Lollywood veteran's daughter in financial crises, forced to sell food on the roadside

MA Rasheed's daughter has set up a ‘dhaba’ to support herself and her children

LAHORE: Tragedy or just plain bad luck? Rafia Rasheed – the daughter of renowned Pakistani film-maker MA Rasheed – has been making and selling food at a local dhaba, hoping to make ends meet. The Express Tribune met with the 55-year-old at her one-bedroom rental in a village near Islamabad, where she open up about all the hardships she has had to face after her father’s passing and the total disregard on part of the government to help those, like her, who are in need.

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Rafia’s revelations have added more fuel to the fire over the lack of appreciation and assistance for showbiz veterans in Pakistan. Many shining stars of the industry have succumbed to health issues in recent years, having been unable to afford sound medical treatment. Local cinema – once amongst the best in South Asia – is still in crisis mode, making it hard for many Lollywood insiders to support themselves. Rafia is just one of them.

“Maybe this was in my fate. Or maybe it’s just a phase. But when I was a baby, my father was the king of the Pakistani film industry. The name MA Rasheed was like a golden ticket for aspiring actors. And I clearly remember the days I would visit him on film sets and the greatest producers, directors and actors Lollywood has ever seen would carry me around on their shoulders,” she recalled. “That was all because of my father. We were cared for; we were happy. But since his death, my life has only gone from bad to worse.”

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Rafia shared that she had been living in the UK for a while, until she had no choice but to return. “I used to be a wealthy lady. But the fact is that now, I am on the roads. I am not begging, though. I’m the daughter of a big man and prefer to sell food to earn a living, even though it is anything but easy.”

For Rafia, there is no choice but to keep her head held high and power through this phase of life. She is, after all, the only breadwinner for her children, a son and a daughter – who suffers from bipolar disorder.

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“I have sold all my properties and savings for her medical treatment. I also have to pay rent and bills and put food on the table,” she added. “Don’t forget that it isn’t easy for women to operate in a male-dominated society such as ours. There are many issues I have to deal with but I guess that’s just how life is.”

The entrepreneur admitted she is extremely hurt by the lack of support from the government, as well as the local artists’ community. According to Rafia, she and her family have been ignored completely, despite her late father’s stupendous contributions to Pakistani films. “I feel very sad when I think about it. There is just no assistance given to artists and their families in our country.”

PHOTO:FILE

Considering the status MA Rasheed enjoyed, one cannot blame Rafia for feeling this way. The legendary director spent 50 years in cinema, writing and directing countless super hit Lollywood films. In fact, he is widely considered an integral player in the golden age of Pakistani cinema. He began his career after Partition in 1955 and went on to direct many big-scale Urdu and Punjabi projects, including Naseeb, Milan, Aadmi, Khatron Ke Khilari, Aas Paas, Lakhpati and Maujza. In 2000, he produced his last hit Meri Tauba, which featured the famous Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan qawwali of the same name.

Ch Ejaz Kamran, chairman of the Pakistan Film Distributor Association, promised to look out for Rafia and her children in whatever ways possible. “MA Rasheed was the shining star on our film industry. We will do our best to help his family,” he said.

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