Remembering Waheed Murad on his 35th death anniversary

Many events will be held in late actor's honour

LAHORE: Fans and colleagues of late legendary actor Waheed Murad are observing his 35^th death anniversary today. The Pakistan Waheedi Club will be arranging an honorary events at Lahore Press Club and also organise a film festival during which, the actor's super hit films will be screened for the public.

According to Muhammad Sajjad, General Secretary of the Waheedi Club, the film festival is being held at Nagina Cinema where an annual, week-long tribute will be paid to Murad by screening his films and inviting showbiz personalities to attend.

PHOTO: WAHEEDMURAD.WEB

“Waheed Murad is the only artist in Pakistan that is remembered like this," Sajjad shared with The Express Tribune. "We organise such events every year to honour him and this year, will also witness a series of programmes held in Lahore. This club was established soon after Waheed's death for the purposes of recognising and acknowledging his talent." He added that many people from the film industry have been invited to celebrate Murad and his work. "A cake cutting ceremony will also be held."

Industry insiders also paid tribute to the Armaan actor, stating that he was the most talented, handsome and stylish 'hero' within Lollywood. “I can say with surety that no one has even come close to being such a beautiful actor in our film industry," expressed actor Durdana Rahman. "I have worked with Waheed in films and seen the peak of his popularity. I have even witnessed the time when every actress in the film industry wanted to star opposite him. To this day, when people speak of good looks and great acting style, we remember Waheed Murad."

PHOTO: FILE

Although 35 long years have passed since his death, Murad has managed to remain in the hearts of friends, family and fans alike. According to colleagues, it's because of his career which was enriched with skills from fields; acting, directing and even producing. He took on these three roles during his lifetime and managed to excel in all, truly proving his worth.

Murad was born on October 2, 1938 in Sialkot, before migrating to Karachi to complete his studies. He commenced his film career as a producer by joining the company established by his father, Nisar Murad. His first production was titled Insaan Badalta Hai, made in 1961.

After that - based on the advice of famous film star Zeba Begum and others - he began acting and starred in 1962's Aulaad. His first film as an actor proved to be a hit and he impressed many directors and producers with his style and dialogue delivery. He then played the lead in Heera Aur Pathar for which he even received a Nigar Award. The film's success brought with it Murad's ticket to stardom.

PHOTO: SCREENGRAB

During his film career, the superstar appeared in many other blockbusters such as Doraha, Zanjeer, Zameer, Ehsaan, Raaste Ka Pathar and Awaz, Badnaam among others. He featured opposite various famed female actors such as Zeba, Shabnam, Kavita, Shamim Ara and Babra Sharif.

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Director Altaf Hussain shared his sentiments regarding the renowned artist, “There were countless qualities of Waheed Murad that many admired. He was a very handsome man and made for an amazing hero." Hussain went on to state that today’s film industry lacks actors like Murad.

His 25-year-old acting career saw Murad work in about 125 films which included all Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto productions. Besides this, he also produced 11 films and directed one titled Ishaara. He won around 32 prestigious awards, including a Sitara e Imtiaz before passing away on November 23, 1983 in Karachi, aged 45.

Edited by Ramsha Vistro

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