‘Salgirah’ to be screened at Lok Virsa

‘Mandwa’

Islamabad

Director: Qamer Zaidi

Music: Nashad

Script: Shamas Hanfi

Lyrics: Shevan Rizvi, Tasleem Fazli

Cast: Shamim Ara, Waheed Murad, Tariq Aziz, Santosh Russel, Nirala

Director Qamar Zaidi’s musical Salgirah from 1969 would be screened at Lok Virsa Mandwa Film Club on today (Saturday) at 5 p.m.

‘Salgirah’, in a way, was sleeper of the year. It picked up fame, popularity and box office glory not instantly but over months and years. It largely owes part of this success to its musical score, which includes composer Nashad, lyricist Shevan Rizvi and a hit melody by Noorjhean "Le ayi phir kahan pey kismat hamey kahan sey, yeh to woh jagah hai guzrey thy hum jahan sey’. Noorjehan and Nashad both won Nigar Award that year for Best singer and composer of the year respectively.

Released on February 21, 1969, ‘Salgirah’ had other competitors in the line. Director Ahmad Bashir's arty Neela Parbat was an instant disaster. Iqbal Yousaf 's ‘Tum Miley Pyar Mila’ with Zeba and Mohammad Ali played fairly well. ‘Ishara’, ‘Diya Aur Toofan’, ‘Anila’, ‘Dilan Dey Sodey’, ‘Andaleeb’, ‘Dil-e-Betaab’, ‘Aasra’, ‘Pakdaman’, ‘Pyasa’ and ‘Zarqa’ were only some of the titles competing against ‘Salgirah’. And there were notable directors who were on the scene including Raza Mir, Nazrul Islam,S.Suleman, Shabab Kairanvi, SM Yousaf, Hassan Tariq and Riaz Shahid. In February alone, there were thirteen titles which ‘Salgirah’ had to reckon with such gems around, ‘Salgirah’ played moderately well.

Leading lady Shamim Ara by 1969 had established herself as powerful dramatic actress with good fortunes from ‘Saheli’, ‘Naila’, ‘Lakhon Mein Eik’, ‘Aag Ka Darya’ and her own production ‘Saiqa’. Here she was cast with Waheed Murad who too was the chocolate hero of young generation with success from ‘Armaan’, ‘Ehsan’, ‘Doraha’, ‘Dil Mera Dharkan Teri’ and ‘Insaniat’.

‘Salgirah’ pretty much revolves around century-old lost and found formula. Tariq Aziz is seen as a judge, travelling on a train with his wife Santosh Russel and daughter. Let us turn back the clocks to 1962 with Khursheed Anwar's ‘Ghunghat’. Nayyar Sultana, just married, is travelling in train at night with her husband Santosh Kumar. She gets off at a station for a drink of water and misses the train. In ‘Salgirah’, it is not the drink of water but the doll that the girl has dropped. She gets off to pick up the doll and misses the train (what a coincidence but suspend your disbelief!). The girl grows up to be Shamim Ara, a leading singer. And of all the people, advocate Waheed Murad must fall for her. And the rest, as they say, would be seen on ‘Mandwa’ Screen.

The lost and found formula presented here by screenwriter Shams Hanfi, is not new. Director Mahboob Khan gave us ‘Taqdeer’ back in the forties which was debuting venture of superstar Nargis. ‘Salgirah’ is then a tribute to Mahboob Khan. Technically ‘Salgirah’ is first rate with good camerawork by Jan Mohammad, smooth ( if not brisk) editing and impressive production effects. Loud delivery of Tariq Aziz is forgivable.

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