Tribute to Pride of Pakistan superstar Nadeem Baig on his 77th birthday.
Pride of Pakistan superstar Nadeem Baig started his career as a hero in film “Chakori” which hit the box office. He performed as a hero in hundreds of films.
Nadeem was born in Vijaywada, Madras, British #India. His real name is Nazeer Baig Mughal. After partition, he, at the age of 5, migrated with his father Mirza Abbas Baig from #Hyderabad Deccan to Karachi. He got his graduation from Islamia College, #Karachi. At that time the Islamia Club was considered as the centre of great film and radio artists. Different musical competitions were organised to unveil the talent of college students. Artists like Talat Hussein, M. Zaheer Khan, TV producer Iqbal Haider, Aftab Azeem and Saleem Jafry were all discovered from that Club. Nadeem was also one of them. He had a friends circle with Ameer Ahmed Khan and Qasim Siddiqui and together they had won several music competitions. At one of those musical competitions, he was noticed by then famous singer Firdousi Begum. She was impressed by his singing talent and encouraged him to try his luck in playback singing in Dhaka's film industry.[1] Because of brilliant singing talent, he also got a chance to sing a song for an Urdu film Sehra, the music of which was composed by Nisar Bazmi, but unfortunately the film never released.
He travelled to Dhaka in a cultural trip organised by Islamia Club. There he got a chance to sing a song in Captain Ehtisham's new film Chakori. Captain was making a low budget black and white film as his previous colour film Sagar was flopped. At the time of casting, he chose Shabana as heroine and East Pakistani (Bengali) film actor Azeem as hero. But Azeem refused to work in the film because he was offered a very less fees. So he decided to give a chance to Nadeem in his film as hero, although which was contrary to his brother Mustafeez's will. The film was released on 19th May, 1967 in both East and West wings of Pakistan. The film became such a blockbuster that it make Nadeem a superstar in the overnight. The film also became the second 'Platinum Jubilee' film of Pakistan.
Nadeem may well be termed as the best thing that has happened to Pakistan film industry. Undoubtedly, his contribution towards the Cinema of Pakistan is worth written in the letters of gold in the history of Pakistan film industry. Nadeem not only continues to be the most ever popular Superstar, Hero and Performer in the 61 years long history of Pakistani Cinema, he has made everyone inside and outside Pakistan accept and appreciate his outstanding acting abilities and skills. The Presidential Award for Pride of Performance awarded to him is only one proof of this statement.
Nadeem shuttled between Karachi, Lahore and Dhaka to act in movies. In 1971 after the fall of Dhaka and formation of the Independent state of Bangladesh, he settled in Lahore which became his home. Now he shifted again from Lahore to KARACHI.
Nadeem’s film career spanning over 41 years is full of wonderful achievements and success. Nadeem, in the presence of high class performers like Santosh Kumar, Muhammad Ali, Waheed Murad, Habib and Kamal not only won Best Actor’s Nigar Award in his first film Chakori but with consecutive super hit movies namely Chakori, CHOTEY SAHIB and SANGDIL, created such a record of success not accessible by any other actor before and after him.
Nadeem’s journey to the success that started in 1967 has never stopped and even today, in 2008, he continues to be the No.1 actor of Pakistani silver screen. In the 61 years long history of Pakistani films, only 25 films have the distinction of celebrating Diamond Jubilee (completing a run of 100 or more weeks). Nadeem alone figures in 10 out of these 25 movies. His Diamond Jubilee films include: NADAN(1973), ANARI, PECHAN(1975), TALASH(1976), AINA (1977), HUM DONON(1980), LAJAWAB, QURBANI(1981), SANGDIL(1982) and DEHLEEZ(1983).
This record number of Diamond Jubilee films seems to remain an unsurpassable challenge for others. PEHCHAN and ANARI (1975) and LAJAWAB and QURBANI (1981) were released in the same year. Crossing the landmark of Diamond Jubilee by two movies in a single year on two occasions is an unprecedented example of success.
In addition to above mentioned super hit movies, Nadeem is also the hero of highest number (10) of Platinum Jubilee films (running for 75 or more weeks). These films are: CHAKORI(1967), DIL LAGI(1974), AMBER & ZINDAGI (1978), PAKEEZA(1979), BANDISH(1980), MIAN BEEVI RAAZI(1982), KAMIYABI(1984), JEEVA(1995) and DEEWANAY TERE PIYAR KAY(1997).
