Armaan (1966)

Armaan was released on Friday, March 18, 1966, at a time when the country was echoing with protests against the Tashkent Agreement signed by President Ayub Khan and the Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

It was said that a war ‘won’ on the front had been ‘lost’ on the table. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the dissident foreign minister who was generally identified with a hard line stance against India, had just received an overwhelming ovation at the Lahore Railway Station from a multitude of his admirers.

Then, as the film opened in Naz Cinema, Karachi, and across West and East Pakistan, it captured the imagination of the entire society. Did the masses recognise, unconsciously, their deepest ideals in the fantasy about an educated and principle-centered aristocrat stepping down from his ranks for courting an orphaned girl of humble background and himself getting transformed in the process?

At least that was the gist of the hero’s journey from the festive Ko Ko Korina to the mature Jab pyar mein do dil miltay hain; and from the light-hearted rendition of Akele na jana by Ahmad Rushdi to the symphonic and cataclysmic orchestra accompanying the voice of Mala, at the end. In retrospect, one may say that this was not very unlike the expectations that people were beginning to develop from Bhutto around the same time — regardless of whether or not the politician lived up to the ideals given by poets.

The film was the first Pakistani release to become a “Platinum Jubilee” (running for 75 cumulative weeks). The middle class, usually reluctant to go to the cinema, got attracted in large numbers (in some ways this shift had already started with Saheli four years earlier and Naela the last year but it reached its climax with Armaan). The hairstyle of the writer, producer and actor Waheed Murad became the default for that generation. Conservatives and liberals, rich and poor, educated and the illiterate, were equally mesmerised.

The legends spawned by Armaan spread wide and were going to prove lasting. Fellow film-maker Nazrul Islam, in his greatest film Aaina (1977) eleven year later, named the heroine Najma (played by Shabnam) after the role played by Zeba in Armaan. In a subsequent film, Nahin abhi Nahin (1980), Nazrul not only named the main character Armaan, but even persuaded the lead actor Faisal Rehman to use this as a real name (recently, Faisal has directed a television sequel to Nahin abhi Nahin where the protagonist Armaan, now grown up and teaching in a college, confronts the spirit of Allama Iqbal and seeks answers to questions about the existence and destiny of Pakistan).

If Armaan is one of the pegs around which threads of our collective consciousness are tied then it very well deserves that prestige. It was an offering from well-educated and imaginative youth who respected their culture and wanted to bring a healthy change through the unity of imagination. Waheed had an M.A. degree in English from Karachi University and his obsessions included James Joyce, Virginia Woolf and Henry James (one of his dreams was to make a stream of consciousness films and he arguably achieved it three year later in one of his productions).

In developing the story of Armaan, he drew upon Cinderella, She Stoops to Conquer, The Taming of the Shrew, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, but he used his sources ingenuously for creating a brevity that effectively conveyed the messages ingrained in the greatest cultural movements of recent history (attachment to Iqbal ran in Waheed’s family, since his grandfather Manzur Ilahi Murad was an acquaintance of the poet-philosopher in Sialkot).

Director Pervez Malik, who also wrote the screenplay, had a master’s degree in film-making from California. Camera work, imagery and symbolism were on a par with some of the best masterpieces of that time: one could identify allusions to La Dolce Vita and Hiroshima Mon Amour. Later, Pervez was going to win a Pride of Performance Award for his patriotic films, including a trilogy about the awakening of the masses through the power of love: Anmol (1972), Dushman (1974) and Pehchan (1975). The second of these is also significant because a year before India discovered “the angry young man” in Deewar (1975), Pervez Malik had created the icon here and articulated its social context with much more clarity and boldness than elsewhere.

Masroor Anwar, who wrote the dialogues and lyrics, had received a fresh impetus from his work in the 1965 war. A fascinating aspect of the lyrics of Armaan is that each song from this film, although so moving as an expression of ordinary love, can also be interpreted as a national song.

Consider, for instance, Akele na jana. The Ahmad Rushdi version is probably what every Pakistani may like to say to Pakistan: “Diya hosla jis nay jeenay ka hum ko….” (you are a beautiful feeling that gave us the courage to live; you are the certainty that never leaves the heart; you the hope that lasts). It should surprise no one that the same Masroor Anwar later gave such national songs like Sohni dharti and Wattan ki mitti gawah rehna.

