‘Zeenat’ screened at Lok Virsa

Released in 1975, ‘Zeenat’ was big-budget mega production with all the stars from the heaven. Producers Ahmad Shamsi and his brother Rauf Shamsi of Kashif Ltd opened their purse for impressive sets, wardrobe, jewellery, best technical effect money could buy and lot more.

Several films have been made on misfortunes of a baby girl (‘Saiqa’, ‘Bakhtawar’ and ‘Bol’). Scriptwriter Agha Hassan Imtesal has come out not with an original but nonetheless a strong screenplay. ‘Zeenat’ tackles the misery of a baby girl and her mother where a Nawab feels threatened on the birth of granddaughter. When the going gets more rougher, the blame is laid not son but the baby girl and her mother.

Shabnam plays the unfortunate mother and later her daughter: the first-half with Nadeem and the second-half with Shahid.

Shabnam as helpless woman and Talish as rigid and stubborn Nawab come out in their best. Music Director Nashad brings two popular songs by Mehdi Hassan ‘Rafta rafts wo merey’ and ‘Mohey panghat pey.’

‘Zeenat’ was released at a time when film trade was going through its best harvest. Hassan Tariq's ‘Eik Gunah Aur Sahi’, Shabab Kairanvi's ‘Mera Naam Hai Mohabat’, Pervaiz Malik's ‘Peechan’ and Mumtaz Ali Khan's notoriously infamous ‘Dulhan Eik raat ki’ ran to capacity crowds. ‘Zeenat’ with its decent family subject did well too and withstood competition from the rest.

Quality of ‘Zeenat’ apart from the box office cash register can be judged from awards it collected. Nigar, the only notable film award in those years was given to Shabnam (Best Actress), Talish (Best Supporting Actor), Munawar Zarif (Best Comedian) and A.Z. Baig (Best Sound Recordist).

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Islamabad : Director: S. Suleman

Producer: Ahmad Shamsi, Rauf Shamsi

Script: Agha Hassan Imtisal

Music: Nashad

Cast: Shabnam, Nadeem, Shahid, Talish, Munawar Zarif

Mandwa Film Club of Lok Virsa screened Director S. Suleman's ‘Zeenat’ on Saturday.