Name: Humayun
Genre: Drama, History
Duration: 1 h 58 min
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Ashok Kumar, Veena, Nargis

There were historical epics that preceded HUMAYUN (1945) but this one took the genre to a new level in Hindi cinema. Made by pioneer filmmaker Mehboob Khan, this film reportedly reached the attention of even Hollywood (in the person of Cecil B. DeMille). This film rates a 10 because of its significance in Indian cinema. History has always been a fusion of fact and fiction. And this film makes no pretense otherwise. 

The sets, costumes, and general art direction are over-the-top, surpassing anything that had yet been filmed in Hindi cinema. This was the achievement of Mehboob Khan--the Cecil B. DeMille of India. 

The casting was stellar: Ashok Kumar, Veena, Nargis, Chandra Mohan, Shah Nawaz, and K. N. Singh. All were nearly perfectly cast but a couple of performances fell short of the mark. The usually superb Chandra Mohan looked uncomfortable in his part which is surprising considering he played an excellent Emperor Jahangir in the 1939 epic PUKAR. The same can be said of Nargis. In all fairness to Nargis, she was very young here and still inexperienced in large scale film roles. Both Chandra Mohan and Nargis were overshadowed by the powerhouse presence of Veena in this film. In their scenes with Veena, both seemed edgy and uptight, which is a clear sign of actors who are not secure in their roles. Veena displays alternately a fiery and yet tender warrior princess which blows away the viewer. She somehow managed to go from a tigress to a dove in this role. How she achieved this, only Mehboob Khan could have known the answer. There never was an actress in the history of Hindi cinema who could deliver a dialogue like Veena or who had that inimitable voice. Ashok Kumar seems to be enjoying himself in the title role. He genuinely looks like he had fun playing this part. He was perfect for the part of Emperor Humayun. K. N. Singh played a real menacing part in this film and made his screen presence felt. Shah Nawaz made a regal and powerful Emperor Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire in India. A terrific supporting actor, Shah Nawaz had co-starred with Ashok Kumar in the diamond jubilee hit KISMET two years earlier in 1943, where he played a tough yet sympathetic police inspector which set the standard of important cop roles for decades to come by later character actors.

In conclusion, HUMAYUN is a costume drama of epic proportions...Classic songs, great music, eloquent dialogue, opulent sets, spectacular battle scenes...This film has it all. For its cultural significance, as well as its commercial value, this film is a must see.

Urdu cinema, especially in Pakistan, is known for its poetic dialogue, musical traditions, and melodrama, often exploring romance, morality, and class. Historically, it thrived on musicals and romances that shaped national identity. In recent decades, it has undergone a revival, balancing popular appeal with more socially conscious storytelling.

Alina Khan and Ali Junejo in Joyland (2022)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The history genre features recounting and analyzing past events, societies, cultures, and historical figures. This genre aims to provide insights into the development of civilizations, the causes and consequences of historical events, and the impact of individuals and ideas on the course of history.

Badshah Babar arrives in India from Iran, drives out Ibrahim Lodhi, makes peace with the Hindus and rules Delhi. He also adopts Rajkumari as his daughter and treats like his very own child, even though he has two sons, Humayun and Kamran, and a daughter, Gulbadan. Babar also finds out that Rajkumari is soon to be married to Randhir, the Rajkumar of Chanderi, who is out to avenge the conquest of his native land, by killing Humayun. Before that could happen Humayun falls seriously ill, Babar prays for his survival, but himself becomes ill and passes away, leaving Humayun to recuperate and be crowned the next Badshah. Humayun meets Hamida Bano and both fall in love with each other so much so that he loses all interest in the running of the state. When Delhi is attacked by Jai Singh, Kamran and Khan Bahadur join in the attack, forcing Hamida to flee. Humayun fends off the attackers, but must re-route his armies when Rajkumari is taken hostage. He does manage to rescue her, make amends with Randhir, but loses Delhi to his opponents, and flees to his native Iran. This is where he will meet and marry Hamida, and both will become parents of Shahenshah of all Shahenshah's, Jalaludin Akbar. But before that Humayun must take back his kingdom, and in order to do this he must first take Kabul, then Lahore, and then Agra and finally, if he manages to survive, Delhi.

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, and Madhubala in Mughal-E-Azam (1960)

Humayun

Photos1

Top Cast16

User reviews1

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed