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A legendry music director
 Khawaja Khursheed Anwar was a legendry music director in
the film history of the sub-continent. Throughout his 43 year's long film career,
he composed music in only 31 films but the emphasis was on quality and not
on quantity.
He was born on March 21, 1912 in Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan. He
belonged to a very respectable and enlightened family. His father Khawaja
Feroz Din was an advocate in Lahore. He completed his Masters in Philosophy,
passed the Civil Service examination but chose the music field and took proper
music lessons from Ustad Tawakkul Husain Khan.
Pre-partition film career
In the beginning of the 1940's,
he joined All India Radio Lahore Station, where he worked with other famous
names like musicians Feroz Nizami, G.A.
Chishti and writer Krishen Chandar.
His talent was immediately recognized. All India Radio authorities transferred
him to Delhi as in charge of the classical music section, where
Khawaja sahib produced many memorable classical and light classical music
programmers. Famous film producer and director A.R. Kardar offered
him the music direction of his Punjabi film Kurmai (1941).
The first song Mahi
we Mahi... he
recorded was in the voice of Raj Kumari and the second song Dil
enj enj karda a... he chose G.M Durrani as the singer.
Music of this film was well received by the cine goers and soon Khawaja sahib
was assigned to score music for his second film Ishara (1943)
and recorded three numbers in Gohar Sultana's voice. One of the
songs Shabnam kyun neer bahaye... gained
immense popularity.
Following partition of the subcontinent, Khawaja sahib chose
to remain in Bombay until 1952. Some of his notable films during the period
were Pagdandi (1947), Parwana (1947) and Singhar (He was chosen for the award
of best music director of the year in this film). After completing the musical
score of Nishana in 1950, Khursheed Anwar returned to Lahore. But in 1952 he
went back to Bombay on a short term visa to compose music for Neelam Pari,
his last film in India.
In India, Khursheed Anwar composed music for 10 films, in two of which Parakh and Yateem,
he shared the honors with Saraswati
Devi and Dutta Korgaonker, respectively.
Film career in Pakistan
The second and more significant phase of Khawaja sahib's film career
began in Pakistan, where he scored music for 19 films (16 Urdu and 3 Punjabi
films). He started with a classic film Intezar in
1956 and in this film Khawaja sahib and the singing diva Melody
Queen Madam Noor Jehan worked together for the first time. They presented
to the music lovers a feast of many memorable songs which are still fresh in
the memory.
were other all time greatest musical films by this pair.
Other famous musical films are
But these movies were some low stands musical
films according to the very high standard of Khawaja sahib.
- Mirza Sahiban (1956)
- Hamraz (1967)
- Guddo (1970)
- Shirin Farhad (1975)
- Haidar Ali (1978) and
- Mirza Jatt (1982)
Khawaja sahib also composed a single song in film Insaan in 1977, sung by Mehnaz, wrote by Qatil Shafai: "Na koi iqrar hua.."
There were a total 9 music directors in this film, other were:
- Master Inayat Hussain
- Master Abdullah
- Safdar Hussain
- Musle-ud-din
- A. Hameed
- Nashad
- Nazir Ali
- Kemal Ahmad
Khawaja sahib also composed music in these un-released movies:
- Zan, Zar tay Zamin in 1970
- Zebo in 1972.
- Tan Sain
 The emphasis in Khursheed Anwar's compositions was always on melody and purity
of raags. His orchestration was not just to embellish a song but to heighten
the impact of his tunes and to highlight the emotions expressed in the lyrics.
In some of his wistful numbers, his sailing flutes in the foreground and violins
in the background convey to the listener the true feeling of a broken heart.
Khawaja sahib's knowledge of classical music knew no bounds. Besides popularizing
this genre of music through his film compositions, his most significant contribution
in this respect was his compilation of traditional compositions (bandish) of
the great classical vocalists of the sub-continent. Titled Aahange-e-Khusravi the
treasure, with an explanatory commentary by Khawaja sahib himself, was released
by HMV (EMI) Pakistan, in the form of a set of LPs.
Khawaja Khurshid Anwar was highly educated. He also wrote, produced, directed and wrtoe songs in some movies. Here are details:
As Director (3 movies):
- Ghunghat (Urdu - Nov. 3, 1962)
- Chingari (Urdu - Oct. 23, 1964)
- Hamraz (Urdu - Oct. 20, 1967)
As Producer (7 movies):
- Intezar (Urdu - May 12, 1956)
- Zeh-e-Ishq (Urdu - April 21, 1957)
- Jhoomar (Urdu - Nov. 6, 1959)
- Koel (Urdu - Dec. 24, 1959)
- Ghunghat (Urdu - Nov. 3, 1962)
- Chingari (Urdu - Oct. 23, 1964)
- Hamraz (Urdu - Oct. 20, 1967)
As Wrtier (screenplay, dialogues & story) 6 movies):
- Intezar (screenplay - Urdu - May 12, 1956)
- Zehr-e-ishq (Screenplay & Story - Urdu - April 21, 1957)
- Jhoomar (Screenplay & Story - Urdu - Nov. 6, 1959)
- Ghunghat (Screenplay & Story - Urdu - Nov. 3, 1962)
- Chingari (Screenplay & Story - Urdu - Oct. 23, 1964)
- Hamraz (Screenplay, Dialogues & Story - Urdu - Oct. 20, 1968)
As Lyricist (1 movie?)
- Ghunghat (Urdu - October 23, 1962)
Khawaja Khursheed Anwar was a close friend to the legendry poet Faiz
Ahmad Faiz and he had the honors to work with almost every big
name in the singing world in the subcontinent and they were A.K. Saigal,
Surayya, Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammad Rafi, Madam Noor Jehan, Zubadia Khanum,
Naseem Begum, Mala, Saleem Raza, Mehdi Hassan, Masood Rana, Ahmad Rushdi
and Mehnaz.
Khawaja Khursheed Anwar passed away on October 30, 1984 at
Lahore. He was 72 year old.
Some useful links
» Watch the coplete movie of Heer Ranjha (1970)
» Listen to pre-partition MP3 film songs(1970) |
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Filmography
Total 31 films (1941-82)
11 Urdu/Hindi,
16 Urdu &
4 Punjabi films
in India (1941-52)
Total 12 films
1 Punjabi, 11 Urdu/Hindi
1941
»Kurmai (P)
1943
» Ishara
1944
» Parkh
1945
» Yateem
1946
» Noor-e-Arab
» Silver Queen
1947
» Aaj aur kal
» Pagdandi
» Parwana
1949
» Singhar
1950
» Nishana
1952
» Neelam Pari
in Pakistan (1956-82)
Total
19 films
14 Urdu, 3 Punjabi films
1956
» Intezar
» Mirza Sahiban
1958
» Zehr-e-ishq
1959
» Koel
» Jhommar
1960
» Ayaz
1962
» Ghunghat
1964
» Haveli
» Chingari
1966
» Sarhad
1967
» Hamraz
1970
» Guddo (P)
» Heer
Ranjha (P)
1971
» Parai Aag
» Salam-e-mohabbat
1975
» Shirin Farhad
1978
» Haidar Ali
1982
» Mirza Jatt
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