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- Actor
- Producer
Anglo-Pakistani actor Zia Mohyeddin was born June 20, 1931 in Faisalabad, British India but lived his early life in Karachi, Pakistan. His father, Khadim Mohyeddin, was a mathematician and musicologist, and also a playwright and lyricist associated with various theatre groups.
Zia trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London from 1953-1956. Following important stage roles in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" and "Julius Caesar" in 1957, he made his West End bow as Dr. Aziz in "A Passage to India" in 1960.
After making his 1960 film debut in Pakistan, Mohyeddin made an impression as Tafas, Lawrence's ill-fated Arab guide, in the British classic film Lawrence of Arabia (1962). He continued with work on the BBC on several TV series including "Danger Man," "Sir Francis Drake" and "The Doctors and the Nurses." Other British films followed with supporting roles in A Boy Ten Feet Tall (1963), Behold a Pale Horse (1964), Deadlier Than the Male (1967), The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967), They Came from Beyond Space (1967) and Bombay Talkie (1970).
Zia returned to Pakistan at the request of the Bhutto regime in the late 60s and set up the PIA Arts and Dance Academy, which received critical merit for its classical as well as folk dances and music. He met the noted Kathak classical dancer Naheed Siddiqui and showcased her frequently in the company. They had a son, Hassan Mohyeddin, but later divorced. Zia also became a noted talk show figure on Pakistani TV (1969-1973).
Highly critical of the political regime, he left Pakistan in the late 1970's and returned to England, resuming his career there. Among his later films were Ashanti (1979), The Assam Garden (1985), and Immaculate Conception (1992), as well as the highly touted miniseries The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Masterpiece Theatre: Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy (1986) and Shalom Salaam (1989), among other guest appearances on such TV programs as "Z Cars," "Minder" and "King of the Ghetto" (recurring).
Of his three marriages, Zia has four children. After divorcing second wife Sarwar Zamani, he married Azra Mohyeddin in the middle 1990's with whom he has a daughter, Aaliya Mohyeddin (born in 2002 when Zia was nearly 70). His other two children are sons Risha and Minos. In later years, he traveled the world promoting his Urdu poetry and prose recitations to international acclaim. His memoir, "A Carrot is a Carrot: Memories and Reflection," was published in 2012.
In February, the then President of Pakistan invited Mohyeddin to form the National Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi and thereafter became its president. The octogenarian has continued to appear as a lecturer/speaker, hosts occasional TV programs and narrates short films and commercials.- Osama bin Laden was the founding General Emir and NATO-FVEY designated criminal mastermind behind his militarist forces under the umbrella of Al-Qaeda, and the world's most sought-after militiaman since the 1998 raids on U.S. embassies in parts of East Africa accused by FBI at him, and then accused of single-handedly masterminding series-of-suicide-aircraft-piracies-colloquially-dubbed-as September 11 attacks by the CIA. He claimed indirect-liability for instigating suicide-hijackers in an exclusive interview later on but nevertheless, refuted the charges of being the mastermind by CIA & others. He used to release tapes endorsing militant acts by framing them as retaliatory, self-defense resistance-operations. Almost 10 years after the execution of 9/11 operation, on a late May 1, 2011 evening according to North American Eastern Daylight Time, 44th US President Barack Obama made an announcement that Osama had been summary-executed by US commandos in a hideout under a covert-op codenamed Operation Neptune Spear with OPTASK (operation task) to assassinate him.
- Music Department
- Actress
- Composer
One of the biggest singing & acting stars of 1940's Bollywood! In Pakistan after 1947, Noor Jehan played lead actress roles in films Chann Way (1951)Dopatta (1952) Paatey Khan (1955) Chhu Mantar (1958) Koel (1959). Noor Jehan also was the lead vocalist for film songs in all the above listed films.Then,of course, she continued with her film-song singing career in Pakistan until the early 1990s.She sang hundreds of hit film songs in both Punjabi and Urdu languages,became a music icon in Pakistan as a result of this.She passed away on Dec.23, 2000 in Karachi, Pakistan.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Rugged looks, brawny and stocky, with an aggressive style of dialogue delivery. Sultan Rahi the Pakistani film superstar was the ultimate action hero and firmly established himself as the biggest film personality from Pakistan. He was a Pakistani version of Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Sylvester Stallone, and James Bond all rolled into one with a Punjabi touch. He appeared in over 800 movies. Starting his career playing as a villain or character roles he gradually progressed to a hero. However, following the phenomenal success of Maula Jat (1979) he, in tandem with Mustafa Qureshi, was considered essential in any Punjabi movie hoping to succeed. He played the most number of 'title roles'.
