official name	Sukkur |native_name سکھر
settlement type	City
coordinates type	region:PK_type:city
coordinates display	inline,title
pushpin map	Sindh
pushpin label position
coordinates region	PK
subdivision type	Country
subdivision name
subdivision type1	Province
subdivision name1	Sindh
population total	850,000
population as of	2011
pop est as of	2011
area total km2	5165
elevation m	67
population density km2	175.9
leader title	Nazim
leader name	Nasir Hussain Shah
blank name sec1	Number of towns
blank info sec1	4
blank name sec2	Number of Union councils
blank info sec2	1
area code	071
area code type	Calling code
timezone1	PST
utc offset1	+5
footnotes	Sukkur District Government Website }}

Sukkur, or Sakharu (Urdu: سکھر , Sindhi: سکر), formerly Aror (Urdu: اروڑ ), is the third largest city of Sindh province, situated on the west bank of Indus River in Pakistan in Sukkur District. However, the word ''Sakharu'' in Sindhi means "superior", which the spelling of the city's name in Sindhi suggests is the origin of the name. Sukkur is nicknamed ''Darya Dino (درياءَ ڏنو'', meaning ''the gift of river''), as without the Indus the city would be a desert. People of Sukkur speak Sindhi (60%), Urdu (27.5%), Punjabi (4%), Pashto (1.5%), Balochi (1%), and others 1%.

Administration

The city of Sukkur, as well as being district headquarters, is the capital of Sukkur Talukas and contains many Union council.

Geography & climate

The district of Sukkur (whose name is derived from its head quarter Sukkur city) covers an area of 5,165 square kilometres. Geographically it is spanned from 27°05' to 28°02' north latitudes and from 68°47' to 69°43' east longitudes. The city of Sukkur is located at an altitude of from sea level, having terrestrial coordinates 68°52' east and 27°42' north. It is also ''the narrowest point of the lower Indus course''.

Sukkur district shares its northern border with Shikarpur and the recently constituted Kashmore districts. Ghotki is located on the north-eastern side while Khairpur on the south. The border with India lies further east. Sukkur is also connected by road and by air with all major cities of Pakistan.

The climate of the Sukkur is characterized by hot and hazy weather during summer days with dry and cold weather in winter. During January, the temperature ranges from . The summer (month of June before the monsoon) temperature averages though it often reaches up to . Generally the summer season commences in March - April and ends before October. The average rainfall of the district is 88 mm, and ranges from 0.59 mm to 25.62 mm per month.

History

Sukkur has been an important strategic centre and trading route from time immemorial. Alor (or Aror, Sukkur) held the status of capital under the reign of Musikanos, when Alexander invaded the region in 326 BCE. The ruins of this ancient town still exist, 8 km east of Rohri, in Sukkur district. The Rai Dynasty built a huge temple of Shiva (Shankar), hence 'Sukkur'. In 711 CE, the Arabs invaded Sindh, led by 17 year old Muhammad bin Qasim, and Sukkur (including all of Sindh and lower Punjab) became part of the Umayyad Caliphate.

Later Mughals and many semi-autonomous tribes ruled over Sukkur. The city was ceded to Mirs of Khairpur between 1809 and 1824. In 1833, Shah Shuja (a warlord of Kandahar, Afghanistan) defeated the Talpurs near Sukkur and later made a solemn treaty with the Talpur ruler, by which he relinquished all claims on Sindh. In 1843, the British (General Charles James Napier) defeated the Talpurs at the battles of Miani and Dubbo near Hyderabad. Sukkur, along with the rest of Sindh, was under British rule until the independence of Pakistan in 1947. The (current) district of Sukkur was constituted in 1901 out of part of Shikarpur District, the remainder of which was formed into the Larkana District. Sukkur saw a significant socio-economic uplift after the 1930s, when the British built the world's largest barrage here on the Indus River. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, thousands of Muslim escaping from pograms and genocide moved to Pakistan and thousands of Hindu Sindhi refugees escaping from pograms and genocide left Sukkur for India.

historical Places of Sukkur http://hpsukkur.brinkster.net

Sukkur Barrage

The Sukkur Barrage has 66 Gates. The Sukkur barrage (formally called Lloyd Barrage), built under the British Raj on the Indus river, controls one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. Construction of the bridge was started in 1923 and completed in January 1932. The long barrage is made of yellow stone and steel and can water nearly 10 million acres (40,000 km²) of farmland through its seven large canals. Some of the canals are larger than the Suez Canal.

