The film was directed by Masood Pervaiz, one of the finest directors Pakistan has ever produced. PHOTOS: HUMA CHOUDHARY/EXPRESS
Ejaz Durrani, producer of the film and one of the prominent artists of Pakistani film industry of yesteryears, attended the event as a guest of honour. Film director Syed Noor was the chief guest.
Film critic Ijaz Gul, who is also the Mandwa film club coordinator, said that many attempts have been made to recreate the folktale, most notable being the Hindi film Heer Ranjha, directed by Chetan Anand.
He, however, said if given the choice he would pick Ejaz Durrani-produced and starred ‘Heer Ranjha’. Both these films were produced in 1970.
Noor said he watched the movie a number of times when it was first released in 1970 and a learned a lot from it. He said no other film could portray the story of Heer Ranjha as good as this movie did “just as no writer could match the brilliance of Waris Shah”.
Appreciating the film club initiative, Noor said he had first heard the word ‘mandwa’ when he was a child and when youngsters were not allowed to watch mandwa films.
Durrani, who played role of Ranjha in the movie, said there was a need to preserve classical movies.
Lok Virsa Executive Director Dr Fouzia Saeed said the film club is an attempt to own and celebrate Pakistan’s folk culture.
“Civilised societies are conscious about and always proud of their classics. We want to inculcate the same attitude in our film makers,” Saeed said.
The film was directed by Masood Pervaiz, one of the finest directors Pakistan has ever produced. PHOTOS: HUMA CHOUDHARY/EXPRESS
The film was directed by Masood Pervaiz, one of the finest and talented directors Pakistan ever produced. Its music was composed by Khawaja Khursheed Anwar, one of the genius legendary music composers of the subcontinent. The duo produced a number of classic movies in the golden days of the Lollywood.
Its screenplay, dialogue and songs were written by noted poet Ahmad Rahi. Based on the Punjabi folktale ‘Heer’, written by great poet Waris Shah, the movie beautifully depicts the real culture, life of Punjab.
The film revolves around Heer, a girl born into a wealthy family, and Ranjha, the youngest of four brothers, whose journey from his own village takes him to the village where Heer lives after the wives of his brothers refuse him food and mock him. He falls in love with Heer after she offers him work tending cattle. However her jealous uncle Kaido has other plans and makes sure their marriage does not happen.
When Heer is subsequently forced to marry another man, she enters a shrine. Ranjha eventually finds her. Their happiness does not last long, as Ranjha is arrested by the local ruler, although he is soon freed and permitted to marry Heer.
On their wedding day, Heer’s uncle poisons her. Ranjha kills Kaido and then dies, meeting Heer in the afterlife.
The film club will be screening two classic movies every week for its members.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 3rd, 2015.
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