Waheed Murad’s A-game

23rd November marks the death anniversary of one of the finest actors from Pakistan, the legendary Waheed Murad. It was 35 years ago on this day that the chocolate hero of our film industry took his last breath and left millions of fans in shock and dismay. His death at the young age of 45 not only dealt a huge blow to the film industry but also to the showbiz community where people loved and worshipped him for his stylized acting. Let’s remember him with some of his biggest hits that we can dub as his ‘aces’ and pay tribute to his legacy that is still alive due to his countless songs, memorable dialogues and brilliant acting.

Armaan (Platinum Jubilee, 1966)

Director: Pervez Malik

Cast: Waheed Murad, Zeba, Nirala, Rozina, Zahoor Ahmed, Bibbo

Music Director: Sohail Rana

Famous Songs: ‘Ko Ko Korina’ (Ahmed Rushdi), ‘Akele Na Jana’ (Ahmed Rushdi), ‘Akele Na Jana’ (Mala), ‘Betaab Ho Udhar Tum’ (Ahmed Rushdi), ‘Jab Pyaar Main Do Dil’ (Ahmed Rushdi)

Armaan is Pakistan’s first film to have completed 75 years at the box office, becoming the first movie to enter the Platinum Jubilee club. It was not only produced by Waheed Murad but also featured his name in the credits as a writer, since it was his story that was made into a film by his friend Pervez Malik. The story revolves around a rich guy Nasir (Waheed Murad) who falls in love with a poor girl Najma (Zeba) while visiting Murree. Love blossoms between the two but tragedy throws them apart, only to be brought together by the song, ‘Akele Na Jana’. The interesting part about the song is that Sohail Rana composed it for some other film but was eventually used in this film on the insistence of Waheed Murad, becoming one of the biggest hits ever!

Anjuman (Platinum Jubilee, 1970)

Director: Hasan Tariq

Cast: Waheed Murad, Sabiha Khanum, Santosh Kumar, Rani, Deeba, Lehri

Music Director: Nisar Bazmi

Famous Songs: ‘Bhabi Meri Bhabi’ (Ahmed Rushdi), ‘Dil Dhadke’ (Runa Laila), ‘Aap Dil Ki Anjuman Main’ (Runa Laila), ‘Lag Rahi Hai Mujhe’ (Ahmed Rushdi), ‘Yaadash Bakhair’ (Ahmed Rushdi), ‘Izhaar Bhi Mushkil Hai’ (Noor Jehan)

Written by Agha Hassan Imtisal, Anjuman was released at a time when agitation in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was at its peak but even then it managed to break records because of its soundtrack and dialogues that are still popular after nearly five decades. In the film Rani plays the title role of a courtesan who falls in love with Nawab Sahab (Santosh Kumar) but strategically leaves him for his younger brother (Waheed Murad) after he pleads with her to not play with the happiness of his bhayya bhabi. The tawaaif stays true to her ‘agreement’ until she is asked to dance at her lover’s wedding, prompting her to commit suicide after dancing to the evergreen ‘Izhaar Bhi Mushkil Hai’.

Awaaz (Platinum Jubilee, 1978)

Director: Zafar Shabab

Cast: Waheed Murad, Mohammad Ali, Shabnam, Bindiya, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Bindiya

Music Director: A Hameed

Famous Songs: ‘Tu Mere Pyaar Ka Geet Hai’ (Asad Amanat Ali Khan), ‘Tu Mere Pyaar Ka Geet Hai’ (Mehdi Hassan), ‘Tu Mere Pyaar Ka Geet Hai’ (Naheed Akhtar), ‘Suno Suno’ (A Nayyar), ‘Yeh Hari Bhari Aabadian’ (Ghulam Abbas)

During the late 70s, Waheed Murad had tough competition from younger stars like Nadeem, Shahid and Ghulam Mohiuddin but even then, he stood his ground in this Zafar Shabab flick where he played a villager who moves to the city to become a singer and lands in the house of his estranged father (Mohammad Ali) who spots him after he sings the very song the father had earlier sang for his beloved, before the son was born. A Hameed’s soundtrack helped in making the film a success; Mohammad Ali, who had earlier played Nadeem’s father in Amber was outstanding as Waheed Murad’s father, while the younger actor was at his best, immortalizing songs with his brilliant picturization.

Andaleeb (Golden Jubilee, 1969)

Director: Fareed Ahmed

Cast: Waheed Murad, Shabnam, Mustafa Qureshi, Lehri, Aaliya, Taalish

Music Director: Nisar Bazmi

Famous Songs: ‘Kuch Log Rooth Kar Bhi’ (Ahmed Rushdi), ‘Gaysoun Kay Aanchal Main’ (Ahmed Rushdi), ‘Mere Dil Ki Mehfil’ (Ahmed Rushdi, Noor Jehan), ‘Kuch Log Rooth Kar Bhi’ (Noor Jehan), ‘Pyaar Kar Kay Hum’ (Noor Jehan)

This film may have been an adaptation of Salma Kanwal’s novel but with memorable songs, amazing performances and picturesque locations, it carved a separate identity of its own. The film revolved around two families - of Waheed Murad and Shabnam - and while they are getting to know each other, everything goes haywire, leaving the audience in shock because of the twists and turns in the story. ‘Kuch Log Rooth Kar Bhi’ with Waheed Murad at the steering wheel, jumping in and out of the car, is something that is associated with the film, as is the image of Shabnam playing the piano and rendering the sad version of the same song later in the movie.

Aahat (Silver Jubilee, 1982)

Director: Mohammad Javaid Fazil

Cast: Waheed Murad, Nadeem, Shabnam, Jamil Fakhri, Bindiya

Music Director: Robin Ghosh

Famous Songs: ‘Chaman Chaman Kali Kali’ (Ikhlaq Ahmed, Nayyara Noor), ‘Waada Hay, Waadon Ko’ (A Nayyar, Nayyara Noor), ‘Yaad-E-Maazi’ (Mehdi Hassan, Nayyara Noor), ‘Rut Aaye Rut Jaye’ (Nayyara Noor)

Waheed Murad’s final years had more flops than hits but Aahat stands out as he played a supporting role in the presence of Shabnam and Nadeem, and surprised his fans by convincingly playing an elderly doctor instead of a young man dancing and prancing around the trees. The story revolves around two lovers, Faraz and Samina (Nadeem and Shabnam respectively), who lose contact after the former goes abroad for studies. Things take a turn after Faraz loses his memory due to a freak accident and ends up as the patient of Samina’s husband, played by Waheed Murad. This Javaid Fazil film had a stellar soundtrack but the sad part is that no song has been filmed on the man who had mastered the art of immortalizing songs.

– Omair Alavi is a freelance broadcast journalist who can be contacted at omair78@gmail.com