In November 2004, the government of Pakistan initiated a rehabilitation project to revitalize its water storage capacity and distribution efficiency. The project was completed in July 2005, (with less than the allocated amount of Rs. 887 million). Experts believe that the rehabilitation of the barrage has enhanced its efficiency for another 60 to 70 years.

Economy

Industry

Sukkur is a hub of many small and large scale industries. Among important industries are cotton textiles, cement, leather, tobacco, paint and varnish, pharmaceuticals, agriculture implements, hand pumps, lock making, rice-husking, and sugar. Small-scale cottage industries comprise hosiery, boat making, fishing accessories, thread ball spooling, trunk making brass-wares, cutlery and ceramics.

Agriculture

Sukkur had a large fertile and cultivable land area until a few decades ago, when the Indus river was not as barren as today. Now its agricultural productivity has been much reduced. It has not achieved a reasonable yield per unit area over time, on account of continuous shortages of water and ignorance of modern irrigation systems. Despite the lack of water, during ''kharif'', rice, bajra, cotton, tomatoes and peas are cultivated; whereas during ''rabi'' the main crops are wheat, barley, graham and melons. Sukkur is famous, world over, for its delicious dates. Sukkur also has a large Riveraine forest along the course of the Indus. These tropical forests are found within the protective embankments on either side of the Indus. During 1997-98 the total area under forests was 510 km² which yielded of timber and of firewood besides other mine products.

Education

Sites of interest

historical Places of Sukkur http://hpsukkur.brinkster.net

Manzilgah, Bundar road

Rohri

Aror (ruins of historical city)

Shrine of Syed Sadar-Ur-Din-Shah

Tomb of Shah Khairuddin Jillani

Tomb of the Seven Maidens Sateen Jo Aastan

Kot Mir Yakoob Ali Shah Rohri

Tomb of Abdul Baqi Purani, Ex-Governor of Bukkur.

Bukkur Island

Tomb of Syed Hakim Ali

Minaret of Masum Shah

Sadh Belo Temple on River Indus

Thermal Power Station Sukkur

Lansdowne Bridge Rohri

Sukkur (Lloyd) Barrage

Shikarpur Road connecting Quetta via Shikarpur

Shrine of Qazi Baba

Adam Shah je Takri

Degree College

Islamia College

Dadu Choke conneting Shikarpur Road, Waritar Rd & Hussaini Rd

Lab-e-Mehran

Lansdowne Bridge

Minara Road (sarak)

Shahi Bazaar, Frere Road

Ayub Gate

Ladies and Children Hill Park

Looks Park/Qasim Park

Acher Ghitti

Bhutta Road (old Garden Road)

Bunder Road

Barrage colony

Mir-ki-street

Purana Sukkur (Old Sukkur)

Sheikh Shee Road Sukkur

Raharki sahib

Jinnat (Genie's) Building, Old Sukkur

Hyderi Masjid, Old Sukkur

Tomb Syed Mukhdoom Shah Badshah

Shah Khair ud din Shah Badshah (G. A. Shah) - Old Sukkur

You Tube Videos of Sukkur City

Sukkur Tourism Sites

Sukkur Bridge

World Longest Barrage- Sukkur Barrage

1941 Video of Sukkur Barrage

A Historical Tomb from the age of Mughal Emperor Akbar

Lab-e-Mehran - Sukkur ( A park with Indus river)

Central Mosque- Sukkur

A historical Mosque By Muhammad Bin Qasim at Aror- Sukkuv

A Complete View of Sukkur city

See also

Alor

Hemu Kalani, Sukkur born freedom fighter

Sukkur Airport

References

External links

http://www.flickr.com/photos/commoner/sets/72157623434142016/

District Government Sukkur

Ghulam Muhammad Maher Medical College, Sukkur

Sukkur Map

Sukkur Travel & Culture

Welcome Rohri & Sukkur City!

ADB Report on Sukkur Barrage 2001

An Overview of the History and Impacts of the Water Issue in Pakistan

Pakistan Floods Situation Report, July 26, 2005

Category:Sukkur District Category:Metropolitan areas of Pakistan Category:Populated places in Sukkur District

ca:Sukkur da:Sukkur de:Sukkur es:Sukkur fr:Sukkur ja:サッカル pnb:سکھر pl:Sukkur pt:Sukkur ru:Суккур sd:سکر ur:سکھر vi:Sukkur war:Sukkur zh:蘇庫爾

Saeed Khan, (}}; born July 19, 1966) is a renowned contemporary Urdu poet (also known as 'Saeed'), a Sydney based writer and a well known social and environmental advocate. Saeed's poetry is a combination of classical and modern Urdu ghazal and poems full of romance. Saeed’s idol and the great Urdu Poet Ahmad Faraz praised his poetry by saying 'Saeed's voice is like a fresh breeze for Urdu poetry'.