Some of his major films include Maula Jatt, Sher Khan (1981), Chan Veryam (1981), Kaley Chore, and Sakhi Badshah (1996). A one-man film industry power-house during the 1980s and 90's he had an extremely successful film career which came to a tragic and premature end with his assassination in January 1996.- Actor
- Producer
Zeba Muhammad Ali migrated to Pakistan immediately after the partition of the Subcontinent in 1947 and settled in Hyderabad (Sindh), where he was introduced to Radio Pakistan by the then Director General Radio Pakistan Z A Bokhari. he was given a role of hero in the film titled 'Chirag Jalta Raha', directed by Sibtain Fazli in 1962. Formed a favourite couple with actress Zeba Dam Mast Qalandar. His last movie screened in late 1980s whereafter Ali led a secluded life and ran Ali-Zeb Foundation.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Abid Ali was born on 29 March 1952 in Quetta, Pakistan. He was an actor and director, known for Moorat Aka Eunuch's Wedding (2004), Allah Waris (1990) and Muhabbat dard bunti hai (2018). He was married to Rabia Noreen and Humera Chaudhry. He died on 5 September 2019 in Karachi, Pakistan.- Benazir Bhutto was a Pakistani politician who served as the 11th and 13th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996. She was the first woman to head a democratic government in a Muslim majority country. Ideologically a liberal and a secularist, she chaired or co-chaired the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) from the early 1980s until her assassination in 2007.
- Badi Uzzaman was born on 8 March 1939 in Phulpur, Azangarh, India. He was an actor, known for Eastern Promises (2007), Red Eagle (1994) and Another Year (2010). He died on 14 June 2011 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
- Actor
- Producer
Sheikh Mukhtar was the son of a railway police inspector. He made is film debut in the 1939 Mehboob Khan film Ek Hi Raasta playing an anti-hero. A towering figure who stood 6 feet 2 inches tall with a shoe size 12 UK (13 US), he was Hindi cinema's first anti-hero and tough guy. He starred in 3 Mehboob Khan classics: Ek Hi Raasta (1939), Bahen (1941), and Roti (1942).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Waheed Murad was born on 2 October 1938 in Karachi, Sindh, British India. He was an actor and producer, known for Ishara (1969), Armaan (1966) and Ehsaan (1967). He was married to Salma Maker. He died on 23 November 1983 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.- Rasheed Naz was a Pakistani film and television actor. He started his television career in 1971 as an actor in Pashto television play and has worked in several Pashto, Hindko and Urdu language plays. His first Urdu play was Aik Tha Gaoon (1973). His first popular play was Namoos. He also worked in Pakistan's first private television play Dasht, telecast on N T M.
In 1988, he worked in his first Pashto film Zama Jang (in Urdu "Meri Jang"). His first Urdu film was Syed Noor's Dakait. He also worked in Shoaib Mansoor's film Khuda Ke Liye. Rasheed Naz also worked in a Shoaib Mansoor's video song "Ishq Mohabbat Apna Pan" with Iman Ali. Aside from that, Raheed Naz also starred in the Bollywood film Baby in 2015 alongside Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, and Madhurima Tuli. - Actress
- Music Department
Khurshid started her film career way back in the late thirties and was among the two surviving actresses to have shared stellar honours with the renowned singer K.L. Saigal. Suraiya, another popular singer-actress of the forties and fifties, remains the only one now. Irshad Begum in real life, Khurshid had done a number of movies for Ranjeet Movietone and her leading men included Saigol, Motilal, Isharilal and Jairaj. Soon after partition she migrated to Pakistan and settled down in Karachi, where she did only two movies, Mandi and Fankar, both of which didn't fare well at the box-office. In 1956 Irshad Begum got married to Yusuf Bhaimia, and made philanthropy the mainstay of her existence. Since then she refused to give interviews or even talk about her film career. She was 79 when she passed away.- Muhammad Ali Jinnaha was a barrister, politician and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, and then as the Dominion of Pakistan's first governor-general until his death. He is revered in Pakistan as the Quaid-i-Azam ("Great Leader") and Baba-i-Qaum ("Father of the Nation"). His birthday is observed as a national holiday in Pakistan.
