About Pakistan
- Music
The following websites have sections of
Pakistani film music, some also have film clips and reviews
of films:
- www.pakistanvision.com/site/films.shtml
-
http://www.pakhits.com/main2.htm
-
www.pakistanimusic.com
-
www.pakwatan.com
- http://www.karafilmfest.com
Check also the following
links for different genres of music: Pop/Modern/Rock Music,
Qawwali
and Ghazals, Rung
Music, Regional
Music, Wedding Music, National
Anthem
Excerpts
from “Cinema
Music: Music from Lollywood, the film industry of Lahore,
Pakistan” by Sajid Iqbal.
... In undivided India, Lahore (then in
the Punjab) was important as a showbiz centre. It had an established
film-making centre. The first film ever to be made in a Lahore
studio was Delhi Express (1935) and thereafter many
Urdu and Punjabi films emerged from Lahore every year. The
partition of India into two independent states - India and
Pakistan, caused irreparable damage to film production in Lahore.
Most of Lahore's film producers were Hindu and as the city
fell to the side of the Islamic state of Pakistan, they migrated
to India. This deprived Lollywood, as Lahore is referred to
in film circles, of much needed investment and expertise in
film production and distribution.
Fortunately, the outflow from Lahore was
accompanied by an inflow into the city. Affected by the same
political change, a number of talented Muslims who have established
themselves in Bombay's (now Mumbai) film circles, moved
back to Lahore. Prominent among them were film producer Syed
Shaukat Hussain Rizvi, his wife actress and singer Noor Jehan,
actress Swarn Lata, actor Nazeer, director W. Z. Ahmad, director
Luqman, director Sabtain Fazli, music director Feroze Nizami
and music director Khawaja Khursheed Anwar. These creative
artists laid the foundation of the Pakistani film industry.
They were also responsible for producing some of the best films
ever made in Lollywood.
...The creative energy of Lahore's film
people began to express itself as soon as the partition frenzy
subsided. Lollywood became alive again and Teri Yaad was
the first film released after partition. Featuring Nasir Khan,
brother of film icon Dileep Kumar and Asha Posle, it was released
at Lahore Parbhat Cinema on Sept 2, 1948. Its producer was
a Hindu named Diwan Sardari Lal, Daud Chand was the director
while Nath was the music director. The following year, Anis
Productions released a Punjabi film Pheray. Featuring
Nazeer (who was also its director) and Swarn Lata, the film
proved to be a success and became the first Pakistani film
to complete a 25-week run at cinema houses. Another important
film was Naubahar Films' Do Ansoo which was released
in 1950. Produced by Sheikh Latif and directed by Anwar Kamal
Pasha, it won popularity and became first Urdu film to complete
its silver jubilee.
...The films produced in Pakistan indicate
that throughout the 55 years after partition, the country has
not suffered from a dearth of talent in any field of film making.
There have been talented actors, directors, technicians, poets
as well as script writers.
...At present the indication is that the
trend is changing and a healthy competitive spirit is developing
among producers and directors to make quality films. In times
to come, it should not come as a surprise if some quality films
from Pakistan emerge in local as well as in international venues.
Note: Sajid Iqbal is a Pakistani journalist
who worked as a staff reporter in the Lahore office of the
country's leading English language newspaper 'Dawn' for
seven years. Currently, he is working as a producer in the
BBC World Service, contributing regularly to BBCUrdu.com on topics related to culture and showbiz.
Quoted from: http://imagineasia.bfi.org.uk/guide/surveys/pakistani/