Biography

Saeed Khan was born in Khanpur Dam located in Hazara Pakistan (Hindko: هزاره, Urdu: ہزارہ)) Pakistan on July 19 1966, and is the eldest son of a famous Union leader Abdul Bashir Khan , known for winning the land rights for the people of Khanpur Urdu: ہزارہ)) during the 1970's construction of Khanpur Dam

Khan holds a Masters in Management and an MBA (E-Business Management) from the University of Technology, Sydney and works in IT Management.

Khan has lived in Sydney for over 20 years. He was a young General Secretary of the Pakistan Association of Australia from 1999-2001 and for many years campaigned for refugee rights and multiculturalism.

Urdu Poetry

Saeed is considered one of the up and coming Urdu poets of today.

He grew up reading and writing Urdu poetry in the North of Pakistan and continued his passion after he moved to Sydney during the late 1980s.

Saeed was first discovered and encouraged as a young poet in Sydney (1994) by Ashraf Shad, a senior Pakistani journalist, writer and poet. Soon after he met Ustad Om Krishn Rahat, a prominent Urdu poet from Fridabad India, who had moved to Sydney. Ustad Rahat spotted Saeed’s poetic talents and helped him improve his language and writing skills. He also developed his poetry through reading and interactions with many prominent poets from India and Pakistan who traveled to Australia for annual recitals.

Among those who have praised Saeed’s poetic works are stalwarts like Ahmad Faraz, legends like Amjad Islam Amjad, Himayat Ali Shaer, and Pirzada Qasim, as well as contemporaries like Noshi Gillani and Farhat Abbas Shah.

Being a founding member of the Urdu Society of Australia inc., Saeed has also been involved in promoting and developing Urdu writings in Australia since 1995. He served as a Vice President of the Urdu Society from 2003-2008 and played a key role in developing and project managing major international poetry recitals.

Saeed is married to famous Urdu poetess, Noshi Gilani and they currently reside in Sydney.

Books

Two books of Saeed’s Urdu poetry have been published so far.

1. MANZAR BAAT KARTEY HAIN (The Speaking Views) - The first collection of his poetry, was published by in Lahore in 2003.

2. EIK MUTHI MEIN MEREY KHWAB (A Handful of Dreams) - the second collection of Urdu Poetry was published by “Sham-k-Baad Publications in Lahore in 2007.

Reviews & Comments

The great Urdu Poet Ahmad Faraz praised his poetry by saying 'Saeed's voice is like a fresh breeze for Urdu poetry'.

Renowned Urdu poet and critic Dr Abrar Ahmad reviewed Saeed Khan's 2nd book EIK MUTHI MEIN MEREY KHWAB (A Handful of Dreams) in 2007. According Dr Abara Ahmad:

"The collection is heavily dominated by ghazal -- and unfolds a promise of going ahead with brilliance in this genre ... The strongest point he scores here is his creative ability to utilize words in their proper meaning. His stance is essentially neoclassical ... He seems deeply immersed in the greater ghazal tradition, and understands high class ghazal. All his work is meant to convey some thoughts, ideas and feelings. Subjective issues occupy the main bulk of his content. These include a longing, a sense of loss, an unquenched thirst for love and allied feelings. But he is fully conscious of the objectivity around and far from him".

"At places he offers political comments, at others he turns philosophical. A wave of romanticism runs through as an undercurrent in all his poetry".

Activism and Politics

Khan joined the Australian Greens in 2003 as he was attracted to their environmental, social and human rights policies. Khan left politics in 2008 after one term on Marrickville Council. Some of the highlights included:

