Pakistan film history from 1896-1947
Pakistan shared its film history with India from 1896 to 1947. Lahore produced many films and a big number of Pakistani artists debuted in this period. » Pakistani artists before 1947
Film history since 1895
The Lumier Brothers of France exhibited their short films in December 1895 at Grande Cafe, Paris. The following year, they brought the show to India and held its premiere at the Watson Hotel in Bombay on 7 July 1896. It was a package of 6 films viz, Entry of cinematograph, Arrival of the train, The sea bath, A demolition, Leaving the factory and Ladies and Soldiers on wheels. From 18 July 1896, films were released at the Novelty Theatre on a regular basis. Entrance tickets ranged from four annas to one rupee.
First film from Lahore
The first silent film from Lahore was The Daughter of Today released in 1924 and the inaugural Punjabi or talkie film from Lahore was Heer Ranjha in 1932. » Film Milestones from 1913-47
Eid Day's:
(0 films)
0 film on Eid-ul-Fittar (1366 hijri), Monday August 18, 1947 0 Urdu: - 0 Punjabi: -
0 film on Eid-ul-Azha (1366 hijri), Saturday October 25, 1947 0 Urdu: - 0 Punjabi: -
Pundalik Films Raja Harishchandra
(Produced in Bombay)
Realesed on: Saturday, May 3, 1913
Raja Harishchandra was released for public viewing in Coronation theatres, Bombay.The first Indian motion picture, D G Phalkes mythological boasted of an all-male starcast. Even the female lead was played by a man since no woman was willing to be part of the cast.
Actors
D.D. Dabke (hero as Raja Harishchandra), Salunke (Taramati - an male actor who played as heroine), Bhalachandra D. Phalke, G.V. Sane, Dattatreya Kshirsagar, Dattatreya Telang, Ganpat G. Shinde, Vishnu Hari, Aundhkar, Nath T. Telang
Director, cameraman, make-up man, editor, art director and cine-laboratorian
Dadasaheb Phalke
(Dhundiraj Govind Phalke)
Born: 1870
Died: 1944
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke became the founder of the Indian Film Industry.
Story:
Ranchhodbai Udayram
The first ever silent feature film from Lahore
Premier Film Company The Daughter of Today
Realesed in: 1924
The firste ever silent film from Punjab...
Actors
A.K.Kardar, Wilayat Begum, M. Ismael, Vijay Kumar, Heera Lal and Master Ghulam Qadir, G.K. Mehta and M. Ismael started his film career from the first ever Lahore made silent film and he was an automatic choice in the first talkie film from Lahore too...
Producer
G.K. Mehta
Director
Shankradev Arya
Assistent director
Mian Abdur Rasheed Kardar was the man who started film making in Lahore. He was hero in first silent film and director of first talkie film...
Story
G.K. Mehta
Inaugural Urdu/Hindi IndoPak feature film
Imperial Film Company Presents Alam Ara
Urdu/Hindi (124 minutes; black & white)
Realesed on: Saturday, March 14, 1931 (Capital cinema Lahore)
India's first talkie film was released at Bombay's Majestic cinema hall. It had seven songs and was 10,500 ft. long and ran for seven weeks. It was a costume drama and romantic film. The Story:
A period fantasy that told of the ageing king of Kamarpur, and his two rival queens, Navbahar and Dilbahar, and their rivalry when a fakir predicts that Navbahar will bear the king's heir. Dilbahar unsuccessfully tries to seduce the army chief Adil (Vithal) and vengefully destroys his family, leaving his daughter Alam Ara (Zubaida) to be raised by nomads. Eventually, Alam Ara's nomad friends invade the palace, expose Dilbahar's schemes, release Adil from the dungeon and she marries the prince of the realm.
Actors
Zubaida (Alam Ara), Master Vitthal (Adil), J. Sushila (as Sushila), Jillo Bai, Prithviraj Kapoor,
Elizer, Wazir Mohammed Khan, Jagdish Sethi and L.V. Prasad
The firste ever Lahore made film.
Anwari Begum and Rafiq Ghaznavi - the grand parent of Salma Agha - played title roles in this memorable film. Rafiq Ghaznavi was a famous musician in the 30s and 40s and Anwari Begum appeared in many films, one of them was Anmol Ghari.
Actors
Anwari Begum, Rafiq Ghazniv, Gul Hameed, Lala Yaqoob, M. Ismael, Fazal Shah, Walait Begum
Producer
Hakeem Ram Parshad (The owner of Capital Cinema Lahore)
Director
A. K. Kardar
Music
Rafiq Ghaznavi
Story and screenplay
?
Singers
?
Film songs:
?
?
Pancholi Art Pictures Khazanchi
Realesed in: 1941
Revolutionary music director Master Ghulam Haidar changed the whole style of film music from classical Bangali to folk Punjabi music in this mega hit film from Lahore.
Actors
Ramola, Naring, M. Ismael, Manorma, Ajmal, Janki Das, Durga Khote
Producer & Director
Moti B. Gudwani
Music
Master Ghulam Haidar introduced Baby Noor Jehan as playback singer in this film first time. He also introduced Indian diva Lata Mangeshkar in film Majboor in 1948.
Mehoboob Production Ltd. (Bombay) Anmol Gharri
Urdu/Hindi
Realesed in: 1946
One of the most memorable and melodious film by Noushad Ali from the 40s with to legendry singer/actresses Noor Jehan and Surayya in main roles. Surindra and Zahoor Raja were other main characters in directors Mehboob's big film.
