Mandwa to celebrate anniversary with film ‘Aahat’

Islamabad

Director: Javed Fazil

Producer: Atta Buzdar

Music: Robin Ghosh

Cast: Shabnam, Nadeem, Waheed Murad, Bindya.

Dr. Fouzia Saeed, Lok Virsa Executive Director, started Mandwa Film Club last August. It has nearly been one year and it is now time to celebrate first anniversary. And what better way to celebrate the first ‘salgirah’ than screening a movie. Director Javed Fazil's romantic tragic triangle ‘Aahat’ from 1984 has been selected for the celebrations on Saturday September 17 at 5 pm.

But first more on Mandwa. It was first week of August last year when Fouzia Saeed made the beginning with screening of ‘Heer Ranjha’. Producer-actor Ijaz Durrani was especially invited to launch the scene. Director-Screenwriter-Producer Syed Noor joined him for auspicious opening. Men and women, boys and girls danced to the tunes and melodies of Khursheed Anwar and Noorjehan. Quite an opening it was.

And as the clock ticked, more guests from Lahore and Karachi were invited with memorable titles from the fifties and sixties. Adil Murad (son of late Waheed Murad), more of Syed Noor, composer Wazir Afzal, actresses Bahar and Samina Ahmad graced Mandwa with titles like ‘Ghunghat’, ‘Andaleeb’, ‘Aina’ and many more. All these movie luminaries took us with them down memory lane with smiles, laughter, some heart-breaking moments (as many artists, filmmakers, directors, composers and singers are no longer with us) and recalled how it was with movies in the golden fifties, sixties and seventies. They educated us on the art, technique of movie making and movie appreciation. This hopefully would go on with more films and more guests. Screening of Pakistani and foreign films each week with graceful opening (introduction) and post-screening lengthy discussions have been modest triumphs and highlights of Mandwa Film Club.

And now ‘Aahat’. It was back in 1984 when producer Atta Buzdar and Director Javed Fazil got together to turn Syed Noor's screenplay (a tragic love triangle) into a wholesome movie. Shabnam was selected to play the lead against then two most popular heroes: Nadeem and Waheed Murad. A boyfriend returns to his the old love. She is now married and this would wreck everyone. Scored by Robin Ghosh, melodies of Nayyara Noor were delight for the selected movie music lovers. However, ‘Aahat’ and its melodies were not meant for lowest common denominator in taste and style. The film played moderately at the box office and the decade moved on to 1985.

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