Waheed Murad Pakistan First Super Star - Chocolaty Hero - Complete Biography

 

Santosh Kumar and his wife Sabiha Khannum had played an influential role in attracting Waheed Murad towards the acting side of the film industry. As an actor, Waheed Murad was known for his professionalism and appreciated for his punctuality and cooperation. The star acted in a total of 124 films (115 Urdu, eight Punjabi, and one Pashto). Among his most popular films were Heera Aur Pathar (1964), Armaan (1966), Andaleeb (1969), and Mastana Mahi (1971), for which he won a Nigar Award in the best actor category.

In 1958, film journalist Ilyas Rasheedi launched the Nigar Awards to recognize excellence in cinematic achievement in Pakistan. The first award distribution ceremony was held on July 17, 1958 at Lahore’s Evernew Studios. Waheed Murad and playback singer Ahmed Rushdie became quite a popular audio-video duo in the picturization of songs in films. Rushdie was one of Pakistan’s finest versatile singers who contributed significantly to the golden era of Pakistani film music.

The highest number of songs to be recorded in the history of Pakistani cinema were recorded by Rushdie, in various languages such as Urdu, English, Bengali, and Gujrati. He is also credited as the first pop singer of South Asia who sang “Ko Ko Korina” in the film Armaan. Upon his death in 1983, Waheed Murad is believed to have said: “My voice has died today.” Behind the sets and beyond the screen

The Waheed Murad family had roots in the Bahmani Kingdom of South India, from where they migrated to Kashmir and eventually to Sialkot in the 18th century. In Sialkot, Waheed Murad’s grandfather Zahoor Ilahi adopted the surname ‘Murad’ in 1887. Zahoor Murad was an advocate, among the very few Muslim ones in Sialkot at the time, as well as a social activist. His brother Ferozuddin Murad was an academic who served as the head of the Department of Physics at Aligarh Univeristy in India and a gold medal is awarded in his honor by the university every year. Zahoor's second youngest son Nisar grew up to be a film distributor in Bombay. Nisar married a Christain from Bikanir who later converted to Islam and became known as Shireen. The couple migrated to Karachi before the partition of India, where their son Waheed Murad was born.

The film star grew up as the only child. He was quite pampered by his parents as a result. Waheed Murad studied at Lawrence College in Murree, one of Pakistan’s highly prestigious boarding schools.

After two years he returned home as his parents missed him dearly. He was particularly fond of his mother and was very close to her. Waheed Murad continued his education at Mary Colaco in Karachi. While in school, he would actively take part in plays and dramas. Growing up he had been exposed to the world of cinema through his father.

Famous celebrities would come to receptions at his home and movie viewings would take place, followed by discussions and commentaries on their story, acting, and direction. It was no surprise that Waheed Murad showed an interest towards acting and film making from an early age. Growing up, Pervez Malik and Santosh Kumar were among Waheed Murad’s close friends. As a result, they were also able to get a glimpse into the film industry and like Waheed Murad, they too developed a passion for cinema. Murad completed his matriculation in 1954 with a distinction in Physics and Chemistry. He passed his intermediate from S.M. Science College and pursued a Bachelor of Arts from S.M. Arts College. He had received an acceptance from the University of California, Los Angeles to study film making but decided not to go on the advice of his father.

Waheed Murad's parents were far too attached to him. His father proposed that he can learn film making by launching his own production house and gain hands-on exposure in the field while simultaneously completing his masters from Karachi University. This is exactly what Waheed Murad did, managing a production house and completing his masters in English Literature in 1962.

Marriage and family life

Despite already being engaged to someone else, Waheed Murad fell in love with Salma Maker, the daughter of his mother’s close friend. Salma and Waheed Murad had known each other since their childhood as their parents were family friends. Salma’s father was H.E. Maker – the owner of H.M. Silk Mills. When Waheed Murad proposed to Salma, she was learning Khattakali at Gansham’s Academy. Salma had refused Waheed’s proposal initially, but after developing a deep friendship, she began to grow fond of him.

