Lakhon Mein Aik

Lakhon Mein Aik is a 1967 Pakistani romantic musical film directed by Raza Mir and written by Zia Sarhadi. Set 20 years after the partition of India, the film stars Shamim Ara and Ejaz as star-crossed lovers. It was released on 28 April 1967 and became a commercial success, winning six Nigar Awards including Best Actress for Ara.

Plot
In 1947, following the partition of India, communal riots emerge in Kashmir. A Hindu family tries to flee to India but is accidentally separated from their young daughter, Shakuntala. Shakuntala and a Muslim boy Mahmood fall in love but then they are separated and feel agony while they are separated.

Production
In Bollywood, Zia Sarhadi was known for his films Hum Log (1951) and Foothoath (1953). After his migration to Pakistan, he wrote the story of Lakhon Mein Aik, based on a cross-border romance. Raza Mir directed the film who co-produced it also with Afzal Hussain. Cinematography was handled by Kamran Mirza, and editing by Rehmat Ali. Mustafa Qureshi made his debut with this film. He was approached by Mir to play the villainous role in the film, when Mir spotted him during the filming of Aag Ka Darya (1966).

Themes
Lakhon Mein Aik is set 20 years after the partition of India which happened in 1947, though historian Karan Bali notes that the events of 1947 "play a key role in kick-starting the doomed Indo-Pak love story". He also considers that though Pakistani people view the film as unbiased and balanced, from an Indian perspective it "does not really appear quite as so" since the majority of Muslim characters are portrayed as sympathetic, and "every Hindu, barring the heroine and her father, is seen as negative or evil".

Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Nisar Bazmi.

Release and reception
Lakhon Mein Aik was released on 28 April 1967 and became a commercial success. Filmman of The Statesman said it "does make a departure from the general run of Urdu films but somehow clings to the hackneyed twists and turns.

Accolades
The film won in six categories at the Pakistani Nigar Awards:
 * Best Actress for Shamim Ara
 * Best Supporting Actor for Saqi
 * Best Sound
 * Best Camera work
 * Best Female Singer for Noor Jehan
 * Best Lyricist for Fayyaz Hashmi.

Legacy and impact
Lakhon Mein Aik was the debut film of Mustafa Qureshi, it launched his career in Urdu films after which he went on to become a famous star of the Punjabi films. Along with Saheli and Saiqa, Lakhon Mein Aik is considered as the best performance of Shamim Ara.

The cross-border romance theme of Lakhon Mein Aik later inspired the Indian filmmaker Raj Kapoor with the idea of the film Henna (1991), and may be a source of inspiration for Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001) and Veer-Zaara (2004). The film was adapted by Sangeeta as a television series which aired on TV One.

In an article of The Express Tribune, actor Jawed Sheikh recommended the film for its powerful performances and hit musical score.

BBC Urdu included it among the "Top ten best films of the Pakistani cinema", selected by critic Aijaz Gul. It was also included in another list by Gul which was published in "Asian Film Journeys: Selection from Cinemaya".