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LAHORE: In an effort to recreate and celebrate the golden moments of cinema in Pakistan, the Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) screened the 1960’s blockbuster Armaan starring Waheed Murad and Zeba.

The screening under the title Lollywood Night ‘Old is Gold’ took place at Ali Auditorium on Ferozepur Road on Saturday night.

It was the first fundraising event by CAP and the ticket was Rs1,200. The proceeds from the event are meant to benefit CAP’s Oral History Project and Outreach Tours.

CAP is a non-profit organisation dedicated to cultural and historic preservation, operating in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. Its flagship project, the ‘Oral History Project’ aims to collect narratives of the first generation of Pakistan where it concentrates on people talking about significant events in their lives following the creation of Pakistan up till now, providing an alternative perspective to historical literature.

A number of people came to the screening of Armaan held to celebrate the magic of the golden years of the Lollywood industry. The audience gave a thunderous round of applause on different scenes of the film, especially on the song ‘Akele Na Jana’ picturised on Waheed Murad.

Armaan screening had audience in tears

The acting of Waheed Murad and Zeba in some emotional scenes proved a tear-jerker for many in the audience and at the same time spontaneous acting by Nirala also left many in laughter.

“We have worked tirelessly towards preserving the chronicles of Pakistan’s rich history and heritage. Now, we need your support so please come forward and help The Citizens Archive of Pakistan to preserve the legacy of our country,” said Muhammad Owais Rana, Director of the Oral History Project, while speaking on the occasion.

During his speech, he thanked Adil Murad, son of Waheed Murad, for providing CAP with an exclusive print of the movie which was not available in the market.

Raju Jamil, a TV actor, and witness to Armaan’s shootings at different locations in Murree and Karachi also shared his memories with the audience. Recollecting memories of the golden era of Pakistani cinema, he said Armaan’s shootings took place at different places including Cecil Hotel in Murree and the Eastern Film Studio of Karachi.

He said he was a crazy fan of Waheed Murad and used to copy his hairstyle and dressing. “ I saw shootings both in Murree and Karachi. The film proved a huge success,” he added.

‘Armaan’ was an instant hit at the time of its release and the Murad-Zeba duo took the Pakistani cinema scene by storm. ‘Coco Co Rina’ is still hailed as one of the most popular tunes ever produced by the Pakistani cinema. The film broke several records at the box office; it ran for over 75 weeks in the country, becoming the first ‘Platinum Jubilee’ movie in Lollywood, along with bagging several Nigar awards, including the ‘Best Film’ for 1966.

The music of the film had a huge contribution towards its lofty success at the box office, which was composed by Sohail Rana. The songs featured Ahmed Rushdi, Mala, Naseema Shaheen and Khurshid Nurali.

Published in Dawn, October 19th , 2015

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