Marrickville Council, Sydney Marrickville Council, Sydney: Elected as a Greens' Councillor from March 2004 – September 2008, chaired a number of Council and Advisory committees. www.marrickville.nsw.gov.au Candidate for 2007 Australian Federal Election Australian Greens candidate for the Sydney electorate of Grayndler, succeeded in gaining nearly 20% of the primary vote in Greens 2nd largest electorate in the country. http://greens.org.au/grayndler Ethnic Communities' Council of New South Wales (ECC NSW) Ethnic Communities' Council of New South Wales* (ECC NSW): Elected Deputy Chairman (2007-2009, 2009-2011) and Vice Chairman (2005-2007) of the ECC, the peak representative body of diverse migrant communities of NSW. www.eccnsw.org.au The Institute for Cultural Diversity (ICD) Founding Board Member since 2007. Co-founded the ICD, a think-tank to promote a cross-political approach to issues of cultural diversity. Pakistani organizations in Australia General Secretary of Pakistan Association of Australia (1999-2001) and Founding Member (1995) and Vice President (2003-2008) of Urdu Society of Australia Inc., involved in promoting Urdu language and writings in Australia since 1995. Organising major international Urdu poetry recitals. Pakistan Earthquake Appeal Coordination Committee Founding Coordinator of *Pakistan Earthquake Appeal Coordination Committee (PEACC), Australia (Since 2005). The committee, through its Australia-Wide Appeal and its lobbying in Federal Parliament, played as key role in facilitating nearly A$50 Million of Australian humanitarian aid for Pakistani earthquake victims including medical teams. www.peacc.org Other achievements –Founding member of Marrickville Transport Action Group www.marrickvilletag.org –Initiated and chaired the Steering Committee of "Across my Bridge"(2007-present),an innovative arts-based leadership project for the Islamic Youth of Sydney. Funded by the Australian Government and Westpac Bank. –Media- Opinion Writing: His opinion pieces have been published in Sydney Morning Herald (Australia's largest newspaper), ABC Online, Inner-Western Courier, Indus Age, Online Opinion, as well as international website such as www.Chowk.com

References

External links

Saeed Khan's Official website

Saeed's Poetry website

Saeed's Poetry Videos on YouTube

Marrickville Council website

Greens website

Greens Leader Bob Brown visits Saeed Khan, Greens candidate for Grayndler

Pakistan Earthquake Appeal Coordination Committee

Pakistan Earthquake Appeal

Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Australian environmentalists Category:Pakistani environmentalists Category:Australian Greens politicians Category:Australian people of Pakistani descent Category:Hindkowan people Category:University of Technology, Sydney alumni Category:People from Sydney Category:People from Haripur District Category:Pakistani poets Category:Urdu poets

Sardar Muhammad Aslam Baggra (born 1910, date of death unknown) was an Indian field hockey player who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.

In 1932 he was a member of the Indian field hockey team, which won the gold medal. He played one match as back.

He was born in Lyallpur, India.

External links

profile

Category:1910 births Category:Year of death missing Category:Indian field hockey players Category:Olympic field hockey players of India Category:Field hockey players at the 1932 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic gold medalists for India Category:Olympic medalists in field hockey

hr:Muhammad Aslam no:Muhammad Aslam pl:Sardar Mohammad Aslam

name	Ali Dino
birth date	1889
birth place	Preveza, Ottoman Empire, modern day Greece
death date	1938
death place	Athens, Greece
occupation	cartoonist, politician
nationality	Ottoman, Greek
ethnicity	Albanian
Signature	}}

Ali Dino (), also known as Ali Dino Bey (, 1889-1938) was an Albanian cartoonist and a Member of the Greek Parliament.

Dino was born in Preveza, Ottoman Empire in 1889, to Rasih Dino and is the grandson of Abedin Dino, one of the main contributors of the Albanian independence. He became one of the most famous cartoonist in Greece, and was elected in the Greek Parliament twice for the Preveza prefecture. Dino is the founder of the Party of the Chameria, that represented the local Cham Albanian community as well as of the ''Greek Albanian Friendship Society''. He died in Athens, Greece in 1938.

References

Category:1889 births Category:1938 deaths Category:Cham Albanians Category:People from Preveza Category:Greek politicians Category:Cartoonists

el:Αλή Ντίνο

name	Waheed Murad
birth name	Waheed Murad
birth date	October 02, 1938
birth place	Karachi, British India
location	Karachi, Pakistan
death date	November 23, 1983
death place	Karachi, Pakistan
occupation	Film actorProducerScreenwriter
yearsactive	1959–1983
spouse	Salma Murad
othername	Chocolate HeroLady killerVeedu
awards	Nigar AwardsBest Actor''Heera aur pathar'' (1964)''Armaan'' (1966)''Andaleeb'' (1969)''Mastana mahi'' Punjabi film (1971)Best Producer''Armaan'' (1966)Legend Award (2002) }}

Waheed Murad () (October 2, 1938 – November 23, 1983) was a legendary Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Waheed is considered to be one of the most famous actors of subcontinent. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, he was the only child of well-off film distributor Mr. Nisar Murad. He got early education from Karachi Grammar School, Karachi, did graduation from S.M. Arts College Karachi, and then masters in English literature from University of Karachi.