Moreover, in addition to these super hit Diamond and Platinum Jubilee films, the number of his Golden Jubilee films (running for 50 or more weeks) is also much higher (46) than all the other actors, past and present. Nadeem’s Golden Jubilee films are: CHOTEY SAHIB (1967), SANGDIL(1968), BEHEN BHAI(1969), AANSOO (1971), SOCIETY, DAMAN AUR CHINGARI(1973), SAMAJ, PHOOL MERE GULSHAN KA, INTIZAR, BHOOL, SHAMA, ZEENAT, JAB JAB PHOOL KHILAY, KOSHISH, SACCHAI, MUHABBAT AUR MENHGAI, MUHABAAT EK KAHANI, PRINCE, PLAY BOY(1979), SAIMA, BADALTAY MOUSAM, RISHTA, MEHENDI LAGI MERE HAATH(1980), KHOOBSURAT(1982), LAZAWAL(1984), DEEWANEY DO, ZAMEEN AASMAN(1985), HESAAB, FAISLA(1986), CHORON KI BARAT(1987), BAZAR-E-HUSN, MUKHRA(1988), INSANIYAT KE DUSHMAN, BULANDI (1990), MADAM RANI, JO DAR GIYA WOH MER GIYA, JUNGAL KA QANOON(1995), HAWAIN(1996), INTEHA(1999) and KYUN TUM SEY ITNA PYAR HAI(2005).
Aina which can well be described as a symbol of the caliber of Nadeem’s talents, is the most successful movie ever made in Pakistan. A big hit all over the country, it ran continuously for more than five years in Karachi completing more than 400 weeks. It also won 12 Nigar Awards which remains the highest number of awards won by a single Urdu movie. AINA may be termed as a record breaking and trend setting movie in many aspects.
In 1980, an Indian film Noor Jahan was granted special permission of exhibition in Pakistan. It acquired a sort of a challenge for Pakistan cinema. Mastermind Director Parvez Malik accepted the challenge and produced Hum Donoo presenting Nadeem in double roles. Hum Donoo proved a blockbuster which ran for 165 weeks in Karachi becoming the second most exhibited movie after Aina. Meanwhile Nadeem’s two more films Bandish and Saima also got released and won laurels in a neck to neck fight with Noor Jahan. Bandish was shown for 86 and 82 weeks in Lahore and Karachi respectively. Earlier in 1971, Nadeem became the first actor to play three different characters in his film Jaltey Suraj Key Nichey.
There was a time in 1990s when films in the national language Urdu had almost been abandoned. In these circumstances Nadeem’s films Insaniyat Ke Dushman entirely in Urdu was as unprecedented success which once again attracted film producers towards the production of Urdu movies. Apart from the above mentioned movies, Nadeem’s Bazar-e-Husn, Zid, Bulandi, Jeeva, Jo Dar Giya Woh Mer Giya, Sargam, Hawain and Deewanay Tere Piyr Kay are such social, romantic and dramatic movies which opened new dimensions in film making.
Nadeem has not only established unparalleled and undefeatable records of success but has also made both the masses and classes realize his superior natural, innocent, sentimental, graceful and charming acting. He has left inerasable images in the art of acting, playing serious, comedy, romantic, emotional, action and all other kinds of roles with equal ease and expertise. That is why, during last 41 years, Nadeem has begged 19 Nigar Awards as Best Actor of the year. He received these awards in CHAKOR(1967), EHSAS(1972), NADAN(1973), ANARI(1975), AINA(1977), PAKIZA(1979), SAIMA(1980), QURBANI(1981), SANGDIL(1982), DEHLEEZ(1983), LAZAWAL(1984), NARAZ (1985), FAISLA(1986), CHORON KI BARAT(1987), MUKHRA (Best Actor & Best Producer)(1988), BAROOD KI CHAON (1989), GORI DIAN JAHANJRAN(1990), WATAN KAY RAKHWALAY(1991), SUPER PERFORMANCE(1992) & LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD(2000). That Nadeem won 14 consecutive Nigar Awards as best actor from 1979 to 1992 without break, itself speakers of Superiority of Nadeem’s acting talent over all other actors of that period.
Likewise Nadeem has won FIVE National Film Awards since the inception of such awards in 1983. He won these awards for his outstanding performances in LAZAWAL(1984), QATIL KI TALASH(1986), MUKHRA(as Producer, 1988), BAROOD KI CHAON(1989) and LIFE TIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD(2000). In 1991 President of Pakistan bestowed Nadeem with the Medal for Pride of Performance which is another acknowledgement of Nadeem’s contribution to Pakistani Cinema at the highest level.
Besides acting Nadeem has also sung many hit songs to his credit as a play back singer. In fact Nadeem, basically a singer, is the first actor in Indo-Pakistan to have sung for movies. Almost all of his two dozen songs have been popular. If, in 1967 his duet with Firdousi Begum “Kahan ho tum ko dhoond rahi hain yeh baharain yeh saman” was a super hit street song, in 1989, his duet with the melody queen Noor Jahan “Mundia dupatta chad mera” was a phenomenal hit.
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