BY ANDREW JACOBSON,ON APRIL 12TH,2013
Fiction
and fact meeting in Pakistan when new country was smiling and full of
fun. Hollywood dropped in for a brief but memorable encounter.
John Masters was
a British army officer and famous author. His novels dealt with life
in British India. John’s own background fully qualified him for the
task. His family had long association with India going back to 1805
when his great-great grandfather came to India with 8th Light
Dragoons. His great grandfather was headmster of La Martiniere school
in Calcutta and his grandfather served with Indian police. His father
served with 16th Rajputs while three uncles served with 34th Sikh Pioneers, 104th and 119th Hyderabad Infantry. John joined 1933 batch of Sandhurst and commissioned in August 1934. John joined 2nd Battalion of 4th Gurkha Rifles.
He left army and became a celebrated author writing historical novels
about India. His observations about Indian life are amazing and famous
Indian author Khushwant Singh said that Kipling knew India but Masters
knew Indians.
In
1954, he wrote Bhowani Junction which was an instant hit. This novel
was set in 1946 around the life of an Anglo-Indian girl Victoria Jones
in a rapidly changing world. She has three affairs with an Indian,
Anglo-Indian and a British. The political background of the novel is
India’s march towards partition and struggle between non-violent
movement of Congress and violent Communists.
In
1955, MGM studio decided to make an epic movie of this best selling
novel. Ava Gardner was chosen for the role of Victoria Jones and
British born Hollywood star Stewart Granger for the role of Colonel
Rodney Savage. MGM wanted to film at location in India. The geographic
location of fictional Bhowani Junction was most likely Jhansi and
Colonel Savage was Commanding Officer of a Gurkha battalion. Indian
government was not comfortable with the novel’s theme and many
considered it as insulting to Indians. Indian government insisted on
seeing and approving the script. Indian tax collectors wanted more than
fair share including twelve percent of the net world profit. MGM
decided to approach Pakistan and Pakistan government offered all the
asistance as well as waiving all taxes.
In
early1955, film crew from Hollywood and London landed in Lahore. Many
scenes were filmed at Lahore railway station, Shalimar Gardens and Shah
Almi market. Film crew stayed at Falleti’s Hotel and room 55;the two
room suite where Ava stayed was later named Ava Gardner suite. There
were many interesting incidents during crew’s stay in Lahore. One day,
Ava ran out of bathroom stark naked shrieking with fear and chased by a
large bat. Someone handed her a large bath towel while others chased the
bat with tennis racket. A luch buffet was arranged in hotel’s garden
where film crew and local elite were invited. As soon as food platters
were laid out, dozens of squawking crows attacked the party plucking food from the plates of guests. Many guests ran away in panic.
Mathews
who played the role of Ranjit recalled that one night he and Ava hopped
on a tonga and went to the house of a dancing girl in the infamous
street. One local recognized Ava and insisted to escort them for their
safety. The musicians in their excitement tried to play the only
western music they knew for their celebrity
guests. Ava shouted, ‘Goddammit; that’s the Isles of Capri’, can’t you
play something else. Nervous musicians palyed the same song but much
faster. Incidentally, Ava’s husband Frank Sinatra sang this song for
his album Come Fly With Me in 1958. There is another story that a die
hard Lahori fan of Ava later managed to get the pillow from Ava’s
bedroom and fifty years later still had his prized possession. In 1947,
mass migration on both sides saw departure
of Sikhs from Lahore and most Sikh Gurdwaras were closed. For one
scene about Sikhs, Pakistan government opened a Sikh temple and allowed
many Sikhs from across the border to participate in the scene.
Ava Gardner and Stewart Granger arrive at Lahore Airport,1955. Photo;Nadeem Paracha
Pakistan army and police provided soldiers for the film. 5th Battalion of 13th Frontier
Force Rifles (now 10 Frontier Force Regiment) then commanded by
Lieutenant Colonel Shah Khan provided officers and soldiers for the
film. It was a motorized infantry battalion and part of 3rd Armoured Brigade along with 5th Probyn’s
Horse. Frontier Force Regiment and Frontier Force Rifles is nick named
PIFFERS. Some other officers;Agha Aman Shah and Shah Rafi Alam of 5th Probyn’s Horse were also assigned to assist the film crew. Some suggest that another battalion First Battalion of 13th Frontier
Force Rifles (now 7 Frontier Force Regiment) also provided help. In
fact, in movie Colonel Savage was commanding First Battalion of 13th Frontier
Force Rifles. One can see some grizzly PIFFER Junior Commissioned
Officers (JCOs) in the movie; many probably veterans of Second World
War. In one scene, Victoria and Savage dance with PIFFER soldiers while
regimental band is playing the tunes. There is an incident involving
Lieutenant Colonel Aslam Khan and probably he was commanding 1/13 FFR.