Actors
Noor Jehan, Surender, Surayya, Zahoor Raja, Leela Mishra, Anwari Begum, Bhudo Anvari, Murad
Producer & Director
Mehboob Khan (1907-64)
One of the greatest film director in the history was illiterate..!
Music
Naushad Ali is regarded as one of the greatest Music Directors of Indian Cinema.
Assistent: Ghulam Ahamd (Pakeeza fame)
Lyrics
Tanvir Naqvi was a relative of Madam Noor Jehan and a very successful lyricist....
& Anjum Batalvi
Singers
Noor Jehan was the most impressive film personality in the IndoPak film history. She was dominating since her debut as a child star 1935....
Surayya was another famous singer/actress from the 40s and 50s. Born in Lahore, she debuted as a child star with Taj Mahal (1941)...
Shamshad Begum was the first generation of top Punjabi film singers (followd by Zubaida Khanum (ind the 50s) and Madam Noor Jehan (from 60s-90s), respectively). I cann't forget Shamsad's megahit Punjabi songs as:
- Batti baal ke Banerey utte rakhni aan
- Meri lagdi kise na wekhi, te tutdi nu jugg janda
- Ni tutt jaye Rail Gadiye, too rok leya Chann mera
- O wela yaad kar...
- Jutt Kurdian toon darda mara
also Zohra Bai Anbalewali, Mohammad Rafi and Surindra
This film was the last big film by Madam Noor Jehan and her husband director Shaukat Hussain Rizvi before partition. It was a big musical and romantic film. Madam Noor Jehan was on peak of her film career as singer and film heroine. Dillip Kumar and Mohammad Rafi got breakthrough from this film.
Actors
Dilip Kumar - the acting legend - got breakthrough from this mega hit film. He was born in Peshawar... Noor Jehan, Shashikala, Sulochana, Agha, Latika, Zia, Jillo, Mohammad Rafi and Ghulam Mohammed
Producer & Director
Syed Shoukat Hussain Rizvi was a successful film director in India with Khandan, Zeenat and Jugnu but he was a flop film director in Pakistan...
Music
Feroz Nizami completed hat trick of three great musical film, first Jugnu in 1947, then Chann We in 1951 and Dopatta 1952 - all with Noor Jehan...
& G. A. Chishti was a legendry musician in Punjabi films. He dominated Pakistani film music until the beginning of the 70s...
Madam Noor Jehan, Shamshad Begum, Mohammad Rafi was a legend and he left behind a rich legacy of songs in Urdu/Hindi, Punjabi and many other languages. Started his singing career from Lahore... Roshan Ara Begum was acclaimed the best exponent of Kirana gharana style of khayal singing in the subcontinent...
Film songs:
Woh apni yaad dilane ko ik ishq ki Duniya chhor geye...
Ardeshir Irani's Kisan Kanya (1937) was the first color film followed by Mother India (1938). Sohrab Modi's Jhansi Ki Rani (1953) was the first Technicolor film shot in India.
First Silver Jubilee film:
Madan Theatre's Kapal Kundala (1929) - a silent film - ran for 25 weeks in Calcutta. The first Urdu/Hindi Silver Jubilee film was Prabhat's Manthan in 1934.
First Diamond Jubilee film:
Gyan Mukherjee's Kismet was first Diamond Jubileefilm. It ran continuously for 196 weeks at Chitra, Calcutta in 1943. Ashok Kumar and Mumtaz Shanti were main actors.
The tally of released Films
from 1913-47
and a total list of Silent, Urdu/Hindi, Punjabi, Pashto
and Lahore made films from 1924-47
Silent Films Era 1913-34 1913: 2 silent films 1914: 1 film 1915: 2 films 1916: 0 film 1917: 5 films 1918: 7 films 1919: 8 films 1920: 18 films 1921: 39 films 1922: 58 films 1923: 43 films
Dadasaheb Phalke
M. Ismael
Mian Abdur Rasheed Kardar was the man who started film making in Lahore. He was hero in first silent film and director of first talkie film... 
It was a costume drama and romantic film.
and his two rival queens, Navbahar and Dilbahar, and their rivalry when a fakir predicts that Navbahar will bear the king's heir. Dilbahar unsuccessfully tries to seduce the army chief Adil (Vithal) and vengefully destroys his family, leaving his daughter Alam Ara (Zubaida) to be raised by nomads. Eventually, Alam Ara's nomad friends invade the palace, expose Dilbahar's schemes, release Adil from the dungeon and she marries the prince of the realm. 
Master Ghulam Haidar
One of the most memorable and melodious film by Noushad Ali from the 40s with to legendry singer/actresses Noor Jehan and Surayya in main roles. Surindra and Zahoor Raja were other main characters in directors Mehboob's big film. 
Mehboob Khan
Naushad Ali
Tanvir Naqvi was a relative of Madam Noor Jehan and a very successful lyricist....
Noor Jehan
Surayya
Shamshad Begum
Dilip Kumar
Syed Shoukat Hussain Rizvi was a successful film director in India with Khandan, 
Feroz Nizami
G. A. Chishti
Mohammad Rafi
Roshan Ara Begum
film. It ran continuously for 196 weeks at Chitra, Calcutta in 1943. Ashok Kumar and Mumtaz Shanti were main actors.