Aan: Difference between revisions

{{EngvarB|date=April 2015}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}

| starring = [[Dilip Kumar]]<br />[[Nimmi]]<br />[[Premnath]]<br />[[Nadira (actress)|Nadira]]

| released = {{Film date|df=y|1952|07|4}}

| language = [[Hindustani language|Hindustani]]

'''''Aan''''' ([[Hindi]]: आन, [[Urdu]]: '''آن''', translation: ''Pride''), released as '''''The Savage Princess''''' in the [[United Kingdom]] and [[United States]], is a [[Bollywood films of 1952|1952]] Indian [[Bollywood]] [[adventure film]], produced and directed by [[Mehboob Khan]]. It was [[India]]'s first [[technicolour]] film, as it was shot in 16mm [[Gevacolour]] and was blown up in Technicolor.<ref name=uiowa>[https://uiowa.edu/indiancinema/aan Aan (1952 film) on  University of Iowa - Indian Cinema website]</ref><ref name=upperstall>{{cite web |title=Aan (1952 film)|url=http://www.upperstall.com/films/1952/aan |website=Upperstall.com website |access-date=20 November 2019}}</ref> It stars [[Dilip Kumar]], [[Premnath]], and [[Nimmi]], and marked the debut of [[Nadira (actress)|Nadira]]. It was the [[List of most expensive Indian films|most expensive Indian film ever]] at the time.

[[Nimmi]] and [[Prem Nath]], then at the height of their popularity and success, were quickly signed on for starring roles, but the second female lead proved more troublesome to cast. Initially, [[Nargis (actress)|Nargis]] was cast but left the film to concentrate on her association with R. K. Studios. For a time [[Madhubala]] was considered, with considerable lobbying from Dilip Kumar who was romantically involved with her at the time, but for reasons unknown, she was never cast. Finally [[Mehboob Khan]] decided to launch a newcomer and selected the then unknown Nadira and promoted her as his new star discovery.<ref name="interview"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/Aan-1952/article15922186.ece|title=Aan (1952)|date=19 September 2009|publisher=The Hindu (newspaper)|access-date=21 November 2019}}</ref>

The production cost of the film was {{INRConvert|35|l|year=1953|lk=c}}.<ref name="interview">{{cite web|title=Nadira – Interview|url=http://cineplot.com/nadira-interview/|website=Cineplot.com website|date=25 November 2012|access-date=20 November 2019}}</ref> It was the most [[List of most expensive Indian films|expensive Indian film ever]] at the time.

*[[Dilip Kumar]] as Jai Tilak Hada<ref name=uiowa/>

*[[Nimmi]] as Mangala<ref name=uiowa/>

*[[Nadira (actress)|Nadira]] as Princess Rajeshwari ‘Raj’<ref name=uiowa/>

*[[Mukri|Muqri]] as Chandan

*[[Murad (actor)|Murad]] as Maharajah

*[[Cuckoo Moray|Cuckoo]] as dancer

*Amir Banoo as Sardar Ma, Jai's mom

''Aan'' was the first Indian film to have a worldwide release in many countries with the English title - ''Savage Princess''.<ref name=upperstall/> It was subtitled in 17 languages, and released in 28 countries. Its distribution in the United Kingdom and [[Europe]] was handled by [[Alexander Korda]].<ref name="Rajinder"/> The film had a lavish [[London]] premiere, attended by [[Mehboob Khan]], his wife Sadar Akhter, and Nimmi.<ref name="moviemahal">{{cite web|url=https://moviemahal.net/2017/01/11/mehboobs-aan-1952-indian-cinemas-entry-into-europe/|title=Mehboob's AAN (1952) – Indian Cinema's entry into Europe|date=11 January 2017}}</ref> The English version was entitled ''Savage Princess''. On the London trip, they met many Western film personalities, including [[Errol Flynn]]. When Flynn attempted to kiss Nimmi's hand, she pulled it away, exclaiming, "I am an Indian girl, you cannot do that!" The incident made the headlines, and the press raved about Nimmi as the "...unkissed girl of India".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinestaan.com/articles|title=Cinema news and updates: latest Bollywood news, Tamil Cinema news, Movie reviews and Movie updates - Cinestaan.com|website=www.cinestaan.com}}</ref> The premiere was also attended by the [[British prime minister]] [[Clement Attlee|Lord Attlee]], among other Indian and British elites at the time.<ref name="gaur">{{cite book|last1=Gaur|first1=Madan|title=Other Side of the Coin: An Intimate Study of Indian Film Industry|date=1973|publisher=Trimurti Prakashan [distributed through Universal Book Service, Delhi]|page=160|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LAAwAAAAMAAJ&q=mehboob+khan+aan+united+kingdom|language=en}}</ref>

