Incidentally I played the leading roles in 1968 for PTV’s able producer Kanwar Aftab Ahmad’s LIVE transmission in musicals by the respective names mentioned here. There are several poetic narrations of the ‘Heer-Ranjha’ story, the most famous being ‘Heer’ by Waris Shah written in 1766 though some claim that Damodar’s version is more authentic. Warris Shah tells the story of the love of Heer and her lover Ranjha romantically. The other poetic narrations were written by Damodar Daas as mentioned above, Mukbaz and Ahmed Gujjar etc.Heer is an extremely beautiful woman, belonging to a wealthy Jatt family of the Sayyal clan in Jhang. Ranjha, also a Jatt, is the youngest of four brothers and lives in the village ‘Takht Hazara’ on the banks of river Chenab. He happened to be his father’s favourite son.His brothers had to sweat in the lands but Ranjha did not work and only played the flute. He was considered as a spoiled son of his father. There are different versions as to why Ranjha left his home. One is that he had a quarrel with his brothers over land. In Waris Shah’s version, it is said that Ranjha left his home because his brothers’ wives refused to give him food and taunted him to get married to Heer of Sayal. Ranjha leaves for Heer’s village, takes a nap on Heer’s bed in the afternoon and ultimately falls in love with her. Heer offers Ranjha a job as concierge of her father’s cattle. She becomes mesmerized by the way Ranjha plays his flute and eventually falls in love with him also. They meet each other secretly for many years until they are caught by Heer’s jealous uncle, Kaido, and her parents Chuchak and Malki. Heer is forced by her family and the local priest to marry another man called Saida Khera. That is when tragedy starts. Ranjha is heartbroken and is left to take long walks in the quiet villages on his own until eventually he meets a ‘Jogi’. After meeting Baba Gorakhnath, the founder of the “Kanphata” sect of ascetics, at ‘Tilla Jogian’ – the ‘Hill of Ascetics’, located 50 miles north of the historic town of Bhera, Sargodha District, Punjab, Ranjha voluntarily becomes a Jogi, piercing his ears and renouncing the material world. Reciting the name of the Lord, “Alakh Niranjan”, on his travels around the Punjab, he eventually finds the village where he is reunited with Heer.The two return to Heer’s village, where Heer’s parents agree to their marriage. However, on the wedding day, Heer’s jealous uncle Kaido poisons her food so that the wedding plans are thwarted. Hearing this news, Ranjha rushes to aid Heer, but he is too late, as she is dead. Ranjha takes the poisoned Laddu which Heer has eaten and dies by her side. Khwaja Khusrsheed Anwar’s movie with its outstanding music and excellent picturing by Masood Parvez takes on Warris Shah’s above version. Excellent acting by Firdaus, Ijaz and Ajmal are hallmarks of this picture. Heer and Ranjha are buried in a Punjabi town in Pakistan called Jhang, Punjab. Lovers and others often pay visits to their mausoleum.
Munir Hussain rendered a song ‘Jo Dil Ko Torte Hain Unka Bhi Jawab Nahi’ in SM Yousuf’s film ‘Ashiana’ with music by A. Hameed. Actor Kamal pictured this song in intoxicated state. Quality lyrics were provided by none other than Fayyaz Hashmi for this song. In another song ‘Zindigi Tum Sei Milla Tum Sei Mila Pyar Mujhe’ Mala joined Munir Hussain. Shamim Ara and Habib pictured this song that has been composed off-beat. Both the actors were not proficient dancers but they managed well with their awkward dance movements. Even Munir Hussain seems to be amateurish in his voice. Having said that, the song’s overall impression is catchy. It was from Iqbal Gul’s film ‘Dil Kei Tukre’. Mala and Munir Hussain rendered another duet ‘Aei Raat Bata Kaya Un Sei Kahain’ for music composer Master Inayat Hussain’s film ‘Devar Bhabai’. The screenplay and direction of this Santosh Productions film was by Hasan Tariq. The story of this hit film revolved around the motherly love of Bhabi, a role played very effectively by Sabiha Raza with her ‘dever’ Waheed Murad. This film had other hit songs like Ahmad Rushdi’s ‘Three Cheers For Bhabi Hip Hip Hurrey’ and Mehdi Hasan’s ‘Yei Kaghazi Jaise Phool Chehre Mazaq Urate Hain Aadmi Ka’. Rani played romantic pair with Waheed Murad.
One of the lesser heard enchanting classical based melody of Munir Hussain is ‘Radha Nacho’ composed by music director A. Hameed for the film ‘Tansen’. On this song Dr. Bukhari, a musicologist reaction is “Munir Hussain was nephew of Rashid Attre and it was Attre Saheb who polished him and asked him for 2 months’ riaaz before he appeared as playback singer for Attre Saheb’s composition Qarar Lootay Walay Tu Pyar Ko Tarsay in Film Saat Lakh.
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