Object of the week: production design for the Hindi classic Pakeezah by British sketch artist Ivor Beddoes
Better known for his sketches for Kubrick, Star Wars and Superman, in the 1950s British artist Ivor Beddoes was commissioned to create early designs for a long-in-the-making landmark of Hindi cinema.
The papers of sketch artist Ivor Beddoes (1909 to 1981) are an extraordinary treasure trove illuminating the design process of some of the greatest British, and British-American films, of the post-war decades. Bequeathed to the BFI National Archive in 1981, Beddoes’ archive includes over 2,000 drawings from some 60 films, including Black Narcissus (1947), The Red Shoes (1948), Barry Lyndon (1975), Star Wars (1977) and Superman (1978).
One title that stands out amid the inventory of these British-made films is the sumptuous Hindi classic Pakeezah (1972). Famed almost as much for its protracted production timeline as for its exquisite production values, Pakeezah was first conceived by director Kamal Amrohi in the mid-1950s as a tribute to his wife, the great star of Indian cinema Meena Kumari.
The troubled production stopped and started many times between 1956 and 1971 due to changes in creative direction, the limited availability of the much in-demand Kumari, and the breakup of the couple’s marriage in 1964. Its eventual release coincided with Kumari’s tragic early death, and, after an initially lukewarm reception, the film became a classic whose reputation has continued to grow.
Beddoes contributed to the film during its very early stages, while working for Technicolor in India from 1956 to 1957 as the company was making concerted efforts to expand into the Indian market.
Pakeezah was originally planned to be black and white, but at Kumari’s suggestion Amrohi switched to colour and scrapped the footage already shot. Although it was ultimately made in Eastmancolor, in his book on Pakeezah the economist and Labour politician Meghnad Desai notes that the trade press reported in 1958 that Pakeezah would be filmed in Technicolor, which corresponds with Beddoes’ brief period of involvement.
Like all production art, it’s fascinating to compare this sketch with the finished film, but also to consider it within the context of Beddoes’ career, particularly his work with Powell and Pressburger. Like Black Narcissus, it represents a European’s perspective on India, although this time Beddoes is working from within India, on an Indian production.
As a former dancer and choreographer – which stood him in good stead on The Red Shoes, The Tales of Hoffmann (1951) and Powell’s Honeymoon (1959) – Beddoes’ innate understanding of movement can also be seen through the lively rendering of Kumari’s tawaif courtesan, performing before the seated spectators. And the image is made all the more powerful by that brilliant slash of red at its centre, which immediately pulls the eye – a favourite device of Beddoes’ mentor, Red Shoes production designer Hein Heckroth.
So, while this sketch is a small footnote in Pakeezah’s much bigger and drawn-out history, it illuminates an intriguing chapter in the career of Ivor Beddoes, a vastly versatile and talented artist whose work deserves further attention.
Produced with the support of the BFI Screen Heritage Fund, awarding National Lottery funding.