Pakistan: Cinema without Borders
Siraj Khan
Boston
(This paper focuses on Pakistan cinema with a historical perspective and attempts to highlight the crucial role it has played as a reflection of society in Pakistan’s formative years, after being carved out of political convictions from India to emerge as an exemplary modern Islamic state. It was presented at the conference on India and Pakistan: The Formative Phase, 1947 –c.1960 held at the Senate House, University of London, on May 21-22, 2019)
Legacy
To mark the centenary of the Indian cinema, a film ‘Bombay Talkies’ was released on May 3, 2013 to reflect on how cinema emerged in the Subcontinent and changed our lives and also assess the beginning of a new era in modern cinema.
It was on this day 100 years ago that the legendary founding father of Indian cinema, DadasahebPhalke, made his debut with the release of India’s first full-length silent movie in Marathi Raja Harishchandra at the Coronation Theatre in Mumbai. The tale of the truth-obsessed king was declared a hit and ran for a record 23 days. One man’s vision lay fulfilled. With only his dreams working as compass, he built the Indian idiom for the new language of cinema.
In a career spanning nearly 25 years, he made many movies, including many classics. Acknowledging his immense contribution to the growth and development of the Indian film industry, the Government instituted the DadasahebPhalke Award in 1969 – the highest honor awarded to a film personality.
The centenary was a matter of great pride on both sides of the border for anyone who played a role to make cinema one of the most powerful tools of communication and entertainment in the Sub-continent. This was also when the seeds of the formative years of the Pakistan cinema were being laid.
Quiet beginnings (1929-1947)
In many ways, the history of cinema in Pakistan began back in the silent era, when in 1929 A R Kardar set up a studio and production company under the name of United Players Corporation (later renamed PlayartPhototone), which would lay the foundation for the Lahore film industry. Despite the basic and crude working conditions, Kardar believed in his work and just a year later in 1930, he produced the first silent film in Lahore HusnKaDaku, under his studio’s banner. The film had moderate success at cinemas but prominently established Lahore as a functioning film industry. Soon afterwards in 1931, the studio released the film Sarfarosh, with Gul Hamid playing the lead role with more or less the same cast as in the previous film. This production proved equally appealing but was still unable to create a buzz about the Lahore film industry. Roop Lal Shori, upon hearing of Lahore’s growing film industry, returned to his hometown and produced QismatKeHaerPher in 1932, which would firmly ground the film industry in Lahore.
Agha GA Gul went further. He established Firdos Cinema in Peshawar and later set up Evernew Studios on Multan Road in 1946, which until then he was renting from Pancholi Studios. On 15th August 1947, two of his cinemas at Peshawar and Dheradun were already showing Indian films. The following year, Eveready Pictures was established by J.C. Anand, which would go on to become the largest film production and distribution company in Pakistan.
Independence and Partition
The phenomenal success of film Jugnu turned out to be not only an important page in the history of cinema, but also a watershed. It was released on May 23, 1947 and was the film which catapulted actor Dilip Kumar and singer Mohammad Rafi into stardom. It was the highest grossing film of India until then. $5 million when adjusted for inflation would be equivalent to circa US$55 million of today. However, producer-director Shaukat Hussain Rizvi, his wife and leading lady-singer Noor Jahan had already decided to move to the newly formed nation truncated by the contours of the Radcliffe Line, heading to Lahore, the capital city of Punjab, which by now had established itself as the center of art, culture and literature, with the majority of Urdu literati in the country.
The early film artists too who migrated to Pakistan, were already fully out of the burner in India, and they literally put whatever they learnt in Bombay to better use in the Pakistani silver screen to illuminate it with a special spark. The influence was so strong that many actors adopted Hindu names to get acceptability – Syed Musa Raza turned into Santosh Kumar, his younger brother Syed Ishrat Raza became Darpan and action hero Shah Zaman Khan from Peshawar adopted the name of Sudhir. If India had BadruddinKazi as Johnny Walker, Pakistan had Afzaluddin as Himaliyawala.
As in India, being a composite art, cinema became responsible for popularizing music, dance and literature among the common people in Pakistan to a very large extent. Films started to become almost a hypnotic influence on most adults as well as children. They imitated the heroes and heroines. They indulged in day-dreaming and fantasy and for many it made it easier to accept the hard realities of life.
Lights, camera, action!
After gaining Independence from British Raj in 1947, the entire government machinery was in disarray and the film industry was no different. Limited filming equipment, shortage of funds, load-shedding and lack of trained staff were the major hindrances faced by the industry. Despite these challenges, the mavericks of Pakistan’s fledgling film industry bravely set about establishing the cinema with the limited resources that they had.
The first Pakistani feature film, Teri Yaad was released on 7 August 1948, premiering at the Parbhat Theatre in Lahore. Umar Marvi released on 12 March 1956 became the first Pakistani film made in the Sindhi language.
