Spontaneous, urbane, cheeky: Filmmaker Saqib Malik honours Waheed Murad on his birthday

Filmmaker Saqib Malik recently took to his Instagram to celebrate legendary veteran star, Waheed Murad. He shared an image of the actor from his youth and penned a lengthy caption, celebrating the legend's work, life, and legacy. 

The producer began by stating, "Waheed Murad turns 85 today, October 2nd, 2023. I say this in the present tense because no other star in the history of Pakistani cinema lives on so vibrantly in the hearts and minds of his fans as Waheed Murad. Fan clubs around the country will congregate and celebrate the life and achievements of their beloved hero today, with an outpouring of love that hasn’t diminished since his untimely death in late 1983." 

He continued to share, "If ever there was a phenomenon in Pakistani cinema, it was Waheed Murad. Born into a film family— his father Nisar Murad was a renowned film distributor in Karachi—the actor began his career with a cameo in Saathi in 1959, followed by a supporting role in Aulad in 1962. His first stint as the male lead was in Heera Aur Pathar in 1964, which was also produced by him. The Golden Jubilee hit marked the beginning of his successful collaboration with Zeba and director Pervez Malik."

Singing praises of the star, Saqib added, "Spontaneous, urbane, cheeky, with strapping youth on his side and a smooth strut in every move, Waheed Murad was a gust of fresh air, representing a young country, poised for change. But no one was prepared for what was to come next. Armaan, released in 1966, became the epochal film for Pakistani cinema in that era. Breaking box office records with its rousing take on romantic drama and a chart-busting, all-time classic soundtrack, Armaan propelled both Waheed Murad and Zeba into superstardom stratosphere."

He further penned, "The actor never scaled those heights again, but he had a long, illustrious career as the ultimate romantic 'chocolate' hero (apparently called that because he had a tan complexion). Such was the star’s charisma at his peak that the husbands of several heroines he had forged successful pairings with, such as Zeba and Shabnam, refused to let their wives work with him."

Capping off his thoughts, the filmmaker shared, "Waheed Murad’s demise began in the late 70s as the romantic hero image straight jacketed his career, leading to a tragic decline, where the star appeared little more than a caricature of his former self. The life of Waheed Murad is in itself a story that is worthy of stellar cinematic treatment. The actor’s last film was titled Hero and was released posthumously."

The inimitable star passed away on November 23, 1983. In November 2010, the icon was posthumously honoured with the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan's third-highest civilian award, 27 years after his passing. On October 2, 2019, Google paid tribute to him by featuring a doodle on its homepage in Pakistan, India, Nepal, and other countries to celebrate what would have been his 81st birthday. Additionally, in 2022, the iconic song Ko Ko Korina, in which he starred in 1966, was featured in the opening scene of the American series Ms. Marvel, earning high ratings and recognition.

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