Shamim Ara

Shamim Ara (شمیم آرا, 22 March 1938 – 5 August 2016)^[2] was a Pakistani film actress, director, and producer.^[3] She was known as The Tragic Beauty because of the tragic heroine roles she often portrayed in films.^[1] She was one of the most popular actresses of her time and was one of the most successful actresses of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.^[1] She is regarded as one of the most influential actresses of all time in Pakistani cinema.^[3][4]

Ara was born as Putli Bai in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, British India in 1938.^[4] Her mother was a professional dancer who encouraged her to pursue acting and dancing.^[5] Her maternal grandmother was her guardian, taking key decisions regarding her early life and career.^[5] The family relocated to Karachi in 1956, following the partition of India.^[4][6]

In 1956, Putli Bai's family was visiting some relatives in Lahore, Pakistan, when, after a chance meeting with the well-known film director, Najam Naqvi, she was signed for his next movie.^[4][6] He was searching for a new face for his film Kanwari Bewah (1956) and was impressed by her cute face, sweet voice, approachable personality, and innocent yet inviting smile. It was Najam Naqvi who introduced her under the stage name Shamim Ara, because her previous name was similar to the infamous dacoit Putli Bai. Though the film did not attract many viewers, a noticeable new female star had appeared on the horizon of the Pakistan film industry.^[4][6]

She had her first prominent role in 1958 in Anwar Kamal Pasha's Anarkali as a Surayya alongside Noor Jehan, who played the titular Anarkali.^[7][6] For the next two years, Ara went on to star in a few films, but none of them were a major success at the box office, including Waah Re Zamanay, Raaz, and Alam Ara. However, in 1960, a substantial role in S. M. Yusuf's Saheli as an amnesiac bride proved to be a breakthrough for her career.^[4][8][9] Ara then appeared in 1962 in Qaidi as a woman yearning for the return of her beloved. The film featured Faiz Ahmed Faiz's ghazal, Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat Mere Mehboob Na Maang, which was picturized on her, with the Noor Jehan lending her voice to the song, marking the first instance where Jehan gave her voice to Ara's character.^[6] She had become a household name. Her fame and impeccable acting skills landed her the title character in Naila (1965), the first color film produced in then-West Pakistan. Her portrayal of the tragic Naila won her further critical acclaim. She went on to star in many hit films, including Devdas, Doraha, and Hamraz. However, Qaidi (1962), Chingari (1964), Farangi (1964), Naila (1965), Aag Ka Darya (1966), Lakhon Mein Aik (1967), Saiqa (1968), and Salgira (1968) were landmarks in her career, securing her a position as the top actress of the 1960s in Lollywood.^[6]

Her acting career came to a halt when she retired as a leading lady in the early 1970s.^[4] But that did not stop her from being a part of the Pakistani film industry, as she pioneered to produce and direct films on her own. However, none of those films reached the level of success Shamim Ara had at the height of her acting career.

Jaidaad (1959) and Tees Maar Khan (1989) were the only two Punjabi movies in which she performed.^[10]

In 1968, she produced her first film Saiqa (1968 film) which was based on the novel by Razia Butt. The film attracted a large number of viewers especially females.^[6][8]

In 1976, she made her directorial debut with Jeo Aur Jeenay Do.^[11] Later, she also directed the Diamond Jubilee film Munda Bigra Jaye (1995). Other films she directed include Playboy (1978), Miss Hong Kong (1979), Miss Singapore (1985), Miss Colombo (1984), Lady Smuggler (1987), Lady Commando (1989), Haathi Mere Saathi (1993), Aakhri Mujra (1994), Baita (1994), Munda Bigra Jaye (1995), Hum To Chaley Susral (1996), Miss Istanbul (1996), Love 95 (1996), Hum Kisi Say Kum Nahin (1997), and Pal Do Pal (1999).^[6][8] For Haathi Mere Saathi and Aakhri Mujra, she won two consecutive Nigar Awards as a Best Director.^[11]

Ara was married four times. Her first husband was Sardar Rind, a landlord of Balochistan, who died in a car accident. She then married Abdul Majid Carim, the scion of the family that runs Agfa Color Film Company. They had a son, Salman Majid Carim, who was to be her only child, but the marriage ended in divorce. Her third marriage was to W.Z. Ahmed's son director Fareed Ahmed. That marriage, too, ended in divorce after only three days.^[4] Ara later married director and writer Dabeer-ul-Hassan.^[12] They lived in Lahore until 2005, when she and Salman Majeed Carim, her son by a previous marriage, moved to London, while her husband remained in Pakistan.^[3]

Ara's health declined after she suffered her first stroke in 2001.^[5] During a visit to Pakistan, she suffered a brain hemorrhage on 19 October 2010^[8] and was taken back to London for treatment. She remained in and out of hospital for six years in coma, and was cared for by her only son, Salman Majid Carim. Ara died on 5 August 2016 in a hospital in London after a very long illness.^[3][6][8]

Her only son led the funeral arrangements, and she was buried in the UK.^[8]

She received tributes from several celebrities, including Resham,^[3] Humaima Malick,^[2] Nadeem, Ghulam Mohiuddin and Mustafa Qureshi, following her illness and passing.^[14] Actor Jawed Sheikh stated that she was "the kind of actress she was is hard to find", and considered her as "the finest of them all [actresses]" along with Nayyar Sultana.^[15]

Pakistan National Council of Arts held an event in September 2016 to pay tribute to Ara.^[16]

As a director, Ara didn't dwell on the real issues in her directorial projects and rely on formulaic filmmaking.^[17] According to screenwriter Vasay Chaudhry, Miss franchise was perhaps her most important contribution to Pakistani cinema, and he further noted that she knew exactly what the box office craved for and over the years, she mastered the commercial film formulae.^[18]

She was one of the few Pakistani actresses who transitioned into directing,^[19] and was the first one to took-on full time direction.^[15] Ara was referenced in 1973 film Khwab Aur Zindagi in a song as "Khud ko samajh rahi hai shayad Shamim Ara" ("She's probably trying to understand herself, Shamim Ara").^[12] In 1971, Ara was part of a Pakistani delegation to Sri Lanka, along with Waheed Murad and Noor Jehan, for a film festival.^[20]

• List of Lollywood actors

• Shamim Ara at IMDb