The two magical words… “Coming Soon”
A publicity poster with two words “Coming Soon” mounted on a pole on a building or any visible place was meant to attract attention and was often the first news to hear about a forthcoming film. What is commendable is that the Pakistani films were of good enough quality to experience success, in competition with Indian and Western films, often running in theaters on the same street, at times opposite each other.
It soon became a trend that the film producers would plan to release their films around the two Eids or Christmas/New Year, as the holidays ushered more of the people who were in a celebratory mood, looking for family entertainment with more disposal funds.
Film Analysis
By the end of the first 10 years post-independence, cinema had become a powerful vehicle for culture, education, leisure and propaganda. Films of many genre, from documentary to drama, were produced, having a dramatic impact on real life. These films that have changed our lives outside the movie theater in tangible ways are excellent examples of the important role film plays on the social landscape.
Do Ansoo – Urdu (1950)
Do Ansoo was a sentimental melodrama based on Hakim Ahmed Shuja’s story about the decadence of aristocracy. Released on 7 April 1950, Do Ansoo became the first film to attain a 25-week viewing making it the first film to reach Silver Jubilee status.
Chanway – Punjabi (1951)
As the first Pakistani film to be directed by a female director, Noor Jehan’sChanway release on 29 April 1951 was nothing short of a sensation.
Sassi - Urdu (1954)
As cinema viewership increased, Sassi released on 3 June 1954 by Eveready Pictures - based on a Sindhi folk legend of SassiPunnhun- reached Golden Jubilee status staying on screens for 50 weeks and creating a new milestone.
Baghi – Urdu (1956)
Baghi was the first action Pakistani film and a true story of Akbar Khan - a rebel of British Empire, which was also released in Pakistan and China. on 14th September 1956
YakkeWali – Punjabi (1957)
Released on February 22 1957, YakkeWali sent a powerful message of women empowerment all over Pakistan and India, highlighting the resilience of a woman.
Anarkali – Urdu (1958)
Penned by dramatist and playwright Imtiaz Ali Taj, the historical epic Anarkali was not only very well directed by seasoned director Anwar Kamal Pasha, with good acting and exceptional music, but it also conveyed the impression of being a sophisticated work of art rather than just a box office showpiece.
Koel – Urdu (1959)
Koel remains as one of the most successful romantic musicals of Pakistani cinema. Directed by MasudParvez, the film was embellished with the lilting musical score of KhwajaKhurshid Anwar, which shined like a beacon and played an influential role in the film’s success. The songs are still sung sixty years later by young singers of today.
Kartar Singh – Punjabi (1959)
A Punjabi film about the partition of India and related wide-spread violence. It describes the conflicts between Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. This film is said to be based on real-life events in 1947.
Jago Hua Savera - Urdu (1959)
The first film made in Dhaka (then East Pakistan) also won a ‘Golden Award’ at the Moscow International Film Festival.
The film’s 50th Anniversary of Pakistan’s first International Award winning film was celebrated (with private viewing) in London in April 2009, hosted by AnjumTaseer, the son of producer NaumanTaseer and Salima Hashmi, daughter of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.
Jago Hua Savera would go down as an important chapter in Pakistani film history.
Saheli – Urdu (1960)
Nayyar Sultana, Shamim Ara, Darpan, Bahar and Aslam Pervaiz performed well. Apart from powerful direction and strong screenplay, it was the film’s outstanding music score by A. Hameed which partly contributed in turning ‘Saheli’ into the best film of 1960.
Broader perspectives
In a 1963 UNESCO report on Indian cinema and culture, writer/poet BaldoonDhingra quoted a speech by Indian Prime Minister Nehru saying that “…the influence in India of films is greater than newspapers and books combined.” Pakistan was not far behind.
Conclusion
Hard to believe now, but by 1960 Pakistan had become the world’s fourth largest producer of feature films, with films becoming an integral part of Pakistani culture – poised to enter the ‘golden age’ which was to follow (1961-1977). The first ever news broadcast by Pakistan Television (PTV) took place on November 26, 1964. Until then, Radio Pakistan for media and the Pakistan fledgling film industry remained the only source of entertainment for the elite, middle class and the common man alike.
It is no easy endeavor to change the psyche of the masses, amidst partition-related tribulations while also keeping pace with state building, foreign policy and cross-border dynamics. These accomplishments should not vanish in the abyss of time.
A fast forward to the present with the re-emergence of the Pakistan cinema
40 years after the release of the original, the remake of the cult Punjabi classic MaulatJatt originally scheduled for Eid release, is now expected to premiere on 14th August, 2019, simultaneously in Pakistan and China. This will go on record to be the most expensive Pakistani film made to-date and may well be the trend-setter to what follows.
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