Saeed Khan "Rangeela": The Comedy King of Pakistan Film Industry - - Versatile and Multi-Dimensional Personality of Pakistan Cinema

Mohammad Saeed Khan, Rangeela, was born on Jan 1, 1937, in Parachinar, Kurram Agency. He belonged to a Pashtun family from Afghanistan who came to Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa (Former N.W.F.P) and then settled down in Lahore. His father was a Mouazan in a local mosque. Rangeela performed in record 660 films, and over 100 stage shows in his career spanning over four decades and won numerous awards for best actor, Rangeela had six sons and eight daughters from three wives. His daughter Farah Deeba was a politician and a worker of the PML (N).

It is as difficult to measure Rangeela's influence, as it is to count his hyphens.

This body-builder- painter- actor- hero- comedian- producer- director- writer- singer- distributor- composer also happens to be the great communicator.

He moved to Lahore at a young age and earned his livelihood by painting billboards for the Lahore movie industry. But soon he realized that following the humble career of bill-board painter would not sustain his talents. Therefore, he struggled to get an appearance on the big screen. His movie career started back in the late 1950s and his efforts got fruitful results when he made his professional cinematic debut in a 1958 Punjabi film called ‘Jatti’, directed by M.J. Rana. While Aik Aur Love Story produced in 1999 was his last film. He appeared as hero in box-office hits like Do Rangeelay.



He produced and directed his first film ‘Diya aur Toofan’ in 1969 in which Ijaz and Firdous played the lead roles. He also shone as a singer and his ‘Ga Mairay Manwa Gata Ja Re’ considered as all-time hit song. He directed numerous movies under the banner of Rangeela Productions. Excellence of his acting potential was enormous in the super hit film ‘Rangeela’, released on September 11, 1970; in which he played the title role of Rangeela. He possessed that un-expressible pathos in his voice that brought tears into the eyes of the listeners. His forte was tragic songs, and he was proficient at slow numbers. Rangeela earned plaudits for his third consecutive super hit film 'Dil Aur Duniya', October 1, 1971, starring Habib-Aasia-Rangeela. The above three films were big hits at the box office enabling Saeed Khan Rangeela to complete his celluloid 'hat trick'.



Rangeela, the Comedy King, bagged numerous awards in his life which included nine Nigar Awards. Nigar Award for Best screen-writer in the film Rangeela in 1970, best comedian in the film Dil Aur Duniya in 1971.Nigar Award for simultaneously playing three roles in the film Meri Zindigi Hai Naghma in 1972.

Complete List of Awards Won During The Career

* Nigar Award for best screen- writer, in the film 'Rangeela' in 1970.
* Nigar Award for best comedian, in the film 'Dil Aur Duniya' in 1971.
* Nigar Award for simultaneously playing three roles in the film 'Meri zindigi hai naghma' in 1972.
* Nigar Award for best comedian in the film 'Naukar tay malik' in 1982.
* Nigar Award for best story- writer, in the film 'Sona chandi' in 1983.
* Nigar Award for best director in the film 'Sona chandi' in 1983.
* Nigar Award for best comedian in the film 'Miss Colombo' in 1984.
* Nigar Award for best comedian in the film 'Baaghi qaidi' in 1986.
* Nigar Award for best comedian in the film 'Teen yakkay teen chakkay' in 1991.

Career As an Actor

* Hero (1992/II)
* International Gorillay (1990)
* Aurat Raj(1979)
* Do Tasweerain (1974)
* Kubra Ashiq (1973)
* Dosti (1971)
* Dil Aur Duniya (1971)
* Rangeela (1970)
* Diya Aur Toofan (1969)
* Gehra Daagh (1964)
* Bazar-e-Husn. 1988.
* Double version film 'Madam Bowery 1989.
* Double version film 'Rangeelay Jasoos. 1989.
* Double version film 'International Gorillay. 1990.
* The film 'Majhu platinum jubilee, 1991.
* Double version film 'Abdullah the great. 1992.

