known singer and actress of those days. ''Chaman'' and ''Sheesh Mahal'' were her notable films.<ref name="Bajaj2014">{{cite book|author=J.K. Bajaj|title=On & Behind the Indian Cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_1UqAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA2008-IA27|access-date=20 December 2014|date=26 March 2014|publisher=Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd|isbn=978-93-5083-621-7|pages=2008–}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hindigeetmala.net/movie/sheesh_mahal_1950.htm|title=Sheesh Mahal|publisher=Hindi Geetmala|access-date=21 December 2014}}</ref>

===Songlist===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! # !! Title !! Singer !! Lyricist
|-
|1
| "Muqaddar Ke Hathon"
| [[Shamshad Begum]]
| Shams Lakhnavi
|-
| 2
| "Husnwalon Ki Galiyon Mein"
| Shamshad Begum
| Shams Lakhnavi
|-
| 3
| "Aayi Hai Deewali Sakhi Aayi Sakhi Aayi"
| Shamshad Begum, [[Geeta Dutt]]
| Nazim Panipati
|-
| 4
| "Jise Dhundti Phirti Hai Meri Nazar"
| [[Mohammed Rafi]], Geeta Dutt
| Nazim Panipati/adaptation of Hakim Ahmad Shuja's poem
|-
| 5
| "Aadmi Wo Haaye Musibat Se Pareshan Na Ho"
| [[Pushpa Hans]]
| Shams Lakhnavi, Behzad Lakhnavi
|-
| 6
| "Bhoole Zamane Yaad Na Kar"
| Pushpa Hans
| Shams Lakhnavi
|-
| 7
| "Takdeer Banane Wale"
| Pushpa Hans
| Aaziz
|-
| 8
| "Tum Dekh Rahe Ho Ki Mite Saare Sahare"
| Pushpa Hans
| Behzad Lakhnavi
|-
| 9
| "Hum Kheto Ke Maharaj"
| Pushpa Hans, Mohammed Rafi, Geeta Dutt
| Nazim Panipat
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|id =0243555 |title =Sheesh Mahal (1950) }}
*[http://muvyz.com/moviepage/ob744279/songs/#tabs Songs] at Muvyz, Inc.

{{Sohrab Modi}}

[[Category:1950 films]]
[[Category:Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:1950s Hindi-language films]]
[[Category:Indian films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Vasant Desai]]
[[Category:1950 drama films]]
[[Category:Indian drama films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Sohrab Modi]]
[[Category:Hindi-language drama films]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]

Sheesh Mahal (1950 film) - Revision history

imported>EdwardUK: infobox