Sohail Rana, who gave music to Armaan, came from a literary family. His father, Rana Akbarabadi, was a renowned poet and had approved of his son’s passion only on the condition that the talent should be used for perpetuating noble values. Sohail not only composed music for memorable national songs, including Apni jaan nazr karoon, Sohni dharti and Jeevay Pakistan but was also destined to set music to Hum Mustafavi Hain by Jamiluddin Aali, which was adopted as the national anthem of the Islamic Summit Conference in 1974 (it retains that status and is played wherever the summit is held).

In the 1970s and the ’80s, Sohail was best known to the youth in Pakistan through his popular television programme in which he taught music and good manners. Armaan, in a way, had started with him. One night in 1963 or 1964 he heard a melody in his dream. He woke up and wrote it down. The words that were given to it eventually were, Akele na jana…

The rest is film history, though sadly unwritten for the most part – Khurram Ali Shafique

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 1966, Genre – Drama, Country – Pakistan, Language – Urdu, Producer – Waheed Murad, Director – Pervez Malik, Music Director – Sohail Rana, Cast - Zeba, Waheed Murad, Nirala, Rozina, Tarannum

Channa Sachi Muchi (2010)

The failing local film industry saw a ray of hope with the recent premiere of the Lollywood period film, Channa Sachi Muchi (CSM). Its makers claim it to be one of the most expensive film ever made in the history of Pakistan, labeling it as a revival of Pakistani cinema. CSM has been produced by Ijaz Bajwa (he has 28 TV serials to his credit in the past 27 years), and he made his debut as a director with this film.

His role as film director came as a result of him not being satisfied with the previous director, “In 2007, as the producer I was facing great losses as the director was not paying attention to the film,” said Ijaz. Keeping this in mind, he has done a good job with the film, as his work is a notch higher than the others who have been at it for a much longer time.

The cast of CSM includes Babar Ali, Moammar Rana (Momy), Saima and Hina Shaheen. Initially, Shaan had been cast in the role later played by Momy. All of the four main actors have given satisfactory performances, however, I expected acting performances on a much higher level of a film being referred to by its makers as a revival of Pakistani cinema. I also expected better dialogues, make-up and wardrobe selection as the colors worn by some of the lead actors did not go well with the background.

Babar Ali’s performance as the baddie was convincing and different from the roles he usually plays. When approached to comment on his character and his take on the film’s potential for the revival of cinema at the premiere, he said, “I have been working for 23-and-a-half years, and have never had such an experience before. I have played the hero in most films but have been appreciated much more as a villain in CSM. As for the revival of cinema, I feel if films are good then cinema will also revive as a direct result. CSM is a good film and that is why it can be associated with revival.”

The plot is typical of Pakistani/Indian films, depicting a love story between a Muslim boy and a Hindu girl intermingled with the independence of the subcontinent. The film, however, has no scenes showing the violence of Partition, which was a positive. Although watching it was somewhat interesting and entertaining, I felt that nothing new was offered in terms of storyline and it was painfully predictable.

Bao (Moammar Rana) is a well-educated Muslim boy who falls in love with Pooja (Saima), a Hindu girl. The plot reaches its climax when his fiance Lajo (Hina Shaheen) and Pooja’s fiance Sooria (Babar Ali) find out about their blossoming love affair. The dance sequences are well-choreographed and the backdrops are pleasing to the eye.

This may be a result of the fact that 80 per cent of the filming has been done outdoors at original locations. Sets have been used only for indoor shoots. The film has seven songs including an item number with Mehr Hassan’s voluptuous dance performance.

The music of Channa Sachi Muchi is by Zulfaqar Ali with lyrics by Khalilur Rehman Qamar. The songs are sung by Azra Jahan, Saima Jahan, Naseebo Lal, Harash Deep and Babul Supriyo and the soundtrack has received a good response so far at music stores in Lahore. The song Yeh Ishq Nahin Hai Aasan with Mehr Hasan moving seductively on screen is especially popular among the masses. It is also downloaded off the internet on a daily basis.

There was a mixed reaction when the general public was asked about CSM bringing something new to Pakistani cinema. A majority of them appreciated it, with one man claiming that he has watched it four times already. “I just love the dances and the music,” he said. The more skeptical of the lot don’t want to bother as they feel they would rather watch a good Indian film. A few who have seen it said that it has the same old storyline, dances and dialogues, and don’t consider it a step towards the revival of film in any way other than better backdrops and a catchier soundtrack.

Ijaz Bajwa said it’s an effort by the film industry in these tough times, “At least people in Punjab are going to watch the film as it offers a good entertainment option to them. I don’t think the film doesn’t have flaws, but at least someone with courage and financial muscle has tried to revolutionise the market. This is not the typical five-song masala film, and certainly not vulgar. It has a good story, good music and post-production is good, too.”