Although Nimmi was not the romantic lead, she made a big impact on audiences, and her character, Mangala, emerged as the most popular in the film.<ref name="m.rediff.com"/> This was to such an extent that, when the film was released dubbed in French in 1954, it was retitled ''Mangala, fille des Indes'' (''Mangala, the girl of India'') and Nimmi was promoted as the main star of the film in the theatrical posters and trailers for the French language release. Nimmi further revealed in a 2013 interview, that at the London premiere of Aan, she received four serious offers from Hollywood, including from Cecil B. DeMille who greatly admired the production design and Mehboob's vision as a director. He was in fact, so impressed by the film, that he personally wrote a letter of commendation to Mehboob Khan praising the film and the performances of Nimmi and Nadira in particular.<ref name="filmfare">{{cite web|url=https://www.filmfare.com/features/nimmis-filmfare-interview-11920.html|title=Dilip Kumar ke aashiq hum bhi the|website=filmfare.com}}</ref>

''Aan'' was also released in [[Japan]] in January 1954, as the first Indian film to ever release in Japan. ''Aan'' was accepted by audiences there, and it earned a considerable profit in Japan.<ref name="Japan">{{cite book | url=http://ir.minpaku.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/10502/1140/1/SES71_011.pdf | title=Asia to Watch, Asia to Present: The Promotion of Asian/Indian Cinema in Japan | publisher=Senri Ethnological Studies, Reitaku University | last=Matsuoka | first=Tamaki | year=2008 | page=246 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722073202/http://ir.minpaku.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/10502/1140/1/SES71_011.pdf | archive-date=22 July 2011}}</ref>

| 5 || "Mohabbat Choome Jinke Haath"<ref name=upperstall/> ||  Mohammed Rafi || 03:36

| 6 || "Gao Tarane Man Ke" ||  Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar & [[Shamshad Begum]] || 04:41

| 8 || "Khelo Raang Hamare Sang" || Lata Mangeshkar & [[Shamshad Begum]] || 04:18

Domestically in India, it was the [[List of Bollywood films of 1952|highest grosser of 1952]], grossing {{INR|link=yes}}2.8{{nbsp}}[[crore]]<ref name="boi52">{{cite web|url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=158&catName=MTk1Mg==|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120922022116/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=158&catName=MTk1Mg==|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 September 2012|title=Box Office India 1952|website=[[Box Office India]]|date=22 September 2012|access-date=21 November 2019}}</ref> ([[United States dollar|$]]5.88{{nbsp}}million).{{efn|name=Exchange|4.76 Indian rupees per US dollar from 1951 to 1965<ref name="sauder">{{cite web|title=Pacific Exchange Rate Service|url=http://fx.sauder.ubc.ca/etc/USDpages.pdf#page=3|website=[[UBC Sauder School of Business]]|publisher=[[University of British Columbia]]|page=3|access-date=21 November 2017}}</ref>}} Adjusted for inflation, this is equivalent to {{US$|{{Inflation|US|5.88|1952}} million|long=no}} ({{INR|{{#expr:{{Inflation|US|5.88|1952}}*68.3978/10 round 0}} crore}}).<ref name="sauder"/> It was the [[List of highest-grossing films in India|highest-grossing film in India]] at the time, and the first to [[Net income|net]] {{INR}}1.5{{nbsp}}crore. It held the record for several years, until it was surpassed by ''[[Shree 420]]'' (1955).<ref name="boi50s">{{cite web|title=Top Earners 1950-1959 (Figures in Ind Rs)|url=http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=122&catName=MTk1MC0xOTU5|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120919200259/http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=122&catName=MTk1MC0xOTU5|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 September 2012|website=[[Box Office India]]|date=19 September 2012|access-date=21 November 2019}}</ref>

[[Category:Urdu-language films]]

[[Category:Indian films]]