PNCA pays tributes to Mustafa Qureshi

Islamabad

Performing Arts Division of PNCA (Pakistan National Council of The Arts) paid an impressive tribute to film icon Mustafa Qureshi here.

Two attractive panaflexes with wood-carved portrait of Mustafa Qureshi with over hundred titles of his films in the backdrop, could be seen on either side of the stage. TV Compare Kanwar Naseer, the host of the evening, began with introducing a man who has now been part of the film trade since the sixties.

TV artist Samina Ahmad who especially came from Karachi for this tribute, described Mustafa Qureshi as an actor who had his own persona and he showed his presence and recognition all over. She filmed a TV serial with him in Bahawalpur and saw him filling the place. His presence during the filming was commanding, larger than life. He fully grabbed the role. Samina said that all this was God-gifted but it also came with learning the craft in and out. Qureshi also knows how to conduct himself and he has continued encouraging the efforts to help artistes who need to be helped, financially.

The next celebrity to pay respects to icon was actress Bahar. After working with him for over three decades, she is still at loss about his exceptionally good command over Punjabi language. Bahar said Mustafa Qureshi and late Sultan Rahi polished her but that is not all. Qureshi is also a man with good heart and soul. He not only came out with memorable lines before the camera (‘Nawan ayan aey sonia’ from Maula Jatt) but kept variations in his performance — a different person each time. Nobody can join him or stand next to him. Clips from ‘Sher Khan’, ‘Vadera’ and ‘Maula Jatt’ were also shown.

He received Nigar Awards for Best Actor in ‘Rustam Tey Khan’, ‘Sher Khan’, ‘Lal Andi’ and National Film Award for ‘Vadera’. He also received President Pride of Performance.

Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, who had also travelled all the way from Karachi for this occasion, said that she was still under the spell after watching the clips. She recalled meeting him years back in Hyderabad in the sixties, and she knew him like nobody else did. Mehtab recalled Qureshi conducting children programmes on Hyderabad Radio Station. She said she was not a bit amazed at Qureshi's good Punjabi accent and delivery because this can only be done by a Sindhi.

Qureshi, according to Mehtab, could come down from shouting in the highest pitch to a whisper. This, she attributed to his long career on radio. While Sultan Rahi spoke in high pitch, this could only be countered by extremely low pitch by Qureshi.

Mehtab also attributed Qureshi's glowing career to his academic excellence with Master Degree in Muslim History (Yousaf Talpur and Ameen Fahim were his batchmates). Many of us do not get the kind of recognition in our lifetime which Qureshi did. Mehtab congratulated Jamal Shah, Director General PNCA, for honouring the actor and with that PNCA stood tall but then Mustafa Qureshi, with is contributions, was already tall. Mehtab concluding her remarks lamented that we as a nation had not tried to link our past into our present. We can’t find our history. Even the Culture Policy changes with the change of the government. The golden era in movies may be gone but Qureshi would remain around us.

More film clips came from ‘Kalyar’, ‘Dara Baloch’ and ‘International Guerilley’. The best came with a short clip from film ‘Andaleeb’ (1969), ‘Aliya’ singing ‘Terey wadoon ney’ into the arms of Mustafa Qureshi, rendered by Runa Laila and scored by Nisar Bazmi. The screen went black and two bright youngsters (boy and girl) from NPAG (National Performing Art Group) sang and danced into our hearts. With exceptionally impressive choreography, this set up and performance was mesmerizing.

Who could be more appropriate now to talk about the icon than his wife, Rubina Qureshi. A charming singer who still retains the gloss and glamour without wearing makeup. Rubina said she controls everything at home. Qureshi was too busy with his career and she raised the children and managed all the rest. There was a time when they together worked on radio and earned Rs5, 10 and 25 for each programme. That is the way it was then. According to Rubina, Mustafa Qureshi has been an introvert for all these years in his private life but every now and then, amongst his friends, he does open up. During the jury preview of film awards, director Raza Mir disclosed to Rubina that there was no other actor around to compete with her husband and he could not see giving high grades to anyone else. Mustafa Qureshi has worked in over 650 films in the last sixty years.

It was now time for the icon himself to speak his heart out. Mustafa Qureshi said working in 650 films was not what mattered. It is quality that speaks and not quantity that matters. But he gave no reason or explanation for his indulgence in this excess. The icon recalled the era from sixties into early 2000 of analog (35mm) when films were lensed with heavy and bulky camera, processed and printed in studio laboratories and Pyarey Khan made colour corrections frame by frame with his hands. With the coming of Digital, that era is now gone forever. He recalled his coming in films. He was studying and working for radio in Hyderabad. Actor-Producer Fazlani had talked him into working for Sindhi film ‘Perdesi’ in 1958 but that was that. In 1965, after the war, Qureshi went twenty miles outside Hyderabad to watch Shamim Ara and Mohammad Ali filming ‘Aag ka Darya’ where director of Photography Raza Mir requested him to sign up for his forthcoming directorial debut venture ‘Lakhon Mei Eik’. Qureshi politely refused but Raza Mir was adamant and continued to politely pressurised him. So much so that Raza Mir said he would not make ‘Lakhon Mei Eik’ unless Qureshi gave his consent. Eventually, Qureshi had to give in into laying a role of a bad man from the Indian side of Kashmir who forces Shamim Ara into marriage (which never consummates). ‘Lakhon Mei Eik’ was a smash hit and Qureshi was now a star and part of the film trade for the next fifty years (and more).

Winding up, Qureshi talked about the contemporary scene and said what was Lollywood yesterday was now past. Today it is without Lolly and without wood. He suggested that screening of Indian films here must come with screening of our films in India.

The tribute was now coming to an end. Jamal Shah, Director General PNCA, in his brief comments complimented Mustafa Qureshi who has gone for a low pitch like Jamal Shah's favourite American actor Marlon Brando who also preferred low pitch. Jamal Shah hoped that a day would come when like television, film too would have the blessings from the government. He disclosed plans of PNCA for film promotion with setting up archives, holding Film Festivals, Film Academy and Film Financing Fund. He invited the corporate sector and people from the private sector to pitch in to turn these proposals into reality.

There were over a dozen bouquets waiting for Mustafa Qureshi from police, corporate sector , banks and diehard fans. Qureshi received them well and then there were pretty flowers from Jamal Shah on behalf of PNCA and staff. Then came a golden plaque/shield with film strip embossed. These were received together by Qureshi and Begum Sahiba.