He is well-known for his charming expressions, attractive personality, tender voice and unusual talent for acting in films. His romantic style of acting made him popular amongst the young cinema viewers of Pakistan. One of his blockbuster films is ''Armaan'', which was produced by him, made a pivotal impact on the sub-continental film industry such that the Pakistani film industry was considered as the rising sun. ''Armaan'' made him a superstar overnight and as equal to the Indian film titans such as Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar and Prithviraj Kapoor. Once, in an interview in 1967, he said that Dilip Kumar, too, is not an immortal actor. In November 2010, 27 years after his death, Pakistani president Asif Zardari awarded him the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the "star of excellence," an honour given for distinguished merit in the fields of literature, arts, sports, medicine, or science.

Film career

Waheed Murad started his film career by joining his father's established 'Film Art' in 1961 as producer of the film ''Insaan badalta hai''. In his second film as producer ''Jab se dakha hai tumhein'' he casted Darpan with Zeba as heroine. Afterwards, Darpan most of the time started coming late at studio. Zeba suggested Waheed to cast himself as hero in his next film. Waheed was not ready to sign himself in his own movies. But when the same suggestion came from his old good friend Pervaiz Malik, he accepted it on the condition that if Zeba would be his co-star, Zeba accepted in return (according to Zeba). As a result he firstly appeared in a supporting role in 1962's ''Aulad''. The film was directed by his friend S.M. Yousuf. ''Aulad'' got much more acclaims from critics, and it also got the Nigar award in the best film's category for the year. ''Heera aur pathar'' was his first movie as a leading actor and considered to be his major breakthrough. He got the Nigar award in the best actor category for the same film.

In 1966, he acted in ''Armaan'' under his production which was directed by Pervaiz Malik. ''Armaan'' broke all the box office records at that time and completed 75 weeks in theatres, gave him the status of superstar or perhaps the first superstar of Pakistani films. The film is a romantic and melodious love story. The songs like ''Koko korina...'', ''Akele na jana...'', ''Betaab ho udhar tum...'' and ''Zindagi apni thi ab tak...'' sung by legendary singer Ahmed Rushdi became extremely popular among the youth especially among the college girls. He received two Nigar awards for the categories best producer and best actor for the film ''Armaan''. During the same year, he starred in another superhit film ''Jaag utha insaan'' with co-star Zeba. This fact is on record that in Zeba's success, Waheed had a very important contribution as he casted her in his films and brought country wide fame for her.

In 1967, he appeared as leading actor in masterpieces like ''Devar bhabi'', ''Doraha, 'Insaaniyat' and 'Maan baap'. ''Devar bhabi'' is considered as one of his best movies and completed 50 weeks in the cinemas. The story of ''Devar bhabi'' is based on Indo-Pak's unjust social thoughts and norms. ''Insaaniyat'' is also considered as one of his best movies in which he played a role of a dedicated doctor.

From 1964 to 1968, Waheed Murad and Pervaiz Malik made blockbusters like ''Heera aur pathar'', ''Armaan'', ''Ehsaan'', ''Doraha'' and ''Jahan tum wahan hum''. The successful combination of Waheed Murad, Pervaiz Malik, Masroor Anwar, Sohail Rana, Ahmed Rushdi and Zeba created a number of successful films. Waheed Murad brought Malik, Anwar and Rana under the umbrella of 'Film Arts'. But in late 1960s, dissension grew between Waheed Murad and other three team members of 'Film Art'. Pervaiz Malik was not happy with Waheed's taking away the credit for all the success of movies and giving little recognition to others. So the Film Arts broke up and Pervaiz Malik started creating his own projects with new actors. A total of seven films, including two films, i.e., ''Usey dekha usey chaha'' and ''Dushman'' released after a long gap of 6 years in 1974, were produced with the combination of Waheed and Pervaiz (but not under 'Film Art' Production).

In 1969, Waheed produced, wrote and directed his own movie ''Ishaara'' but the movie flopped at box office. ''Andaleeb'' was released in 1969, which was directed by Fareed Ahmed. Other co-stars included Shabnam, Aliya, Talish and Mustafa Qureshi. Andaleeb proved to be one of the greatest films of the year. Moviegoers loved his acting esp. in the song ''Kuch log rooth kar bhi...'' sung by Ahmed Rushdi in which Waheed is trying to flirt Shabnam in his red sports car. Waheed Murad received Nigar award in the best actor category for that film. Critics are unanimous that singer Ahmed Rushdi had a significant role in the success of Waheed Murad, and that Rushdi's voice was tailor made for him.

