‘Sharafat’— A tribute to Shabnam, Nadeem

Islamabad : Director: Nazrul Islam

Music: Robin Ghosh

Cinematography: Afzal Chaudhry

Cast: Nadeem, Shabnam, Qavi, Allaudin,Nanna.

Lok Virsa Mandwa Film Club pays tribute to four icons of our films industry from 1974 with film ‘Sharafat’ on Saturday July 28 at 5 pm.

Director Nazrul Islam, actors, Nadeem-Shabnam and composer Robin Ghosh were the four names during seventies who brought grace and distinction to the film industry with few but highly adored titles like ‘Ehsas’, ‘Aina’ and ‘Bandish’.

They all began their film careers in Dhaka (then East Pakistan and now Bangladesh).Of course they worked outside their "Camp" too in few films. Nadeem in ‘Sangdil’, ‘Bazi’,’Bahisht’, ‘Playboy’,Shabnam in ‘Dosti’, ‘Andaleeb’, ‘Naaz’ and Nazrul Islam in ‘Love Story’, ‘Kaley Chor’, ‘Haqeeqat’ and ‘Palkon Ki Chaon Mein’. Robin Ghosh almost always preferred to remain in the camp where he felt easy and at comfort but he too worked outside without Nazrul Islam, Nadeem and Shabnam in ‘Jeo Aur Jeeney Do’ ,’Bheegay Badan’ and ‘Hum Aur Tum’. The best part about Nazrul Islam and Robin Ghosh was that they were highly selective in accepting assignments. While their contemporaries worked in wholesale and in bulk (this often included Nadeem and Shabnam to an extent) but audiences always waited for months and years before they would see another Nazrul Islam, another Robin Ghosh film. We would remember them for giving this distinction to the films where the rest treated it as commodity.

And now ‘Sharafat’. Released in 1974, the film carries the age-old plot of a fallen woman. The film begins with the death of a poor mother whose son is unable to provide her with the last drop of tonic which could sustain her for a few more tear-drenching scenes. The son grows up as white-shirt robber who falls for fallen gold-heart Shabnam.

Remaining downright formula flick, ‘Sharafat’ is a polished work with brisk editing and sharp cinematography. Musical score by Robin Ghosh with melodies rendered by Mehdi Hassan, Runa Laila, Akhlaq Ahmad and Nayyar Noor, the songs still retain the magic: ‘Merey sang challa hai’, ‘Ek saya roz guzarta hai’ and of course sensually filmed Mehdi Hassan number on the beach with Nayyar Noor humming "Terey bheegey badan ki khushboo’.

— aijazzgul@gmail.com