- Yasmeen Khan was born in 1951 in Peshawar, North West Frontier Province, Pakistan. She was an actress, known for Yousuf Khan Sher Bano (1970), Ek Raat (1972) and Ajab Khan Afridi (1971). She was married to Abdul Karim Baloch, Bari Malik and Arifullah. She died on 15 April 1999 in Peshawar, North West Frontier Province, Pakistan.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Santosh Kumar, whose real name was "Syed Musa Raza", son of Syed Daud Musa, successfully graduated with higher grades, from Usmania University, Hyderabad Deccan. After independence, Santosh migrated to Lahore, Pakistan, along with his family. "Ahensa" was the first film of Santosh as a hero, which was released in 1948, under the banner of "Kashmir films". Furthermore, film 'Shaam Dhalay' was the only movie in his film career, which he produced, directed and played the lead role, as well. Over and above, in Pakistan television's popular quiz show, 'Neelam Ghar', Santosh won the car by answering the required number of questions through his exceptionally high I.Q. and his immense general knowledge. Santosh left for the eternal journey on June 11, 1982.- Anjuman Shehzadi was an actress, known for Jabroo Te Nizam (2010), Reshma Te Shera (2011) and Libaas (2013). She died on 16 May 2011 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
- Actress
Neelo was born on 30 June 1941 in Bhera, Sargodha, Punjab, British India. She was an actress, known for Ayaz (1960), Saath Laakh (1957) and Pholay Khan (1957). She was married to Riaz Shahid. She died on 30 January 2021 in Abbottabad, Pakistan.- Composer
- Writer
- Producer
Khurshid Anwar was born on 21 March 1912 in Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan. He was a composer and writer, known for Ghoonghat (1962), Chingari (1964) and Hamraz (1967). He died on 30 October 1984 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Mazhar Shah was an actor, known for Moti Dogar (1983), Jatt in London (1981) and Agg Te Khoon (1975). He died on 11 October 1989 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.- He came, saw and conquered, this was Munawar Zareef. He was not only the younger brother of Zareef he was also a great fan and follower of his brother. His showbiz journey was started with film Dandian (1961).
Almost 300 films are on his credit, each and every one has excellent performance and it is very hard to tell which one is better. Out of 300 some of them are Mooj Mela, Pupli Saab, Bharia Mela, Hamrahi, Chakar Baaz, Banarsi Thug, Dou Putran Anarada, Manjhi Khitay Dhanwa, Bad Tameez, Shukan Melay Dee, Shararat, Daman Aur Chingari, Ishaq Deewana, Baharo Phool Barsao, Zeenath, Mastana Mahi, Heer Ranjaha etc.
He was awarded three times with the Nigar Award on his out-standing performance in Bharo Phool Barsao, Zeenath and Ishaq Deewana. - Talat Hussain was born on 18 September 1940 in Delhi, British India. He was an actor, known for Riyasat Aka Kingdom of Hearts (2005), Import-eksport (2005) and Project Ghazi (2017). He was married to Rakshanda Talat. He died on 26 May 2024 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
- Ibrahim Nafees was born in 1940 in Agra, United Provinces, British India [now Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India]. He was an actor, known for Dil Nasheen (1975), Do Sathi (1975) and Ehsaan (1967). He died on 20 May 2012 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Syed lmtiaz Ali Taj, prose and drama writer, was born in Lahore on October 13, 1900. After his education, he was able to partake in his father's publishing institution, Dar-ul-Ishaat Punjab.
During his college days he showed his literary qualities by translating and directing several English plays, and then staging them for the college. He sometimes played female roles as girls in his time were not allowed to act.
His earliest involvement with publications began with 'Phool', a children's periodical and 'Tahzeeb-e-Niswan' for women readership.
In 1918 he began the literary magazine called 'Kehkashan' in collaboration with his friend, Maulana Abdul Majeed Salik. In Phool he had the assistance of the famous short story writer Ghulam Abbas Ahmed as well as young Ahmed Nadeem Oasmi.
He translated into Urdu Shakespeare's play 'A Mid Summer Nights Dream' and entitled it in 'Sawan Rain ka sapna'. In 1922 he wrote 'Anarkali', which became a landmark in Urdu drama writing. This was later adapted into feature films in India and Pakistan.
In 1926 he wrote a play 'Chacha Chhakan' which was similar to the famous characters 'Uncle Podger' of the English dramatist Jerome, Chacha Chhakan remains until today the most humorous character in the Urdu literature.
Apart from criticism on drama, he also wrote radio plays, novels, short stories and several film stories, some of them directed by him. As the Director of 'Majlis' he republished many critical works of Urdu literature.
After the establishment of Pakistan, Syed lmtiaz Ali Taj conducted a daily feature 'Pakistan Hamara Hai' for Radio Pakistan. It was no doubt a popular programme.
On 19th April, 1970 while he was asleep, he was shot dead by some unknown persons. His wife Hijab lmtiaz Ali was seriously wounded.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Rangeela was born on 1 January 1937 in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. He was an actor and director, known for Dev.D (2009), Diya Aur Toofan (1969) and Rangeela (1970). He died on 24 May 2005 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Rani was born on 8 December 1946 in Lahore, Punjab, British India [now Pakistan]. She was an actress, known for Umrao Jaan Ada (1972), Black Warrant (1982) and Ek Dil Do Diwane (1964). She was married to Mian Javed Qamar, Hasan Tariq and Sarfaraz Nawaz. She died on 27 May 1993 in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.