Badar Munir’s seventh death anniversary a quiet affair

Event saw low turnout, some say many actors are in Lahore shooting

PESHAWAR: It’s as if each passing year has been erasing memories of the legend. The seventh death anniversary of famous actor Badar Munir was observed with less pomp and circumstance at a small event arranged by Badar Munir Federation (BMF) on Sunday at a hujra on Dalazak Road.

The event was attended by few but those who celebrate the actor say nary can hold a candle to him. “He [Badar] was considered the most versatile actor who could play any sort of a role with perfection,” BMF President Sherin Zada Badar told The Express Tribune. “People still remember him for his action roles and his posters are seen pasted on rickshaws across the city even today.” Sherin added invitations were sent to all Pashto actors but very few turned up.

The reason behind the insignificance of the event could be attributed to the general standing of Pashto films among people of the province. This had a dousing effect on the memorial event. Some of the members of BMF said nearly all actors of the Pashto film industry are busy with shooting in Lahore.

Life of the hero

Munir worked in the country’s first Pashto film Yousaf Khan ao Sherbano with Yasim Khan as his co-star. The film was written by the late poet Ali  Haider Joshi.

After the success of Yousaf Khan ao Sherbano, another folk story of Adam Khan was adapted as a film in which Badar played the lead role . The film was shot in Lahore and did well in the box office. Other successful movies of Badar included Orbal, Baghi and Dehqan. Badar worked in over 400 films of Pashto, Urdu, Punjabi and Sindhi. He was born in Madyan, Swat and died in 2008 at the age of 70 in Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 12^th, 2015.