From 1970 to 1979, many of his films were superhit like ''Naseeb apna apna'' and ''Anjuman'' in 1970; ''Neend hamare khuwab tumhare'' and ''Mastana mahi'' (Waheed's first Punjabi film) in 1971; ''Baharo phool barsao'' in 1972; ''Ishq mera naa'' (Punjabi film) and ''Shama'' in 1974; ''Jab jab phool khiley'' in 1975; ''Shabana'' in 1976; ''Saheli'', ''Parakh'' and ''Khuda aur muhabbat'' in 1978; and ''Awaz'' and ''Bahan bhai'' in 1979. ''Mastana mahi'' was Waheed's first Punjabi film, which was also produced by him and directed by Iftikhar Khan. ''Mastana mahi'' was purely a romantic musical film. Waheed received Nigar award for the best actor for ''Mastana mahi''.

During early 1970s, he had no or very little choice in selecting his co-stars. Zeba, after her marriage with Mohammad Ali, was not allowed to work as heroine with Waheed Murad. Soon Shabnam's husband Robin Ghosh forced her to not work with Waheed. Even Nisho was not allowed to work with him. These were major setbacks for Waheed's career. Most of the top producers offered Waheed secondary roles in their films due to a monopoly against him. In addition, Nadeem was giving him a stiff competition in 1970s. So Waheed had been casted by less popular directors and producers and had been given the role of 'stereotypical romantic hero'. Films like ''Naag Mani'' (1972), ''Mastani Mehbooba'' (1974) , ''Laila Majnu'' (1974), ''Izzat'' (1975), ''Dilruba'' (1975), ''Raaste ka pathar'' (1976), ''Mehboob mera mastana'' (1976), and ''Naag aur nagan'' (1976) gave him major setbacks. By late 1970s and early 1980s, Waheed was being casted in supporting roles either with Nadeem or with Mohammad Ali in the films like ''Parastish'' (1977), ''Aadmi'' (1978), ''Khuda aur mohabbat'' (1978), ''Awaz'' (1978), ''Behan Bhai'' (1979), ''Wadey ki zanjeer'' (1979), ''Raja ki aaye gi barat'' (1979), ''Zameer'' (1980), ''Badnaam'' (1980), ''Gun man'' (1981), ''Kiran aur kali'' (1981), ''Gherao'' (1981), ''Ahat'' (1982) and ''Maang meri bhar do'' (1983). The films ''Hero'' (1985) and ''Zalzala'' (1987) were released after his death. Films ''Muqaddar'', ''Aankhon ke taare'', ''Aas paas'' and ''Andaaz'' were either incomplete films or not released by the producers. ''Hero'' was the last film of Waheed's life, directed by Iqbal Yousuf. The film was released after almost two years of Waheed's death in 1985. Another Waheed's delayed film ''Zalzala'' was released after 4 years of his death in 1987, which was also directed by Iqbal Yousuf. ''Zalzala'' did nothing on the box office, however, ''Hero'' completed its Silver Jubilee in Karachi. ''Muqaddar'', ''Aankhon Kay Taray'', ''Aas Paas'' and ''Andaaz'' were the films that were either left incomplete or remain unreleased till todate.

Waheed Murad, in his 25-year career, paired with several actresses like Zeba, Shamim Ara, Rani, Naghma, Aaliya, Sangeeta, Kaveeta, Aasia, Shabnam, Deeba, Babra Sharif, Rukhsana, Bahar and Neelo. He acted in a total of 124 films (2 films were released after his death) of which 38 were black and white and 86 were in colour. Besides this he also appeared in 6 films as a guest star including his ever first and shortest appearance on silver screen in 1959's ''Saathi''. He acted in 115 Urdu films, 8 Punjabi films and 1 Pushto film, and earned 32 prestigious film awards including ones for best producer and for best actor.

Film Art productions

Waheed Murad produced eleven films under his father's established 'Film Art'. He was the youngest film producer in the industry at that time. As producer, Waheed Murad was a successful producer. Most of his produced films were either Golden Jubilee or Silver Jubilee. During 1960s and early 1970s, he produced films like ''Insaan badalta hai'' (1961) (his first film as producer), ''Armaan'' (1966), ''Ehsaan'' (1967), ''Naseeb apna apna'' (1970) and ''Mastana mahi'' (Punjabi film of 1971). However, after ''Mastana Mahi'' he produced no film except ''Hero'' which was produced in 1980s and was released after his death.

As director, he had directed as well as produced ''Ishaara'' (1969) with co-star Deeba. But the film failed to achieve the viewers' expectances.

Popularity

Waheed Murad is considered as one of the pioneering Rock n' Roll stars of Pakistan. Due to his romantic and subtle style of acting, he became famously known as the 'Chocolate Hero' and 'Lady Killer'. His hair cut, dressing style and even his conversation style were very popular among the youth. One can say that he was becoming the cultural icon of the Pakistani Film Industry. Once he went to Saddar area of Karachi in his white car. Realizing that it was his car, a group of 30 college girls covered the vehicle with lipstick kisses.

