Ek Thi Ladki…There Existed A Girl… (Love-Story Of Meena & Roop Shorey... True One..)

Kalpita Raj / 7 yrs ago /

Ek Thi Ladki…There Existed A Girl… (Love-story of Meena & Roop Shorey...)

It was the cool night in the winter season. The climate in Mumbai was very fine. There was a big party, a very big bash in the Hotel Taj Mahal, near Gateway, thrown by a young handsome businessman. While everybody was enjoying, his two eyes met hers. Those eyes communicated a message secretly, that no one but only both of them understood. In the garden he was then waiting impatiently for her, pacing up and down anxiously. Eventually she managed to escape, away from the maddening pompous crowd, hawk-eyed press-reporters etc. He spotted her, hurrying towards him. His eyes twinkled with hope. She came hurriedly toward him swirling, in her silken dress and tenderly held his hand in hers, said in honeyed tone, “Roop Sahaab… .I have kept my words.. I had fulfilled my promise.. You see!!.. Now your film is super-hit. You’re a well-established film-maker !!!. Tell me now what your desire is?” He, who was touched by her gesture; held her hand close to his heart and while trying feebly to control his emotions uttered in a shaky-emotional voice..” Meena!!! Please go ahead!! Say what ever you want to say so.. .ask for whatever you want…” Her eyes met his, giving a meaningful glance ,”Togetherness. .Forever!!” she exclaimed, that was followed by a warm hug. The sea and the Hotel Taj were the witnesses of their engagement… of-course an unofficial one.

He.. Mr. Roop Shorey a well educated, rich-famous, Punjabi businessman from Lahore and she…Meena, a beautiful but illiterate girl from an ordinary family hailed from Multan, who had later migrated to Mumbai….He was emotional and she… brainy, had a lot of street-smartness. He was bit shy, introvert, always cared for the people; while she was an extrovert, chirpy, fearless one. He was talented, poetic-natured and she had got a very good sense of humor, excellent comic talents. In short both of them were like a “sharp-contrast”. .but still destiny had brought them together. He had injured himself emotionally, due to his unsuccessful marriage that had resulted into paying heavy debts; while she was trying to float and desperately trying to keep herself alive as gone through the trauma of one unsuccessful marriage and one broken affair. She was a well-established film heroine from Mumbai; while he was trying his luck as a producer, a mere struggler in Bolly-wood, as his well-established studio at Lahore, was burnt during the riots of 1948 and had a tremendous loss.

She had met him earlier in Lahore, in early 40’s during pre-partition days while shooting and was impressed by his personality. They soon had become mutual friends. Later she went back to Mumbai and had signed an exclusive contract with Soharab Modi, started performing lead-roles, mostly romantic types in historical films; while he enjoyed his luxurious life in Lahore.

When in 1948, she came to know that he had migrated to Mumbai and was in penniless condition, then like a true friend she had rushed to him. She as promised, had signed an exclusive contract with him as a leading lady for his films, which had caused unpleasantness between her and the company she was working for. She had to under-go the wrath of Soharab Modi, the company owner. She was dragged to court and was fined heavily. She had already recognized Roop ji’s talents in film making, especially in creating situational comedies and had a solid faith in him. So she took the risk gladly and bared the loss. In this way the number 0 and 1 had come together and became 10, eventually. She along with his other friends, viz. an established star Karan Diwan and Lahore based genius music director(whose family actually en-rooted from Kerala) named Vinod (Eric Roberts) helped him in producing a classic, super-hit Punjabi film called “Chaman”, followed by “Dholak”. Later I.S. Joahar too had joined them. He wrote a very funny story named “Ek Thi Ladki” a comedy, spinning around a carefree, smart girl. This role fitted very well to Meena and the film was super hit. And Meena was nick-named as Lare-lappa girl, soon became a super-star. Roop Shorey ji, hence gained back his lost status and he was thankful to his friends; so to express the gratitude and celebrate, he had thrown a big party at Taj, where those two Meena and Roop ji were tied together...for along time.

Later on after tying a knot with him, she had decided to work only with his production company, which later proved the most impractical for her. Both of them did couple of successful films. His Punjabi-Hindi films called Dulla-Bhatti, Koel and Mangti broke all the records of popularity of Hindi and Punjabi films. Soon Roop ji was very highly praised and titled as “King of the comedies” by Karanzia in Blitz and “Majahiya Sultaan” by his fans. There also was an honorable mention about him in many film magazines and newspapers as “the pioneer of the situational comedy”, “Emperor of Sit-com” “wizard of comedies” etc. Roop Shorey became the Mumbai’s film industry’s one of the top-most directors. He was then invited very often, with great respect to Pakistan to direct the Pakistani films... I think he was the first film producer/director to get honorable invitations from our dear neighbor.

But perhaps one can’t be always happy. Meena stupidly then decided to migrate to Pakistan forever, as she was frustrated due to lack of work and she insisted Roop ji to accompany her. And she kept on throwing tantrums, kept on persuading, pestering him to migrate but he didn’t pay any attention, as the idea of leaving his mother-land was just impossible for him. Mumbai was his everything and he didn’t want to go anywhere else by then . This had resulted into various rows-quarrels. The small storms later transformed into cyclones and later Meena got legally separated out, from Roop ji. She eventually migrated to Pakistan alone, leaving Roop ji heart-broken who was already in grief, as his friend, music director Vinod had died unexpectedly, at very young age while at the peak of his career.

After migrating to Pakistan, she struggled for roles, at Lolly-wood or at the studios in Lahore but couldn’t find any proper roles. Her career soon had flopped and she became a B or C grade artist. She realized soon that she had taken a wrong decision. She knew that she was at fault but then it was too late for her to rectify the mistake.

Here in Mumbai Roop ji had directed many super-hit comedies like “Aklamand”, “Mein shaadi karne chaala” etc. The songs from above films were hit, are still popularly heard. His last venture was the super-hit film called “Ek Thi Rita” in 1971.Roop ji had encouraged many new-comers like Vinod Mehra and helped them in building up their careers. But although he was a very successful, rich-famous man; he was very lonely and unhappy in his heart, as he missed his Meena a lot. She too was finding very difficult to live without him. But their ego had kept them apart

The adoring and helping friends like I.S. Johar then brought them together with great efforts and soon they were on talking terms. When Roop ji understood, her worst financial condition via his friends (she never expressed this to him as her pride came in between), he every year invited her to Mumbai for a friendly visit and helped her financially without making her feel obliged or low. .These loving visits continued till Roop ji‘s sudden death, due to heart attack, at the age of 56 in 1973.

After Roop ji’s death Meena didn’t have any true friend or supporter. In 1989 she had a lonesome death in a very poor condition and the charitable organizations had contributed for her funeral. There was hardly anyone at the burial ground, except couple of newspaper, no one gave the proper coverage and I think it’s the real tragedy...

( Here’ s the link of the immortal song from her super-hit film “Ek Thi Ladki”…Laree lappa ..Laare lappa.. Layin Rakda, this had brought them together. to share a happy relationship. You can very well notice her graceful body movements and his perfect sense of timings in this film.The music by Vinod is really too good)

Indian films and posters from 1930: film (Ek Thhi ladki) (1949)

bombaymann2.blogspot.com/2013/09/film-ek-thhi-ladki-1949.html

Ek Thi Ladki is a 1949 Hindi action comedy film by director Roop K. Shorey. The movie had the famous Punjabi song "Laara Lappa Laara Lappa Layi Rakhda"