The Lara Lappa Girl and Her Story a Tragedy

LAHORE: Another year passes in the memory of a legendary actress Meena Shorey, the lady that graced the Indian cinematography and later dedicated her acting charm solely for the Pakistani industry for a twenty-five-year span.

Behind the iconic vintage contributions from the theatre-genic face, Meena Shorey, was her grip on a sundry of Indian, Urdu as well as Punjabi, lyrics and dialogue. Originally named Khursheed Jahan, she was born to a Muslim family in Raiwind in the year 1921, where she grew up in the era of many popular iconics.

The lady unleashed her versions of happiest performances within the aura where celebrity companions were setting their classical contributions for ahead, the age where we now live in but yet hold on to the earlier evergreens. Meena Shorey, too, stands as compelling on her twenty-ninth death anniversary that goes remembered every Ninth of February.

While her happiest performances and her groove to pop songs, labeled her with an ever-popular as the “Lara Lappa Girl" which she aced from her performance in a hit-melodious song from the movie ‘Ek Thi Ladki’ (1949).

 The Shoreys 1.0... Pre-partition Lahore. With  then single, centre in the top row Roshan Lal Shorey,  in the centre of the frame.

The "Comedienne of calibre" flaunted her charm appearing the liveliest and the most exquisite during her time in the Indian industry with her best, ‘Chaman’ (1948), ‘Ek Thi Ladki’ (1949), ‘Dholak’ (1951) and ‘Ek Do Teen’ (1953) – while during her verge in the Pakistani industry the iconic went as charming with twenty-nine films, including ‘Bara Aadmi’ (1957), ‘Sitaron ki Duniya’ (1958), ‘Jagga’ (1958), ‘Behrupiya’ (1960), ‘Mosiqar’(1962), ‘Andhi Mohabbat’ (1964) and ‘Khamosh Raho’ (1964) – especially ‘Sarfarosh’ (1956) that went a super hit box-office success leader of the time. 

Meena acted in about twenty-nine films in Pakistan, with lead roles in eleven of them and as a character artiste in the rest

Honours after honours, the diva was embraced with another as she went on to become the "first Pakistani actress to model for Lux" and became known as the "Lux Lady of Pakistan".

The lady did embrace a wide genre as the industry still holds on to her contributions for covers and for moments back in the time of vintage classics.