Career As a Director

* Aurat Raj (1979)
* Kubra Ashiq (1973)
* Dil Aur Duniya (1971)
* Rangeela (1970)
* Diya Aur Toofan (1969)
* Meri mohabbat teray hawalay.
* Subha ka tara
* Ganwaar
* Jahaiz.
* Namak halal.
* Ka ka jee.
* Raja Rani.
* Sahab Bahadur.
* Quli.

Career As a Producer

* Aurat Raj (1979)
* Kubra Ashiq (1973)
* Dil Aur Duniya (1971)
* Rangeela (1970)
* Diya Aur Toofan (1969)

Career As a Playback Singer

* Aurat Raj (1979)
* Do Rangeeley (1985)

Career As a Writer

* Rangeela (1970)

‘The soul of Sindh’: Pictorial Exhibition at the Sadequain Gallery - - Showcased Photographic Work of Two Pakistani and Two Turkish Photographers

KARACHI: Two Turkish and two Pakistani photographers have joined hands to explore ‘the soul of Sindh’ through an exhibition at the Sadequain Gallery.

The pictorial exhibition titled ‘The soul of Sindh’ was organised by the Sindh tourism department at Frere Hall, Karachi, in collaboration with Photospace gallery and the Turkish consulate. It portrayed various cultural colours, ancient places and archaeological sites of Sindh. The photographic work of the Turkish Consul General in Karachi, Fethi Etem, and a renowned Turkish photojournalist, Mehmet Okutan, was showcased along with Pakistani photographers Tapu Javeri and Arif Mahmood.

Photographs by Arif Mahmood (L) and Mehmet Otukan (R)

Sindh Tourism Minister Shazia Marri said that the photo exhibition highlights the true colours and the hidden treasures of this land, adding that the history and culture of this area would be promoted through this event.This exhibition will attract the world towards the rich culture and archaeological sites of Sindh, boosting tourism, Marri hoped. “Sindh is a beautiful place with a very deep culture and the experience of interacting with the people of Sindh was incredible,” claimed Etem, “They are people with great emotions and deep feelings and those emotions are captured in our photographs.”

Photographer Arif Mahmood said that he really enjoyed taking pictures with the Turkish photographers as he discovered the true beauty of Sindh. When you look deeper into the Sindh culture you see a heavy Sufi base with shrines and saints, he said, adding that it is a province of many different colours and flavours. Photographer Tapu Javeri believed that photographers speak the same language that is universal and beyond boundaries. He said that communicating with the Turkish photographers on that level was truly a fascinating experience.

Javeri added that his and Mahmood’s pictures were different from Etem and Okutan because what they found fascinating as visitors that he and Mahmood found mundane and that really shows in the pictures. The four photographers worked together for a month on this project and visited several districts of Sindh, depicting the unique perspectives of the province. This is the first such effort to depict the true picture of Sindh from all angles, commented Marri. “This is the day of tourism. This is the day of Sindh. It is the real face of Sindh, the real soul of Sindh,” she said.

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas With Colourful Traditions and Amazing Beliefs - - A Place Where Fairies Dance and Sing

Kalash Valley is a historical site, populated tribe, which is considered to be direct descendants of the Greek armies of Alexander the Great. Kalash Valley lies in the south district of Chitral, about 20 km from the city of Chitral in Pakistan. The area consists of 3 valleys; Birir, Bumburet and Rambur. 



The largest community of Kafir Kalash tribe, literally Bearers of black clothes, lives in the valley Bamburet. Small village built on the slopes Kalash Valley, near rivers. Houses are built of roughly shaped trunks. Kalash Valley is alive and popular area during religious holidays. Each ceremony is accompanied with traditional dance festivals and music.

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

Obscured by high mountains and treacherous muddy tracks, there live a people up in the north of Pakistan, who do not even know who they are or from where they came to live a life of isolation - yet maintain and protect their beliefs, their ideology and way of living. Their ancestry is enveloped in mystery and has always remained a subject of controversy. A legend says that five soldiers of the legions of Alexander of Macedonia settled in Chitral and are the progenitors of the Kafir-Kalash. 