He enlivened the silver screen with his extraordinary talent in acting and picturisation esp. in romantic songs. Some of the songs that still turn many nostalgic are ''Tumhain kaisay bata doon'', ''Kuch log rooth kar bhi'', ''Dil tumko dey diya'', ''Koko korina'', ''Jhoom aye dil wo dera jaan-e-bahar aye ga'', ''Beetay huway khuch din aisay hain tanhai jinhain duhrati hey'', ''Mujhe tum nazar say gira to rahay ho'', ''Yun kho gaiy teray pyar mein hum'', ''Socha tha piyar na karan gain'', ''Khamosh hein nazaray'' and ''Aye abre karam aaj itna baras''.

Personal life

Early life

Waheed Murad was born on October 2, 1938 in Karachi. He was the only son of the famous Pakistani film distributor Mr. Nisar Murad and Mrs. Shireen Murad. Since childhood he was being given an exposure to famous actors who used to visit his father regularly and inspired him to pursue an acting career. In his childhood, he used to wear a guitar around his neck and was famous as a good dancer among his friends. In his school life he played parts in several plays, which made him more popular. His best friends were Iqbal Yousuf and Pervaiz Malik who joined the same profession Waheed joined and thus remained associated with him for the rest of his life. Waheed passed matriculation in 1954 from the Marie Colaco School, Karachi. Waheed's parents persuaded him to complete his education prior to embarking on a film career. He graduated in arts from S.M. Arts College, Karachi and then completed masters in English literature from the University of Karachi. A strong educational background placed Waheed Murad at an advantage compared to other film producers and actors of his time.

Marriage

Waheed Murad had a sort of liking towards Salma, a daughter of Karachi based industrialist and a Memon Ibrahim Maker, when both were in grade nine in Karachi Grammar School. Their marriage took place on Thursday, September 17, 1964. The wedding ceremony was arranged at Nisar Murad's house at Tariq Road, Karachi. He addressed his wife as ''Bibi'' at home. They had two daughters (Aaliya and Sadia) and one son (Adil). Sadia died in infancy and both Waheed Murad and Salma became inconsolable. However, their two children, Aalia and Adil brought happiness and comfort to their lives.

Days of struggle

By late 1970s, Waheed was being casted in supporting roles either with Nadeem or with Mohammad Ali, or being offered by 'B class' film directors. Most of the leading heroines like Zeba, Shabnam and Nisho were not allowed to play lead roles with Waheed by their husbands. The heart-throbing actor Waheed Murad could not take such an ignominious treatment meted out to him by industry, but kept silent and did not seek help from his friends. Pervaiz Malik, who was became an established director and producer by late seventies, wrote in a local newspaper: "Not even once during that time Waheed come to me seeking work in my films." Waheed was becoming depressed. His close friends revealed that he was becoming addicted to alcohol, oral tobacco and sleeping pills. Even his domestic life suffered and his wife Salma left for the United States. A combination of bad habits and stress caused ulceration in Waheed's stomach in 1981. He suffered from bleeding and had to undergo stomach removal to save his life. His many fans came to the hospital to donate blood to save the life of their favorite hero. Although, he recovered, he lost a significant amount of weight. Even then, Iqbal Akhtar and Iqbal Yousuf, who proved to be real friends in difficult times, cast Waheed Murad in their movies. Waheed appeared pathetic in ''Dil ney phir yaad keya'' and ''Ghairao''. Even his loyal admirers felt that it was all over for him.

In 1983, Anwar Maqsood - a famous TV writer and anchor and a close friend , invited Waheed to his TV comedy show ''Silver Jubilee''. At only 90 pounds, Waheed appeared pencil-thin on the screen, but attempted to put up a brave front.

However, the keen observers could see that Waheed would be unable to spellbind the public as he did in the past. Only during the singing of ''Tumhe kaisey bata doun...'' by Aalamgir in the ''Silver Jubilee'' show, Waheed's smiles reflected a shadow of his former self-probably in his mind he was still the young hero 20 years earlier.

Babra Shareef, a top actress of the time, revealed that during filming of a scene of ''Hero'', Waheed lost his balance while walking briskly toward her and fell down. He took several minutes to catch his breath prior to standing up on his feet again.

