Tribute to Shamim Ara with ‘Chingari’

Islamabad

Lok Virsa Film Club Mandwa paid tribute to film icon, Shamim Ara, with film Chingari on Saturday at its Media Centre.

Dr. Fouzia Saeed, Executive Director Lok Virsa paid rich compliments to Shamim Ara. According to Fouzia Saeed, Shamim Ara was a pillar of courage and strength for film industry as a major film maker. She was a brave woman who stood behind film community for over forty years, especially when the going was rough. Dr. Fouzia remarked that Shamim's performance first as an actress, then as producer and finally as producer-director was extraordinary in the sixties, seventies and eighties. She must also be credited for turning unknowns into bankable superstars, competent technicians and top composers.

Looking back at Shamim Ara's career, one is amazed at her accomplishments. Born in Aligarh in 1938, her family moved to Karachi in early-Fifties. She was discovered for screen by director, Najam Naqvi, for film ‘Kanwari Bewa’. Najam Naqvi had also moved from Mumbai and settled in Karachi. As the luck would have it, ‘Kanwari Bewa’ became disaster of the decade. Any other new face would have been lost into the darkness of the night but not Shamim Ara. She went on to play supporting roles in ‘Anarkali’, ‘Raaz’ and ‘Miss 1956’. As the fifties melted into the sixties, director SM Yousaf who also happened to arrive from Mumbai, cast her against ‘Darpan’ and Nayyar Sultana in the smash hit of the decade ‘Saheli’. The film was both a critical and commercial bonanza. Shameem Ara was declared Best Supporting Actress and Nayyar Sultana Best Actress for Nigar Award. Shamim Ara even indebted to weekly Nigar's editor, Ilyas Rashidi, flatly refused to accept the award, saying she played the lead.

What followed in the coming years was nothing less than casting miracles with titles like ‘Naila’ (first colour film from Lahore), ‘Aag ka Darya’, ‘Lakhon Main Aik’, ‘Farangi’, ‘Qaidi’ and ‘Salgirah’. As the luck would have it, she won many awards, including prestigious Lifetime Achievement National Film Award. She produced her first film ‘Saiqa’ in late sixties, playing the lead as unfortunate girl child. ‘Saiqa’ was directed by Laeeq Akhtar.

We had entered seventies and Zeba, Shabnam and Babra Sharif were the female leads on front seat. Shamim Ara grasped the changing stardom trends and moved into direction and production. She now owned full-fledged production unit including precious 35 mm movie camera (this at that time was almost exclusive possession of movie studio Mughals). Her filmography reads brilliant: ‘Miss Hongkong’, ‘Miss Colombo’, ‘Miss Singapore’, ‘Lady Smuggler’, ‘Lady Commando’ (Shabnam and Babra Sharif appeared together for the first and last time) and ‘Munda Bigra Jai’. By nineties, film world had changed. recognition, respect and regards for elders had gone down the drain. Shameem Ara faced this in her later films, not withstanding her bringing Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for the first time as a composer in film ‘Pal Do Pal’. She suffered heavy losses in her last ventures. Illness and age was talking over in shape of Paralysis. After hospitalization in Lahore, she was shifted to London by her son Salman. She passed away on August 5 in London.

And now film ‘Changari’, a tribute to Shamim Ara. Produced and Directed by Khursheed Anwar in 1964, Shameem Ara is seen here in a serious role supported by Santosh Kumar, Deeba and Ijaz. ‘Changari’ brought the clash between the old world of traditions and the modern world of the mid- sixties with clubs, liquor and midnight life. Shamim Ara stood for the old world and Deeba along with her boyfriend Ijaz for the new one.

Changari still remains in its own league, superior from many other titles from 1964 for its rich musical score (brilliant use of ‘sitar’) and soothing melodies of Noor Jehan:

‘Kali Kali Mandlaiy’

‘Mei to kar kar binti haar gai’

‘Dil ki baat bateen kis ko’