One can still find similarities between the sports and games (specially the wrestling and shot-put style with those practiced in the ancient Olympics. Their features are not local and are thought to resemble those of the South-European characteristics. Some even find their influence of Greek music in Kalash music. Alexander the Great when encountered Kalash, he is said to have remarked that he encountered strange wooden boxes, which his troops chopped up to be used as firewood. These "boxes" were actually coffins for their dead following the custom which the Kalash Kafirs of Chitral still have of leaving their dead outside in wooden coffins. He also described them as a light skinned race of European type people, which is exactly what they are. 

Kalash ruled over the areas now part of the Chitral Valley and neighbouring Afghanistan for three centuries (1200-1400AD). Remnants and ruins of Kalash forts can still be seen Uchusht and Asheret . The famous bridge over Chitral River known as Chee Bridge was also built by a Kalash ruler. The names of Bala Sing, Razhawai and Nagar Shao are still alive in the folklore of Chitral. They were the most prominent among the eight Kalash Kings.

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

The Kalash are a friendly and cheerful people, who love music and dancing, particularly on their religious festivals like Joshi Chilamjusht (14th & 15th May in spring), Phool (20th-25th September) and Chowas (18th to 21st December). In the spring festival Joshi, autumn festival Uchao, weddings, funerals, feasts and on many other occasions the whole society of the Kalash gather and participate in a grand performance called cha, drajahilak and dushak. These are set performances all consisting of song (ghu), dance (nat) and the drums but the details differ respectively. 5 to 10 elders make a circle and one of them will sing alone, followed by a chorus. Besides them there will be one set of drummers, one playing a barrel shaped drum called dahu and the other a glass-hour shaped drum, wach. Around the elders and the drummers, 20 to 200 dancers dance while singing.

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

The Kalash women wear five large braids and ‘Cheo’ (a black woollen home spun dress), red-beaded necklaces by the dozens and and exceptional head piece (shaped differently in each valley) covered in cowries’ shells, beads and trinkets that flow down their back. Fro their black robes, the Kalash are sometimes referred to as the “Wearers of the Black Robes”. Kalash means ‘Black’ in their language.

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

Kalash women adorned with make-up and their necks laden with bright orange and yellow necklaces, wear brightly coloured embroidered robes, which go very well with their rather fair colour and generally blue eyes. The women in Kalash are expected to treasure traditional knowledge. Yet when it comes to sitting around for a lunch or dinner, like many other agrarian communities, they are suppose to take a back seat, eat less and offer the better dietary constituents, like butter, milk and meat, to their brothers, husbands and sons. There are special laws for women. In the special days, women are sent to make shift made shelters, called "Bashali", till they are clean. There are also segregation rooms for expecting mothers. The Kalash believe that women in later stages of pregnancy are impure therefore they avoid getting into contact with them. For this purpose, these special rooms are built where such women live up to four months. All food and other necessities are provided to them during their stay, but care is taken in not touching the impure women.

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

Kalash Valley: Jewel of The Northern Areas

The Kalash tribes have their own distinctive religious and social traditions. The Kalash believe in God they call “Deziao”. However their religious practices are a mixture of animism and ancestor worship. Their god is represented in wooden effigy, while animal effigies represent their belief in animism. There is also a concept of male and female sacred spirits called “Dewalok” who are responsible for different activities and are believed to communicate prayers to Deziao. There is also a concept of pure-impure dualism in Kalash religion. The pure is called ‘Onjesta’- the pure – while women are considered Pragata- the impure. They leave their dead open in the coffins, even when the bodies have become mere skeletons. 

They usually leave all of the belongings of that person next to their coffins. At nightfall, animals and other beasts of prey come down the mountains and eat up what remains of that dead while the belongings are carried away by other inhabitants in the area. The Kafirs end up believing that the deceased has gone along with his belongings. The Kalash graveyards are smelly for the obvious reason and the faint-hearted should not go as they should expect to see unsuitable scenes.

5th All Pakistan Painting, Sketching and Photography Competition - - Organized by EHS of University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore

LAHORE: The University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore Environmental and Horticultural Society (EHS) organised its 5th All Pakistan Painting, Sketching and Photography Competition where students from various institutions participated in the environment-based event.