It is not clear whether it was a coincidence or someone in Pakistan army
had read the novel as in novel Colonel Rodney Savage commands a
fictional 1/13 Gurkha Rifles and in movie he commands real 1/13 Frontier
Force Rifles. These battalions were part of 7 Golden Arrow division
and in movie Golden Arrow is visible on arm of Colonel Savage. When
venue of shooting was changed from India to Pakistan, Gurkha Rifles was
replaced by Frontier Force Rifles and Johnny Gurkha had to make room for
the Pathan. Most of the soldiers were Pathans and there are some
exchanges in Pushtu in the movie.
One
day everything was all set for the shoot with all the crew in place and
hundreds of extras ready for a major scene. A crisis situation
developed as Granger’s well pressed uniform was missing. Ava Gardner
was having conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Aslam Khan. She noticed
that he was of same built as Granger. She suggested to Granger that ‘I
just know that the dashing Colonel’s uniform would be a perfect fit for
you, Stewart. Don’t you think so Colonel?’ Then, holding Colonel
Aslam’s arm, she said to George Cukor: ‘We are making history here
Colonel, aren’t we George?’ Years later, Stewart recalling the incident
to Mahmud Sipra said,“I wonder how the good Colonel explained away Ava’s
make up on his uniform.”
Ava Gardner shooting a scene at the Lahore Railway Station in 1955. Photo; Nadeem Paracha
There
was an incident involving Stewart Granger and a young Pakistani cavalry
officer Shah Rafi Alam. The story goes that Granger got upset when he
saw Ava sitting in Rafi’s lap. The two came to blows and Rafi hit him
on nose. This is folklore and not true. Actual story is totally
different. An EME company was assigned for the film production
providing cranes and dozers for the sets. It was commanded by an old
British officer. Some British officers had decided to stay back in
Pakistan on contract and this officer was part of that group. One
day, this EME company failed to bring all the necessary equipment and
shoot scheduled for the day had to be cancelled. In the evening,actors
and some Pakistani army officers were having drinks in the lawn. The
old EME Major was seen arriving to join the party. Seeing him, Stewart
Granger acidly remarked that, “We had to loose the Empire with men like
him at the helm.” Rafi lost his temper and strongly reacted. Some very
hot words were exchanged between Granger and Rafi but there was no
physical contact. Only a chap like Rafi could take such a stance not to
be cowed by any celebrity.
Pakistani fans gather around the main cast of Bhowani Junction on the film’s sets in Lahore,1955 Photo; Nadeem Paracha
Film
was completed in England and Hollywood. First sneak previews caused
uproar about many things in the movie including race. Inter-racial
relationship was a taboo in Europe and United States of 1950s. Many
scenes where Victoria kissed Anglo Indian Patrick and Indian Ranjeet
were deleted despite the fact that all actors were either British or
American. In novel, Patrick and Victoria narrate their experiences but
in movie Colonel Savage is the sole narrator. The ending was also
completely changed. In novel, Victoria finally joins Patrick but film
ending was revised where Patrick dies a heroic death and Savage would
come back from early retirement in England to join Victoria in India.
Film director George Cukor actually cried about all these changes. He
protested loudly with tears in his eyes and said, “Listen, I made a good
movie here. You are crucifying this movie and turning it into a
goddamn Hollywood love story,and it’s going to be crap”. Ava was in
full agreement that a good film was ‘seriously damaged, oversimplified,
and over sentimentalized’ after preview audiences didn’t approve of
certain aspects of the film.
If
Bhowani Junction was released in its original form,it was likely to
become an epic film in league with Gone with the Wind and Lawrence of
Arabia. However, film was still a success. Ava also liked her role in
the film. In her last days, Ava would watch her old movies alone. She
watched Bhowani Junction and called Stewart Granger in Los Angeles
asking him “were we really that beautiful,honey?” Stewart replied “You
were, my sweet. You still are”. Rest in peace Ava; You are beautiful
in the eyes of a whole generation enchanted by you.
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