Begum Hazrat Mahal, the last Queen of Oudh and also an unsung hero of the first war of Independence, will come alive on screen when the first ever documentary on her is screened on May 30, which also
Begum Hazrat Mahal, the last Queen of Oudh and also an unsung hero of the first war of Independence, will come alive on screen when the first ever documentary on her is screened on May 30, which also marks her 137th death anniversary.
Prince Kaukab Qader Meerza, great grandson of Begum Hazrat Mahal, will be coming to Lucknow from Kolkata for the day.
The 26-minute documentary has been directed by national award-winning director Mohi-ud-Din Mirza. Commissioned by the Films Division, the film will be screened by the Lucknow Expressions Society along with the UP Tourism department.
The film is an attempt to introduce the people to the life and times of Begum Hazrat Mahal and the sacrifices she made for the motherland.
The documentary shows the Begum in her role as one of the first women revolutionaries in India’s struggle for independence. Begum Hazrat Mahal was the first wife of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah — the last ruler of Oudh. She rebelled against the British East India Company during the First war of Independence in 1857.
After her husband was exiled in Calcutta, she took charge of the affairs in the state of Oudh and seized control of Lucknow. She also arranged for her son, Prince Birjis Qadra, to become Wali (ruler) of Oudh. However, he was forced to abandon this role after a short reign.
When the British forces quelled the uprising, the Begum found asylum in Nepal where she died in 1879.
Manzilat Khan, a direct descendant of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah and Begum Hazrat Mahal, said, “It is for the first time that a film has been made on my great great grandmother who is someone that we have grown looking up to. It is going to be an emotional moment for me to watch her come alive on screen.”
