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Pakistani Film Director Pervaiz Malik (1938-2008)

Aijaz Gul

Director-Screenwriter-Producer Pervaiz Malik passed away at Islamaabd on November 18. He was not born with a golden spoon and it was his hard work and discipline which turned him into what he became- one of the countries’s most renowned, respectable and distinguished film directors. He wrote his screenplays based on stories of writers like Jaleel Afghani but never wrote for other films; just screenplays for his own films.

The story began when he went to the University of Southern California, Los Angels to earn his M.A. in Cinema. His M.A dissertation was on the history of Pakistani films which still remains in the university’s library. On his return from the States, he joined hands with Waheed Murad at Karachi and directed Heera Pathar, released in December 1964.

Pervaiz Malik had extremely good looks and he could act but he decided to stay behind the camera. It was much later when his hairline receded and he gained the bulge). He made a team with producer-actor Waheed Murad, composer Sohail Rana and lyricist Masroor Anwar. His heroines ranged from Zeba and Shamim Ara to Shabnam and Babra Sharif. His heroes in the earlier days were Waheed Murad but Waheed was followed by Mohammad Ali, mostly Nadeem and Javed Shaikh. He also brought Talat Hussain in dramatic roles of an old doctor in Gumnam. Pervaiz Malik had a good and deep sense of film music and track record of his films music by Sohail Rana and Nisar Bazmi speaks for itself with melodies like “Akeley na jaana”, “Jab pyar mei do dil miltey haeen”(Arman), “Eik nai moor mey (Ehsan),”Mujhey tum nazar sey(Dohraha), “Mera pyar terey jeevan key’(Pechan),”Tujh sey pyar karoon ga”(Pakeeza), and  “Pyar ki yaad”(Talaash)

Pervaiz Malik’s film titles ranged from Arman and Ehsan to Doraha, Soghat, Anmol, Dushman, Peechan, Talaash, Sachai, Pakeeza, Qurbani and Gumnam. Not one or two but many of his films celebrated silver and golden jubilees at Karachi and Lahore. His lasts four films Shahzada, Gareebon ka Badshah, Zangeer and Halchal played moderately at the box office. He won several awards, National Film Award for Gumnam, and finally, Pride of Performance from the President. In a career which spread from 1964 to 1992, he concentrated on social themes (never ever made a historical or period film) based on poverty (Arman), young widowhood (Ehsan), planned family (Peechan), medicine for humanity (Gumnam).

How would one look back at the career of Parvaiz Mailk. It has already been said that he only made social films, romances with some comedy and some tragedy which is the normal milieu of our films. However, Pervaiz Malik definitely has to be distinguished from the rest.. His films were always decent and carried a grace of their own. When he entered the films industry in 1964, there were other exceptionally good directors around. Khalil Qaiser was making rebellious themes like Farangi, Mustafeez, Ihtesham and Zaheer Rehan were making Urdu films in Dhaka, and Shabab Khairanvi was churning out family quickies every four months. There were other reputable names like Hassan Tariq, Riaz Shahid and Masood Pervaiz. With that kind of competition and based at Karachi, Pervaiz Malik along with Waheed Murad had to struggle ever harder to promote filmmaking at Karachi. Many of his film had their songs recorded at Lahore due to not having a A-Class orchestra at Karachi and films like Arman had their outdoor locations in Muree but the fact remains that Pervaiz Malik would stand out with Waheed Murad to promote filmmaking at Karachi. And that is a big plus for both of them. And then came a time by mid-seventies when it was no longer possible to make films at Karachi due to non-cooperation of actors who insisted just for Lahore. It was then when Pervaiz Malik had to move to Lahore. Years later, when the scene at Lahore became too gloomy for him with assault rifles, blood baths and body bags, he moved up to Islamabad and later Dubai and involved himself in TV serials with writers like Haseena Moeen. After the demise of Masroor Anwar, he felt the need of a lyricist-companion but there was none.

His film Gumnam was screened at the Moscow Film Festival in 1987 and he was in attendance.