The young couple would conduct radio shows about the film industry together on Radio Pakistan in the early 60s. Eventually Salma consented to marrying Waheed Murad and the couple finally tied the knot on September 17, 1964. The couple had three children, two daughters, Aliya and Saadia, and a son Adil. Unfortunately, Saadia died in infancy. Being a film star and producer, Waheed Murad was always occupied with work but still managed to spend time with his family. Waheed Murad’s children would look forward to spending time with him on the weekends. Sundays would be dedicated to family time. His son Adil, recalls playing cricket with him in their garden on Sundays. Waheed Murad was a huge cricket fan and was also fond of cycling. Although he would portray an arrogant persona on screen, in reality Waheed Murad was quite the opposite. He was an introverted and reserved person. His family remembers him as a loving son, husband, and father.

Famous films

Heera Aur Pathar (1966) was the first film wherein Waheed Murad acted in a leading role. It was also the film which launched director Pervez Malik and film editor M. Aqeel Khan into the Pakistani film industry. The movie was a hit. It ran for 56 weeks in the cinemas. The film depicted a love story between actors Zeba and Waheed Murad. Waheed Murad and M. Aqeel Khan won Nigar awards for their contributions to this film. Heera Aur Pathar played a crucial role in paving the careers of Waheed Murad, Pervez Malik, Zeba, M. Aqeel Khan, and Sohail Rana.

Armaan (1966)

Armaan is by far Waheed Murad’s most popular film. After 75 weeks in cinema, it became Pakistan’s first platinum jubilee film. The film was directed by Pervez Malik and produced and written by Waheed Murad, who also played the lead actor in the film.

The film is still remembered fondly today, especially for its songs. The most famous being ‘Ko Ko Koreena’ which is recognized as the first Pakistani Pop song. The film won six Nigar Awards for best movie of the year, best actress, best musician, best director, best playback singer, and best comedian. The film’s storyline depicted the transformation of a convivial young man into a mature and austere one.

Samandar (1968)

Samandar was released at a time when tensions between east and west Pakistan were escalating. Shabnam, one of the leading actresses from East Pakistan, appeared for the first time as the lead heroine in a West Pakistani film alongside actors Waheed Murad and Hanif.

The story revolved around two best friends living in a fishing community who drift apart due to political ambition, mistrust, and external interference. The film is seen as an allegory of the complex relations between east and west Pakistan. The movie aimed to revive love, peace, and unity between the two separate parts of the country. The title song ‘Tera Mera Sathi Hai Samandar’ sung by Ahmed Rushdie, highlighted the sea as a symbol of unity between the two wings of the nation. The film was produced by Waheed Murad and received a lot of appreciation.

Andaleeb (1969)

Based on Salma Kanwal’s novel, Andaleeb was a romantic musical which proved to be one of the most popular films of the year. The lead stars of the movie were Waheed Murad, Shabnam, Aliya, Talish, and Mustafa Qureshi. The film was directed by Fareed Ahmed.

The movie is remembered fondly for its song ‘Kuch Log Rooth Kar Bhi Lagte Hien Kitne Pyaare’ sung by Ahmed Rushdie, wherein Waheed Murad is trying to win over Shabnam in a red sports car. Waheed Murad received a Nigar award in the best actor category for Andaleeb. The film was also presented with Nigar awards in the nominations of special award, best screenplay, and best sound editor.

Anjuman (1970)

Despite being released at a time when the country was experiencing a political turmoil, the film Anjuman became a massive hit at the box office. Running for 81 weeks in the cinemas, it earned the title of a platinum jubilee. The film starred Waheed Murad, Raani, Deeba, Santosh Kumar, Sabiha Khanum, and Lehri.

The story revolved around a tragic love triangle between a courtesan and two Nawab (Lord) brothers. Directed by Hassan Tariq, the film received Nigar Awards for various categories such as best film, best director, best screenplay, and best musician.

Mastana Mahi (1971)

Mastana Mahi was the first Punjabi film that Waheed Murad produced and acted in. The film was directed by Iftikhar Khan and starred actresses Naghma and Aliya along side Waheed Murad. Mastana Mahi was very different from the conventional Punjabi films that were being made at the time. It was a romantic musical which portrayed Punjabi poetry in a soft and subtle manner. Waheed Murad won the Nigar award for best actor for this film.

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