Heer Ranjha star Ejaz Durrani passes away in Lahore

Actor Ejaz Durrani, the ex-husband of the late Madam Noor Jehan and father of three of her children, has passed away in Lahore. He was 85 years old.

He had been suffering from a longtime illness. His funeral prayers will be offered today (Monday) after Zuhr prayers in Lahore's Garden Town.

Durrani made a name for himself in the Pakistani film industry and was known for hits such as Heer Ranjha in which he played the titular Ranjha.

The actor was born in a village in Jalalpur Jattan in 1935. His first film was Hameeda in 1956 but it wasn't until 1957 that he finally got a lead role in Bara Adhmi, directed by Humayun Mirza.

After a very successful career as an actor, Durrani turned to the distribution side of the industry and also involved himself in filmmaking. He was one of the producers of the 1970 hit Heer Ranjha, as well as Shola and Dosti.

He was married to Madam Noor Jehan from 1959 to 1971 and the couple had three daughters together. They parted and he later married actor Firdous. That marriage also ended.

Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has expressed his condolences and grief at Durrani’s death. We cannot forget his contributions for the growth of the Pakistani film industry, he said.