The event was solely organised by EHS Coordinator Jalal Awan. The exhibition received a massive response and enthusiastic participation from students from medical colleges to arts colleges such as the National College of Arts (NCA) and Indus Valley School, and institutions from as far as Sindh and Balochistan alo participated.

History: In year, 2000, the society started its innovative project of Painting Sketching and Photography Exhibition, which involved current environment-related themes. The exhibition attracted humungous interest from student quarters and the participation was massive. In 2005, the event evolved into a massive display of exquisite art with participation from all over the country. Thus began the journey of this delightful event called the All Pakistan Painting, Sketching and Photography Competition. With every passing year, the quality of work on display and the amount of effort and dedication put into organisation has increased exponentially. Moreover, the EHS also organises inter-varsity documentary competitions, environment-related quiz competitions, flower exhibitions, plantation drives and a lot other environment friendly activities. One of the most eye-catching works on display was designed by the EHS team itself. Their work displayed in the central enclosure was based on the ‘elements of nature’ depicted by elegantly designed life-size models. The concept was to showcase the environmental aspects of the four elements of nature by depicting air pollution, industrial waste, volcanic eruptions, aquatic pollution, deforestation and alternate sources of energy. The event was classified into three categories namely painting, sketching and photography, with themes ranging from Aquatic alarm, Green revolution, Industrialization blues, Cosmic catastrophe to extra-terrestrial ones like Alien invasion, SciFi to Terrorism, War and peace, Poverty.

All-out support: UET Vice Chancellor General (r) M Akram expressed his pleasure and appreciation for the event and expressed his all out support for the student society in its efforts to protect the environment and raise awareness about environmental hazards. A panel of judges from the NCA adjudged the artwork and were truly amused by the creativity and artistic expertise of university and college students. ‘Hope’ by UET’s Ramsha won the first prize for sketching, Zain from the University of Gujrat bagged the first position in photography and Zeeshan from the Hamza Foundation for Deaf claimed the first position in painting. The winners received prizes, shields, distinction certificates and gift hampers.

A Visit to Our Native Place: Full of Fun and Entertainment

A Visit to Our Native Place (Munianwala):

As the summer is already here and heat is increasing day by day. I was just remembering my a funny day; I had during last summer. As I'm living in Faisalabad with my family; but our native place is just 30-32 Km away from Faisalabad. We often used to go there for a day or two to have some fun and entertainment. The natural and clean weather plus greenery and fresh food like vegetables, fruits, milk and butter are the main reasons which often attract us to go there and have some peace of mind away from noise and pollution of the big city, like Faisalabad.

Here I'm gonna share few photographs of one of our tour to give you the idea about what I have said above.

My neice is enjoying on the green field. For the reminder of my readers; I have posted a very funny car driving clip of this baby few days back, If someone interested, he can find it the same post under the tag of "Funny". It's entertaining, believe me, if you haven't seen you have missed something funny.

Green fields, Blue sky and fresh air ................ wow the ingredients of our native place.

Wondering....Why I'm closing my eyes?? I'm trying to absorb the beauty of surrounding inside my heart.

The tour to our native place (Munianwala) always been like a tonic for us to face the hardships and problems of the life. Family of my father's elder brother (in our langusage it is called "Taya G") is still living there and earn their livings from culivation of lands. One more thing is worth mentioning that when we go there we are not the guests of our relaives (cousins and family) only; but everybody from the village will try to entertain us as much as he can. They still believe that 'Guests are the blessing from Almighty Allah'. These people still ahve time for each other to share and solve the mutual issues and problems; not like cities where everybody is entangled with his own problems.

I will keep on share more and more memories of such tours if my readers and fans will like my post. Right now, I'm going to share one more funny clip. In the clip me (behind the camera), my younger brother (zahid), our cousin (Yousuf) and some of his friends are trying to beat the heat in the cold water of canal. This canal is called 'Rakh Branch Canal'. After watching this video clip you can imagine that how great fun and entertainment it was!