Waheed Murad

Until 1971, Pakistan had three main film production centers: Lahore, Karachi, and Dhaka. The largest of these production centers was based in Lahore and came to be widely known as “Lollywood”.

The pioneers responsible for laying the groundwork for the film industry in Pakistan included film producer Syed Shaukat Hussain Rizvi, his wife, actress, and singer Noor Jehan, actress Swaran Lata, actor and director Nazir Ahmed Khan, directors Wahiduddin Ziauddin Ahmed, d Luqman, and Sabtain Fazli, music directors Feroze Nizami and Khawaja Khursheed Anwar, actors Santosh Kumar, Syed Ishrat Abbas (known as Darpan), and many more.

These renowned personalities produced great films, despite the various challenges they faced at the time. Their efforts led to the growth and expansion of cinema in the country.

The 60s marked the beginning of the golden period in Pakistani cinema. There were two factions responsible for making great films. One was based in Karachi and was lead by the legends Murad, Masroor Anwar, Pervaiz Malik, and Sohail Rana. The other talented group was based in Lahore and comprised of renowned personalities like Khawaja Khurshid Anwar, Ahmed Rahi, Saifuddin Saif, and Masood Parvaiz.

Pakistani cinema thrived in the 60s, with political and romantic films like Bombay-Wallah (1961), Shaheed (1962), Aina (1966), and Armaan (1966). At its peak, it is estimated that Pakistani studios released more than 100 films a year and around 700 cinemas were operating in the country.

Murad’s father, Nisar Murad was a well off film distributor and inspired him to pursue a career in the world of film and cinema. In 1960, Murad launched his production house by the name of Film Arts and produced his debut film Insan Badalta Hai (1961), and later Jabse Dekha Hai Tumhen (1963).

Murad was still a student in the 60s, completing his Masters in English Literature from Karachi University. Under the banner of Film Art Productions, Murad went on to produce nine more films.

Heera Aur Pathar (1964), Armaan (1966), Ehsaan (1967), Samandar (1968), Ishara (1969), Naseeb Apna Apna (1970), Mastana Mahi (1971), Jaal (1973), and Hero (posthumously released in 1985) were not only produced by Murad but he also starred in them as the lead actor. He also wrote the script for three of his films: Armaan (1966), Ishara (1969), and Hero (1985).

Apart from the above mentioned films, Murad also independently produced Ishara (1969) and co-produced Maa Beta (1969). According to his close family and friends, Murad’s inspiration behind joining the film fraternity also stemmed from the desire to serve his nation in the best way he could. Through films, Murad believed he was delivering important life lessons and messages to the nation.

Murad began his acting career by doing a cameo role in the film Saathi (1959), which was produced by his family friend Syed Ishrat Abbas (stage name Darpan). However, S M Yousuf's film Aulaad (1962) is considered his debut in acting, where he played a guest appearance.

Santosh Kumar who was producing the film Aulaad, was also a family friend of Murad and on his request, Murad filled in for one of the actors who had backed out.

During the shooting of Aulaad, Murad would fly down to Lahore to shoot in the evenings and then come back to Karachi in the mornings to attend his university.

Santosh Kumar and his wife Sabiha Khannum had played an influential role in attracting Murad towards the acting side of the film industry.

As an actor, Murad was known for his professionalism and appreciated for his punctuality and cooperation. The star acted in a total of 124 films (115 Urdu, eight Punjabi, and one Pashto). Among his most popular films were Heera Aur Pathar (1964), Armaan (1966), Andaleeb (1969), and Mastana Mahi (1971), for which he won a Nigar Award in the best actor category.

In 1958, film journalist Ilyas Rasheedi launched the Nigar Awards to recognize excellence in cinematic achievement in Pakistan. The first award distribution ceremony was held on July 17, 1958 at Lahore’s Evernew Studios.

Murad and playback singer Ahmed Rushdie became quite a popular audio-video duo in the picturization of songs in films. Rushdie was one of Pakistan’s finest versatile singers who contributed significantly to the golden era of Pakistani film music.

The highest number of songs to be recorded in the history of Pakistani cinema were recorded by Rushdie, in various languages such as Urdu, English, Bengali, and Gujrati. He is also credited as the first pop singer of South Asia who sang “Ko Ko Korina” in the film Armaan. Upon his death in 1983, Murad is believed to have said: “My voice has died today.”

Zahoor's second youngest son Nisar grew up to be a film distributor in Bombay.

Nisar married a Christain from Bikanir who later converted to Islam and became known as Shireen. The couple migrated to Karachi before the partition of India, where their son Murad was born.

The film star grew up as the only child. He was quite pampered by his parents as a result.

Murad studied at Lawrence College in Murree, one of Pakistan’s highly prestigious boarding schools.

After two years he returned home as his parents missed him dearly. He was particularly fond of his mother and was very close to her.

Murad continued his education at Mary Colaco in Karachi. While in school, he would actively take part in plays and dramas. Growing up he had been exposed to the world of cinema through his father.

Famous celebrities would come to receptions at his home and movie viewings would take place, followed by discussions and commentaries on their story, acting, and direction. It was no surprise that Murad showed an interest towards acting and film making from an early age.

Growing up, Pervez Malik and Santosh Kumar were among Murad’s close friends. As a result, they were also able to get a glimpse into the film industry and like Murad, they too developed a passion for cinema.

