Tribute to actor Kumar

Islamabad: Producer: Rashid Mukhtar, Director: S.A. Hafiz, Composer: A. Hameed, Cast: Kumar, Zeba, Kamal, Lehri, Talish, Zeenat.

Mandwa Film Club of Lok Virsa screened Urdu film Tauba from 1964. Released in 1964, ‘Tauba’ is a tribute to legendary actor Kumar who had just migrated from Mumbai after an illustrious career. Syed Ali Hassan Zaidi in real life, Kumar started his screen career with New Theaters in Kolkata in 1932. He made his debut with ‘Subha Ka Tara’ and ‘Zinda Lash’. This was followed by ‘Yahudi ki Larki’, ‘Watan Suhag’, ‘Maa ka Pyar’, ‘Neik Parveen’, ‘Tarana’, and above all, ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ in 1960.

Here, he was seen as sculpturer (‘sangtrash’ with famous song ‘Ai mohabat zindabaad’ lensed on him). Kumar migrated to Pakistan in 1963 and his early films here were ‘Tauba’ and ‘Choti Ami’, being from Lucknow, chaste Urdu was his hallmark where nobody but nobody could beat him. His other films here included ‘Head Constable’, ‘Shabnam’, ‘Milap’, ‘Naila’, ‘Sajda’ and ‘Hum Dono’. Kumar passed away in 1982.

‘Tauba’ produced by Rashid Mukhtar of Nigar Films, was a super production. Kumar played an alcoholic bum who kicks off the habit at a ‘mazar’ with bottle rolling down the marble floor with handful of ‘qawals’ singing their lungs out ‘Meri ‘Tauba’.

A. Hameed's other popular melodies included ‘O rey sanam’ (Noorjehan) and ‘Ai meri zindigi’ (Munir Hussain). ‘Tauba’ would remembered in our film history as a polished film with heavy but timely message. The film was directed by no other than Kumar's own son S.A. Hafiz.

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