| Sabiha Khanum: Pakistans first leading lady |
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Updated : Monday November 21 , 2011 3:14:40 PM
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She was the quintessential first lady of Pakistani cinema and during the 1950s and 1960s,Actor Sabiha Khanum became one of Pakistan’s most sought after leading women.
The Ali Auditorium in Lahore witnessed a remarkable tribute to the singer cum actor organised by the Shakir Ali Museum and Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). Several leading personalities from the entertainment industry, who had worked and closely followed Khanum’s career, were also present on the occasion to shed light on her illustrious career.
Khanum, dressed in a black sari, entered the auditorium to a swarm of photographers and fans. The frail 75-year-old lady, returning to Pakistan after a long time stay in the US, seemed in a cheerful mood.
Former PNCA Director General Naeem Tahir recalled the vibrant impact of Khanum on contemporary actors due to her skills and technique. “Her contribution to film industry is very important because she did films at a time when the industry was struggling,” said Tahir. “She was always a fighter who could improvise when the times were rough, by moving abroad she had to give up a lot of the things she loved.”
In response to Tahir’s speech, Khanum clarified the reason for why she left the country. “My husband Santosh Kumar had passed away, so I found it difficult to act as it would have put me in a difficult position,” said Khanum. She moved to the US after Kumar’s passing as her children were settled there. “It was a difficult phase but I will always remember the love Pakistan has give me,” she added.
(Courtesy : The Express Tribune)
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Sabiha Khanum – Santosh Kumar
A remarkable nobility of looks and manners marked the screen presence of Santosh Kumar. When he met the screen queen of the 1950s, Sabiha, who was known for her vivacity and beauty, it was a rare combination that lit up the screen. They first worked together in the first film Santosh did in Pakistan, which was Masood Parvez’s Beliin 1950s. But, it was actually Anwar Kamal Pasha’s Do Aansoo, the same year that launched the pair in the cine-circuit of the country. Later, they did many hit films together, namely Ghulam, Qatil, Inteqam, Hamida, Sarfarosh, Ishq-e-Laila, Wadah, Saat Lakh, Hasrat, Moseeqar, Daman etc. But it is said that during the making of Hasrat in 1958, they got married. The Sabiha-Santosh pair was a symbol of the pure and earthy elements, enriching an atmosphere that was essentially classical. Their true brilliance is revealed in the ritually romantic excellence of films like Wadah, Qatil andMoseeqar, intermingling the ideal family saga with ecstatic lift of semi classical music. Although Santosh and Sabiha did well in costume films like Sarfarosh andSardar, they seemed more at ease in purely romantic flicks set in the village-meets-city tales. The fine tuned performances that they gave consistently were even praised by the top notch directors across the border.
The last movies of the pair, of course, as supporting actors, were Anjuman, and Mohabbat. Santosh died on 11th June, 1982, which also took much screen light out of Sabiha. Although she continued to play mother to lots of heroes on the celluloid, she wasn’t the same any more.
