Daily Times

The 108 birthday of eminent Pakistani filmmaker, writer, director and music composer Khwaja Khurshid Anwar was observed in the country on Saturday.

He was born on March 01, 1912 in Mianwali.

Khurshid Anwar was credited as being one of the most original and inventive music directors of his generation. He was also the Programme Producer (Music) at All India Radio in 1939. Before his return to Lahore from India in 1952, he had composed popular songs for films like Ishaara, Parwana and Singaar, a private news channel reported.

Anwar formed a team which included Masud Parvez as director, Syed Imtiaz Ali Taj as writer, Qateel Shifai and Tanvir Naqvi as song writers which produced movies like Intezar, Jhoomer and Zehr-e-Ishq from 1956 to 1958 which opened the industry to new ideas.

These films focused on psychological problems of heroes which were rooted in cultural conflict. Besides his love for musical instruments, Khawaja Sahib was also a man of letters. He wrote stories and screenplay of his films

These films focused on psychological problems of heroes which were rooted in cultural conflict.

Besides his love for musical instruments, Khawaja Sahib was also a man of letters. He wrote stories and screenplay of his films.

He was a poet by nature and his tunes have a romantic poetic touch. In a conversation, Faiz Ahmed Faiz narrated that during college days Anwar was interested in poetry while Faiz Sahib himself loved music.

As lyricist, his famous songs “Sagar roye lehrain shore machai, O jane wale re and Rim jhim rim jhim are still echoing the hearts of millions besides having hit movies Ghunghat, Parwana, Heer Ranjha and Aaj Aur Kal on his credit.

He died on October 30, 1984 in Lahore.