In July 1983, Waheed was driving his car too fast, one of his favorite hobbies, his car struck a big tree. Waheed had a narrow escape, but was left with a large scar on his face. A few days after the accident, Waheed asked his friend Pervaiz Malik for a role. Malik knowing that Waheed was not ready for an acting assignment said, "Veedu you get better and you will be the lead in my next film." With his still razor-sharp mind , he replied, "You give me the role and I will get better." He was going to Karachi to get the scar fixed in order to complete the last few scenes of ''Hero'' when he met the chief editor, Ilyas Rasheedi, of the film magazine 'Nigar' at the airport. Rasheedi wrote in his magazine:

"By chance a famous film producer was also present in the waiting area and Waheed put him on the spot by asking if he had a role for him for Javed Sheikh's father in his movie. The producer had a difficult time dodging Waheed."

During the flight Waheed was very bitter. He told Rasheedi that he was reduced to working in a Pushto film produced by Badar Muneer, who used to be his car driver and help him with his household work in the late sixties, and subsequently became a successful movie star.

Last days and Death

Waheed's son Aadil was in Karachi staying with his grand mother. A day before his face surgery, Waheed celebrated his birthday. He bought several gifts for Aadil and wished him a happy year. He returned late to spend the night at Anita Ayub's mother Mumtaz Ayub's house. When Waheed did not wake up until late, the door had to be forced open and Waheed was found lying on the floor, dead for several hours. A paan leaf with 'something' in it was found in his mouth. Nobody knows for sure if it was a heart attack or suicide. Waheed was buried near his father's grave in Gulberg Graveyard, Ali Zeb Road, Lahore.

Legacy

The rise and fall of Waheed is quite similar to that of Elvis Presley and analogies have been drawn between these two icons. According to a film critic, Waheed Murad was like Elvis Presley who enjoyed early success, the status of being the most mesmerising personality of his country. He earned great fame and then faced a sudden fall and had an untimely death. Despite hardship later in Waheed's life and suffering such a tragic death, he is born again. His movies are repeatedly shown on film festivals, cinemas and TV and are well received.

Ilyas Rashidi, the founder of Nigar Awards, wrote in his magazine:

"Waheed Murad was a born hero."

Rajesh Khanna, an Indian actor, said in his interview with Shama Delhi magazine:

"After seeing a lot of movies of Waheed Murad, I admit he was a really great actor and I admire his matchless acting performance."

Ghulam Mohiuddin, a Pakistani film actor, said:

"Waheed Murad was not an individual but he was an era in his own right which ended when he was sidelined by those who took over the industry in the early 1980s, ... he was a great artiste, who recreated the image of a romantic hero. His acting was natural; he had a great deal of musical sense and was matchless when it came to picturising a song."

Lehri, a Pakistani film comedian, said:

"He was a great companion, an unforgettable friend and a humble man so rich in terms of money and fortunes."

Sangeeta, a Pakistani film director and actress, said:

"For me, it was a great time when I had been working with him."

In the recent Hollywood film Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, actress Leilah Isaac’s character Sabeen remembers Waheed Murad. Frankie Muniz, reprising his role as Agent Cody Banks, discloses to his cosmopolitan band members that he is a secret agent. To this, a Nigerian boy claims to be Spider-Man while another girl calls herself Lara Croft. As the actors associate themselves with their favourite comic book characters, Sabeen says: "And I’m Waheed Murad." This entices all to ask "what?" to which she replies, "Famous Indian actor."

"Waheed Murad was a superb actor and probably one of the best who ever graced Lollywood. His failure in movies was not owing to lack of talent. In fact, he was the most stylish and original actor in Pakistan. He improved the image of industry by shining through their mediocre scripts; they repaid him by contributing to his downfall. Bad luck, his own strong personality and rendezvous with several actresses also ruined him. He, however, still lives on in the hearts of millions of fans. As his daughter Aaliya said, "If Dad knew that he had such a following, he would not have died.""

Awards

''For a detailed list of awards, see List of awards and nominations received by Waheed Murad''

Filmography

''For a detailed filmography, see Waheed Murad filmography''.

Discography

''For a list of his songs, see List of Waheed Murad songs''.

See also

Adil Murad

Cinema of Pakistan

References

External links

Waheed Murad Interview & Tribute Videos on Umer Sharif Blog

Image of a website on Waheed Murad dated 01-13-2005 (now discontinued)

Biogragphy of Waheed Murad

Complete database of Waheed's films including 2 films released after his death and 1 film as guest star released in 1959

The man who changed cinema - DAWN.com

Waheed Murad Remembered

Category:1938 births Category:1983 deaths Category:Muhajir people Category:Nigar Award winners Category:Pakistani actors Category:Pakistani film actors Category:Pakistani film directors Category:Pakistani film producers Category:Pakistani people Category:Pakistani screenwriters Category:Pakistani singers Category:People from Karachi Category:University of Karachi alumni