Jamil Fakhri

Renowned theatre, TV and film actor Jamil Fakhri was one such actor who was revered by the masses as long as the spotlight was on him. On June 9, 2011, after being on a ventilator after a paralysis attack, he left for the hereafter.

Jamil Fakhri was born in Lahore on December 16, 1944. After graduation, he joined the National Bank of Pakistan and started doing theatre in Lahore, becoming friends with talented actors such as Kamal Ahmed Rizvi, Athar Shah Khan, Ali Ejaz and Rafi Khawar aka Nannah. His ever-popular stage plays to date include Andar Aana Mana Hai, Zuban Daraz, Ulti Seedhi, High Jump and Lahore Bypass.

Renowned TV producer Yawar Hyatt introduced him on television in the late ’60s, and throughout the ’70s and ’80s he worked relentlessly in TV plays such as Aik Mohabbat Sau Afsanay, Tanay Banay, Daldal, Waaris, Teesra Kinara, Bandhan, Aik Haqiqat Aik Fasana, Alif Noon, Zakhira Andozi, Pyaas, Alif Laila, Aaj Ka Khel and Jheel. And then, there was Andhera Ujala.

His role of Inspector Jaffer Hussain in Andhera Ujala became his identity and made him a household name. In fact, whenever the history of television is written in Pakistan, Jaffer Hussain would rank among the top three roles played to perfection by an actor. The burly and oft conflict-riddled policeman was the protagonist of the play along with Irfan Khoosat who played Havaldar Karamdad. Together, they nabbed bad guys and managed to do so while overcoming personal and professional challenges.

In one thought-provoking and immensely touching episode of Andhera Ujala, Jaffer Hussain shoots his son in the leg to stop him from defecting to a life of crime. In another, he loses his father to criminals who shoot him dead while offering prayers. In both episodes, Jamil Fakhri was seen at the pinnacle of his acting talent — delivering dialogues and effectively emoting the pain of losing a loved one through his eyes, a trait that made him a far superior actor from others of his clan.

Every episode of Andhera Ujala threw a new challenge in Jaffer Hussain’s way and whenever he felt tempted to veer off the way of the law, there was a severe reprimand in store for him from his superior officer played by Mohammed Qavi Khan: “Jaffer Hussain, yeh sab kya ho raha hai?”

“For me, Jamil Fakhri was more than just a co-star,” remembers Qavi. “We had been friends for a long time and always remained in touch. Like most actors, Jamil Fakhri was a sensitive person. He conquered both the mediums of theatre and television but was deeply affected by the recent death of his son. We used to talk about it and he was unable to cope up with the tragedy. It was ironic since he was famous among his friends for his lively jokes and hearty lifestyle.”

Jamil Fakhri’s Inspector Jaffer was notorious for making bad guys tremble in their shoes when reminded of drawing room (torture chamber) and pulling up his trousers whenever he was about to take a big step like reprimanding a subordinate or leaving the thana to make an arrest. The mannerism became his trademark and when Jamil Fakhri was called to collect his medal for outstanding achievements as an actor in 1989, he repeated it — only to be vastly applauded by the audience at Liaquat Gymnasium in Islamabad.

Qavi Khan recalls the time he spent on the sets of Andhera Ujala with the late actor, “The policemen still respect us for effectively depicting them in the series, and that is the biggest reward for us as actors. Fakhri Saheb’s character was so popular that he is still widely known as Jaffer Hussain, which is the ultimate reward for an actor.”

Jamil Fakhri was awarded Pride of Performance for his acting in all four mediums — TV, theatre, film and radio. Firdous Jamal adds, “We both worked in all mediums, but his roles were of archival nature. His characters were super-strong and with substance, and I am sure that in the near future they will be presented as examples for budding artistes. He was one of the few actors whose stare is worth a million words. With his death, we have not only lost an actor but also a star who had mastered the performing arts.”

For an actor who effectively solved crimes in Andhera Ujala, it is ironic that the murderers of his son have not been brought to justice so far. The death of his young son, Ali Ayaz Fakhri, who died under mysterious circumstances in the US, affected his physical health terribly and after the tragedy he was a changed man.

“He was a sensitive man and I think he died the day he heard about his son’s death,” says Firdous Jamal. “He was one of those people who used to laugh heartily, but when his son disappeared, and was later found dead, he lost the will to live on. He felt the pain of his fellow actors when they were in trouble, and he used to cry alongside them. He was also very religious. It was his extreme love for his late son that he died soon after.”