Channa Sachi Muchi is the first Pakistani film which has digital intermediate treatment and post-production from Adlab, Mumbai. It is one tiny step forward. Now all we need is the revival of Pakistani films being associated with fresh, new and original storylines.

Virsa (2010)

The film, Virsa, is a joint venture between Pakistan and India — an apparent attempt for the revival of Pakistani cinema with the idea that it could be brought about through collaborative efforts, consequently resulting in meaningful cinema. The premier held in all its glory at CineStar Cinema was attended by the film’s star cast and other showbiz personalities.

Virsa has been shot extensively in Australia. The spokesperson for the film as well as the producer if its soundtrack, Pakistani singer Jawad Ahmad, said that the film sees a bringing together of the best talent from three diverse countries to give the viewers of Punjabi films an international cinematic experience like never before.

“This is the first Indo-Pak film production in the history of Pakistan, which is a ground-breaking step forward,” he said. “We have inadvertently raised the bar in terms of quality of production, production value and by ensuring that the film is simultaneously launched on the same date internationally. Our Indian counterparts helped us in making this happen.” Jawad stressed that Virsa has been given an international face and through this film they have been able to accomplish worldwide screening which is only something that has been talked about in the Pakistani industry prior to its launch.

The story revolves around a rich boy who falls in love with a girl. She strictly believes in remaining within the bounds of moral and social values. The tale concentrates on the boy’s efforts to prove his love to the girl played by model-actress Mehreen Raheal, and the adversities he has to face while at the same time having to deal with family issues. Virsa, in effect, deals with the expatriate Punjabi community and its crisis of identity and morality.

The cast includes Sardar Joginder Singh Grewal, Ranvir Singh Grewal, Harjinder Kaur, Yuvraj Singh Grewal, Meet, Gulshan Grover, Kanwaljeet Singh, Ruby, Aarya Babbar, Aparna Sharma, Nawaz Ali, Nauman Ijaz, Shazia Ali, Aaman Ali Shazia, Aman Dhaliwal, Mahi Sandhu and Mehreen Raheal.

The acting is overall satisfactory. Indian actor Arya Babbar, son of veteran Bollywood actor Raj Babar, plays the male lead. His performance was mediocre at best and one expects and hopes to see better work from him in future, especially since he’ll soon be appearing with Salman Khan in an upcoming film. Gulshan Grover was appreciated immensely for the role he played and Mehreen attracted praise for her acting as well as her presence on screen. It was widely agreed that her performance shouldered Arya’s somewhat disappointing histrionics. “I am overwhelmed by the response and I thank all my fans,” she said. Noman Ijaz, although only in a few scenes, played a very strong role in the film, to which he did full justice, “I enjoyed being a part of Virsa and would love to work with the same cast and crew again.”

The music of the film is outstanding with tracks sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Richa Sharma, Amna Khan, newcomer Farah, Fuad Ahmed, Kirshna, Sahir Ali Bagga and Jawad Ahmed. The music has been produced, arranged and mixed entirely in Pakistan. The song Yadaan has been on the top of the BBC Asia charts for the past two weeks.

In terms of feedback from audiences around the world, Australia has so far shown the best response with India not far behind. “We have our fingers crossed with regard to response from audiences,” said Jawad. “I am not sure how it will fare with the public but this waiting game is a part of the process for any production which has just been released.” A few Pakistani audience members agreed that the music is exceptional and a major pulling factor. However, lighting and make-up, especially in the close-up shots of Mehreen, could have been better.

Virsa is produced and released by Dr Amanullah Khan, Jawwad Ahmed from Pakistan and Vikram Khakhar from India. The film is a must see. It may not herald the revival of cinema in Pakistan, but it features many positives which gives the feeling that we are slowly and steadily moving in the right direction. “The saving grace of the film is the beautiful cinematography,” added Mehreen.

Cast and Production Credits

Year – 2010, Genre – Drama, Country – India/Pakistan, Language – Punjabi, Producer – Dr. Amanullah Khan, Mr. Vikram Khakhar, Jawad Ahmad, Director – Pankaj Batra, Music Director – Jawad Ahmad, Cast - Gulshan Grover, Shazia, Arya Babbar, Kanwaljeet, Mehreen Raheal, Naumaan Ijaas, Ruby, Aparna Sharma, Aman Dhaliwal