Murad completed his matriculation in 1954 with a distinction in Physics and Chemistry. He passed his intermediate from S.M. Science College and pursued a Bachelor of Arts from S.M. Arts College. He had received an acceptance from the University of California, Los Angeles to study film making but decided not to go on the advice of his father.

Murad's parents were far too attached to him. His father proposed that he can learn film making by launching his own production house and gain hands-on exposure in the field while simultaneously completing his masters from Karachi University. This is exactly what Murad did, managing a production house and completing his masters in English Literature in 1962.

Salma’s father was H.E. Maker – the owner of H.M. Silk Mills. When Murad proposed to Salma, she was learning Khattakali at Gansham’s Academy.

Salma had refused Murad’s proposal initially, but after developing a deep friendship, she began to grow fond of him.

The young couple would conduct radio shows about the film industry together on Radio Pakistan in the early 60s.

Eventually Salma consented to marrying Murad and the couple finally tied the knot on September 17, 1964.

The couple had three children, two daughters, Aliya and Saadia, and a son Adil. Unfortunately, Saadia died in infancy.

Being a film star and producer, Murad was always occupied with work but still managed to spend time with his family.

Murad’s children would look forward to spending time with him on the weekends. Sundays would be dedicated to family time. His son Adil, recalls playing cricket with him in their garden on Sundays. Murad was a huge cricket fan and was also fond of cycling.

Although he would portray an arrogant persona on screen, in reality Murad was quite the opposite. He was an introverted and reserved person. His family remembers him as a loving son, husband, and father.

Armaan (1966)

Armaan is by far Murad’s most popular film. After 75 weeks in cinema, it became Pakistan’s first platinum jubilee film. The film was directed by Pervez Malik and produced and written by Murad, who also played the lead actor in the film.

The film is still remembered fondly today, especially for its songs. The most famous being ‘Ko Ko Koreena’ which is recognized as the first Pakistani Pop song. The film won six Nigar Awards for best movie of the year, best actress, best musician, best director, best playback singer, and best comedian. The film’s storyline depicted the transformation of a convivial young man into a mature and austere one.

Samandar (1968)

Samandar was released at a time when tensions between east and west Pakistan were escalating. Shabnam, one of the leading actresses from East Pakistan, appeared for the first time as the lead heroine in a West Pakistani film alongside actors Murad and Hanif.

The story revolved around two best friends living in a fishing community who drift apart due to political ambition, mistrust, and external interference. The film is seen as an allegory of the complex relations between east and west Pakistan. The movie aimed to revive love, peace, and unity between the two separate parts of the country. The title song ‘Tera Mera Sathi Hai Samandar’ sung by Ahmed Rushdie, highlighted the sea as a symbol of unity between the two wings of the nation. The film was produced by Murad and received a lot of appreciation.

Andaleeb (1969)

Based on Salma Kanwal’s novel, Andaleeb was a romantic musical which proved to be one of the most popular films of the year. The lead stars of the movie were Murad, Shabnam, Aliya, Talish, and Mustafa Qureshi. The film was directed by Fareed Ahmed.

The movie is remembered fondly for its song ‘Kuch Log Rooth Kar Bhi Lagte Hien Kitne Pyaare’ sung by Ahmed Rushdie, wherein Murad is trying to win over Shabnam in a red sports car. Murad received a Nigar award in the best actor category for Andaleeb. The film was also presented with Nigar awards in the nominations of special award, best screenplay, and best sound editor.

Anjuman (1970)

Despite being released at a time when the country was experiencing a political turmoil, the film Anjuman became a massive hit at the box office. Running for 81 weeks in the cinemas, it earned the title of a platinum jubilee. The film starred Murad, Raani, Deeba, Santosh Kumar, Sabiha Khanum, and Lehri.

The story revolved around a tragic love triangle between a courtesan and two Nawab (Lord) brothers. Directed by Hassan Tariq, the film received Nigar Awards for various categories such as best film, best director, best screenplay, and best musician.

Mastana Mahi (1971)

Mastana Mahi was the first Punjabi film that Murad produced and acted in. The film was directed by Iftikhar Khan and starred actresses Naghma and Aliya along side Murad. Mastana Mahi was very different from the conventional Punjabi films that were being made at the time. It was a romantic musical which portrayed Punjabi poetry in a soft and subtle manner. Murad won the Nigar award for best actor for this film.

Murad was no doubt a cultural icon of Pakistani cinema. Film critics consider his contributions to art and cinema to be revolutionary, whether in the area of production, acting, or script writing.

Murad received a Nigar for Lifetime Achievement award in 2002 and a Sitara-e-Imitiaz in 2011.

Murad is perceived as one of the veteran rock n’ roll stars of the country. His signature haircut and dressing style were extremely popular among the youth. To this day his fans dress up in that manner to commemorate him.

He has a huge fan following and his fan clubs exist in Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, and Islamabad. These include the Prince Waheedi Club, the Great Waheed Murad Club, the Waheedi Club, etc. The fans visit Murad’s family and grave on his birth and death anniversaries to pay their respects, often dressing up like him by adopting his hairstyle and wearing the old fashioned bell bottom pants.

Many of the fans have even changed their surnames to Murad. This is proof that the legendary actor continues to live on and reign in the hearts of millions.