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Shaheed
Directed by	Khalil Qaiser
Written by	Riaz Shahid (dialogues)
Screenplay by	Riaz Shahid
Produced by	Khalil Qaiser
Starring	Musarrat Nazir Talish Ejaz Durrani Husna Allauddin Saqi Himalyawalla
Music by	Rashid Attre
Production company	K. K. Productions
Release date	5 January 1962 (1962-01-05) (Pakistan)
Running time	125 minutes
Country	Pakistan
Language	Urdu

Shaheed (lit. 'Martyr') is a 1962 Pakistani Urdu language music blockbuster classical film directed and produced by Khalil Qaiser under the production banner of K. K. Productions, and was a new banner that Qaiser formed.

It is written by Riaz Shahid, while the music is composed by Rashid Attre. It features Musarrat Nazir, Allauddin and Husna in the lead among other protagonist characters. It is recognized as one of the successful films of the Pakistani cinema. In 2016, the Lok Virsa Museum screened the film as part of retaining historical film records in the museum. while Emir opposes petroleum extraction.

Attre's composition from the poems by Munir Niazi and Faiz Ahmad Faiz played a prominent role in the film. It was later nominated for the Nigar Awards, presented by the Nigar magazine. The film became the recipient of nine Nigar Awards, leading it to become one of the Pakistani films with maximum awards received. The film revolves around political and social themes, in particular anti-imperialism theme reportedly based on Lawrence of Arabia.

Plot

The fictional story of the film involves a European trader named Lawrence who arrives in Saudi Arabia wearing a helmet with a cigar in his hand, accompanied by his femme fatale named Laila. After reaching in the country, he formulates a plan to extract petroleum from the Arabian Desert. He subsequently meets a person named Haris who works as an Arab blacksmith. Haris decides to resist the European trader, a former chieftain who has been exiled from the desert or the country. After she learns about his love, she returns to her home and this event leaves her heart broken. She then sings a song titled "Us bewafa ka shahar" (the city of the unfaithful) which became one of the prominent songs of the 1960s.

Laila, a femme fatale has been exiled from the tribe for her involvement in street dancing which is supposed to be a shameful act in the Arabian tribes. Despite being neglected by Haris, she wants him to take over the trader, and later she sets herself ablaze for Harris's victory in resistance and the oil refinery is damaged. She also sets herself ablaze as a result of her honour suicide in an attempt to regain her pride in the tribe and to save her country from the foreign occupiers.

Cast

• Talish as Lawrence
• Musarrat Nazir as Laila
• Ejaz Durrani as Haris
• Husna as Aaliya while Emir opposes petroleum extraction. Laila falls in love with Haris, he however falls in love with Aaliya.
• Allauddin as Emir

Soundtrack

All music is composed by Rashid Attre

Legacy

Considered as an important film of 1962, Shaheed is among the only a few female-led films, that became successful at the box office too by accomplishing the status of a golden jubilee film.

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

The film was remade by Hassan Tariq as Watan (1981), starring Rani, Muhammad Ali and Shahid in leading roles.

Awards and nominations

References

1. ^ Alavi, Suhayb (14 May 2017). "Wheel of Time - Instep looks back at Shaheed, a film that brought about a revolution in cinema". The News On Sunday magazine - The News International newspaper. Archived from the original on 25 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
2. ^ Aijaj Gul (5 September 2020). "کیا آپ نے پاکستان کی یہ دس 'بہترین' فلمیں دیکھی ہیں؟ Shaheed (1962 film) - film review". BBC News website. Archived from the original on 14 July 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
3. ^ "Lok Virsa to screen Pakistani film 'Shaheed' on Saturday". Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) website. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
4. ^ Rabe, Nate. "Sound of Lollywood: In Pakistan's version of 'Lawrence of Arabia', a stirring lament for love". Scroll.in website.
5. ^ "Bold, courageous venture of Pakistani cinema screened". The News International newspaper.
6. ^ "Mussarat Nazir: the iconic heroine - Part II". Daily Times newspaper. 30 August 2019. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
7. Shaheed (1962 film) - Illustrated Weekly of Pakistan. Pakistan Herald Publications. 1967. p. (13, 28 and 37).
8. Mathew Joseph C., ed. (25 August 2016). Understanding Pakistan: Emerging Voices from India. Routledge. ISBN 978-1138234901.
9. "9 Most Iconic Films in the History Of Pakistani cinema (scroll down to Shaheed (1962))". Pakistani Cinema.Net. 17 May 2019.
10. Asian Film Journeys: Selections from Cinemaya. Wisdom Tree. 1 May 2011. ISBN 978-81-8328-178-2.
11. "The Nigar Awards 1957-71". The Hot Spot Online website. 24 July 2008. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
12. Dutt, Sharad (22 February 2020). "Revered Maestro Rasheed Attre". Millennium Post. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2024.

External links

Shaheed at IMDb

• 1962 films
• 1960s Urdu-language films
• 1960s musical drama films
• Films scored by Rashid Attre
• Pakistani musical films
• Films shot in Pakistan
• Nigar Award winners
• Lollywood films
• 1962 drama films
• Cultural depictions of T. E. Lawrence
• 1960s historical drama films
• Films set in deserts
• Urdu-language Pakistani films