Jamil Fakhri’s final play, Dil Day Boohay, ended last month on PTV whereas his final bow was in Sehra Teri Pyas that was aired from a private channel the day he suffered a brain hemorrhage. With these plays, he bade farewell to his four-decade long association with the performing arts during which he made us laugh and cry with incredible histrionics.

Finally, Qavi Khan recalls, “Jamil Fakhri knew the art of making people laugh, be it on screen or off it. It seems people of our generation are all passing away — Moin Akhtar, Khayyam Sarhadi, Babbu Baral, Mastana and now Fakhri Saheb. All we can do now is pray for them and remember their good work.”

Jamil Fakhri and Films

Renowned directors Pervez Malik, Shabab Kiranvi, Nazrul Islam and Javed Fazil also cast him in films and he enjoyed moderate success on the big screen. He was always cast in character roles and managed to make the most of them: Pakeeza, Dehleez, Meherban, Lajawab, Aahat, Deewanay Do, Bhabi Diyan Chooriyan and Direct Havaldaar are his more successful films in which he had the chance to share the screen with actors such as Nadeem, Waheed Murad, Mohammad Ali, Rahat Kazmi and Javed Sheikh. In fact, Direct Havaldar was the film version of Andhera Ujala where the whole cast including Irfan Khoosat (playing the title role), Mohammad Qavi Khan, Abid Butt and Jamil Fakhri reprised their roles brilliantly.

Veteran actor Firdous Jamal was part of Direct Havaldar as Jaffer Hussain’s son who turns rogue during the film. He recalls Jamil Fakhri as an excellent co-star with whom he shared a working relationship as well as a friendship that lasted for a long time. “Jamil Fakhri was one of my teachers because when I came over to Lahore from Peshawar, he made me feel as part of his family. I had spent more time with Jamil Fakhri than I had spent with my own brother, and I was shocked to hear about his death. Aam Aadmi to roz paida hota hai, Jamil Fakhri jaisa insaan kabhi kabhi paida hota hai (people are born every day, but a person like Jamil Fakhri is born once in a blue moon).

Veena Malik

Veena Malik, born Zahida Malik on 26 February 1978, is an actress, model and comedian. She established herself as one of the leading women in the Pakistani television and film industry with her abilities to mimic others and improvise. Veena grew up expressing an interest in joining the film industry and her grandmother encouraged her. Her father, however, disliked the idea of his daughter being in an industry that was deemed unsuitable for girls in Pakistan and initially resisted her attempts to pursue a career in entertainment. However, she continued to receive support from her grandmother despite the disapproval of many family members. Before starting her career as an actress, Veena worked as a comedian for several television shows and series. She made her acting debut alongside Shaan and Zara Sheikh in Tere Pyar Mein in 2000, which did well at the box office but since she played a supporting role in the film she was barely acknowledged. However, she received widespread acclaim when she appeared in a supporting role in Javed Sheikh’s Yeh Dil Aap Ka Huwa in 2002; the film was a commercial success. In 2003, she appeared in Indo-Pak cross venture Punjabi film Pind Di Kuri which failed to do well. However, the film turned out be the first Indo-Pak venture film with a budget of approximately 70 million rupees. She also appeared in Askari’s Sassi Punno alongside Sana and Moammar Rana and in Jageer. In 2008, Veena appeared in the Punjabi film, Mohabbatan Sachiyan, alongside ex-fiancee Babrik Shah and newcomers Maria Khan and Adnan Khan. The film went on to become a commercial success. In 2010, she worked in Main Jeena Tere Naal, and debut comedy programme Miss Duniya.
Veena has usually been cast as a supporting actor. It is unclear if she herself stayed clear of the leading roles or was denied them. Industry enthusiasts say that the only genre she was good at was ‘comedy’ and that the directors failed to create a leading role around her acting skills. The criticism was taken well by her and she began to hone her skills even more in comedy. In 2002, she hosted a show called Prime Gupshup ushering a new direction for her comedic skills and she improvised on the hour-long show by occasionally mimicking actors. The show’s format was such a great success that she got offers from various other channels as well. She hosted the Geo TV show Hum Sub Umeed Say Hain, in which she was hailed for her parodies. In September 2010, Veena was approached to become part of the Indian television reality show, Bigg Boss Season 4, being hosted by Salman Khan. She accepted the offer and is now a part of the show that started on October 3, 2010 and will run for 14 weeks.

Swaranlata

Swaranlata, known to the world as the ‘tragedy queen’ of her time, was born into a Syal family in Rawalpindi as the youngest of many siblings. She lost her mother at the time of birth and was brought up by her eldest brother, who subsequently also gave her permission to start her acting career. She was described as a ‘tragedy queen’ because of her intense presence on screen and her apt dialogue delivery.

