Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistani film industry has always been a troubled tale with ups and downs at different levels as most of the Pakistani colour films failed to live up to the expectations of the audience in the beginning despite introducing latest technology.

According to reports, the year 1960 was marked as the start of colour era in Pakistani cinema when director Munshi Dil and SQ Zaman recorded two colour songs in film ‘Gul Bakavli’ being picturised on Sudhir, Jamila Razzaq and Ilyas Kashmiri. However, the film didn’t grab the attention of the spectators.

The first colour laboratory established at Screen & Sound Studio located in Rehmanpura, Ferozpur Road was preliminary allotted to Tassaduq Hussain and Shafi Ejaz in 1949 after which SQ Zaman got the studio on contract and renovated it.

In 1962, Agha GA Gul recorded a colour song in his movie ‘Azra’ with prominent actors Neelo, Aijaz, Allauddin, Agha Talish, Nazar and others but the film emerged as a flop piece in cinemas.

‘Ek Dil Do Diwane’, the first ever-coloured Pakistani Urdu movie, by Wazir Ali and SQ Zaman hit the screen in 1964. The actors who performed in the film were Rani, Syed Kamal, and Nasira. However, this movie also could not inspire the audience.

Jaffer Malik and SQ Zaman’s first Punjabi film ‘Panj Darya’ that released on December 22, 1968 with Akmal, Fidous, Ajmal, Sheikh Iqbal, Shireen, Nagma, Rangila, Sultan Rahi and Sawan in leading roles also failed to make the mark.

After a chain of flop production of colour movies, the Pakistani film industry finally gained foothold with super hit colour movie ‘Naila’ directed by Sharif Nayyar and Agha GA Gul in 1965.

The aforementioned film was picturised on Santosh Kumar and Shamim Ara whereas Darpan, Ragni and Gul Rukh also acted in the movie.