Swaranlata’s first film was Awaaz which was released in 1942 and directed by Rafiq Rizvi. Although Swaranlata was cast in a secondary role, she did her role with great confidence opposite such seasoned actors like Maya Banerji and Wasti. Seeing her enthusiasm for films, she was offered the lead role in Najam Naqvi’s Tasveer (1943) opposite superstar hero of his time Motilal. Tasveer, a romantic comedy about a philandering doctor did great business at box-office and there was no looking back for Swaranlata. She was showered with offers and was cast as the leading lady in lots of movies including Rattan (1944) which is still considered as one of the greatest hits of Indian Cinema and still remembered for it soulful songs scored by Naushad. In 1945, director-cum-producer-cum-actor Nazir started Laila Majnu (1945) under the banner of Hind Pictures, and Swaranlata was cast as Laila. Indian playback singer, Mohd Rafi also appeared in this film, alongside lead pair Swaranlata and Nazir to sing the chorus in tera jalwa jisne dekha. This film, an Arabian love legend, gave rise to a real life romance off the screen as well. Swaranlata converted to Islam and changed her name to Saeeda Bano. Swaranlata and Nazir got married and were inseparable till Nazir’s death in 1983.

The Swaran-Nazir pair was a very creative ensemble, churning out many movies together both before and after Partition. Theirs was a love marriage and although they had a difference of 20 years between them, their relationship was a stable and loving one. Swaran would often mention of the tough times they had at the time of Partition when they left everything they had behind in Bombay and shifted to Lahore. It was Bari Malik, who gave them refuge when they arrived in Lahore. The duo had to start from scratch and in the process became one of the pioneers of the Pakistan film industry.

In1949, Nazir and Swaranlata made their first Pakistani venture, Sachchai, at their dilapidated studios, with equipment that would have been more valuable as museum artifacts. The film lacking in quality, got poor response at the box office. This did not deter Nazir. He embarked on the second project, Pheray, the first Punjabi Film of Pakistan, made with a meagre 65,000 rupees. It was completed within a record time of 6 weeks. Swaranlata and Nazir played the lead roles, and Pheray proved to be a big money maker even in competition with the films produced in Bombay. It found its place in the archives of our national film industry as the first Pakistani movie to have celebrated its silver jubilee.

Swaranlata acted with most actors of her era including Santosh, Darpan, Dilip Kumar and Karan Dewan, and came to be known as one of the greatest actresses of Pakistan. Some of her notable films in Pakistan include Shehri Babu (1953), Naukar (1955), and Noor-e- Islam (1957). Naukar was Golden-Jubilee hit film about poor maid (Swaranlata) and her husband (Nazir) who had to give in their newly born baby to their rich Begum Sahiba (Raagini). When Begum has her own child, the poor boy must suffer along with the poor maid. This was a soap opera in the real sense of the term, which provided sentiments for tears to both women and men folks. Ironically, Naukar was based on a plagiarized script from an Indian film Aulad (1954). Noor-e-Islam, a story based on religious sentiments, attracted a great number of family viewers with its na’ats. One of these - Shah-e-Madina Yasrab ke waali, sare nabi tere dark e sawali – gained tremendous popularity amongst public.

In the later part of her career, Swaranlata switched to character roles and appeared in some of her last films including Sawal (1966), and Duniya Na Mane (1971). Notable among them was Sawal, one of the finest films directed by Hassan Tariq. It was a story about upper-middle-class girl (Saloni), who had gone much too far in imitation of Western manners and disowns her own son for worldy pleasures. Swaranlata gave moving performance as Saloni’s mother.

Swaranlata gradually moved away from films as she became more engrossed on the home front. Being a reserved person by nature, she avoided public gatherings and mingled just with her good friends who had stood by her through the good and bad times. Whenever she was forced into the limelight, in the shape of interviews or the recipient of an award, she always appeared dignified and straightforward, not being afraid to voice her opinions about anything. She was also a good Samaritan and helped many families with their children’s education. She enjoyed good music, both Western and South Asian.

She survived the death of her husband, youngest daughter and her son-in-law with the same grit that she displayed throughout her life. She did shed tears, but she would always get right back up again and immerse herself in her daily routine. After her husband’s death she faced a lot of hardships which she countered with dignity, displaying the mettle that she was made of.

Swaranlata, passed away at the age of 83 in her family home in Lahore on February 8, 2008, in the early hours of the day – Fariha Rashed, Ummer Siddique, Sambreen Rashed and Mushtaq Gazdar