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Musarrat Nazir

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Musarrat Nazir
Born
Musarrat Nazir Khawaja

(1940-10-13) 13 October 1940 (age 85)
Lahore, Punjab, British India
Other namesThe Silver Screen's Sparkling Star[1]
Chandni[1]
EducationKinnaird College
Occupations
  • Singer
  • film director
  • film actress
Years active1951 – 1993
Known for
Spouse
Arshad Majeed
​
(m. 1963)​
Children3, including Omar Majeed
RelativesAhmad Bashir (cousin)
Bushra Ansari (niece)[2]
Sumbul Shahid (niece)
Asma Abbas (niece)
Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gillani (brother-in-law)
Ameer Gilani (grand-nephew)
Zara Noor Abbas (grand-niece)
AwardsPride of Performance Award by the President of Pakistan in 1989

Musarrat Nazir Khawaja (Urdu: مسرت نذیر; born 13 October 1940) is a Pakistani singer and film actress, who acted in many Urdu and Punjabi films.[3] She is also known as The Silver Screen's Sparkling Star and is recognized for her role in Pakistani cinema during the 1950s and 1960s.[1] Many years later, she also sang solo, mostly wedding and folk songs.[4]

Nazir made her debut with Anwar Kamal Pasha's Qaatil (1955) in a supporting role. Her portrayals in the commercially successful Punjabi romance-dramas Pattan (1955), Mahi Munda (1956), Yakke Wali (1957), and the partition-themed Kartar Singh (1959) cemented her career as a leading actress. For her performances in Zehr-e-Ishq (1958), Jhoomer (1959), and Shaheed (1962), she won three Nigar Awards for Best Actress. Nazir then took retirement from acting and shifted to Canada with her husband, returning to Pakistan in the 1970s. During that period, she pursued a career in singing, focusing on folk wedding songs and ghazals, among other genres.

Early life

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Nazir was born on October 13, 1940.[5] Hailing from a middle-class Kashmiri Punjabi family in Lahore, her father, Khwaja Nazir Ahmed, worked as a registered contractor in the Lahore Municipal Corporation.[6][4] Early in her life, her parents wanted her to be a doctor, and provided her with the best possible education they could afford. Nazir passed the matriculation examination with distinction and passed the intermediate examination from Kinnaird College in Lahore.[6][4]

Career

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She had keen interest in music and began singing for Radio Pakistan in the early 1950s. However, insufficient money from the radio took her to the film director Anwar Kamal Pasha in 1955. She explained to Pasha her strong desire to sing for his movies. Instead, Pasha suggested that she should become an actress. Musarrat needed her parents' approval. Pasha himself met Musarrat's father and convinced him to allow his daughter to work in the movie industry as a singer and actress.[7]

Pasha changed Musarrat's name to her professional name Chandani and signed her up for a side role in his movie.[1] Hence, Chandani made her debut with Sabiha Khanum and Nayyar Sultana in Pasha's film Qatil in 1955. Her role was secondary but effective.[6][7]

Sheikh Lateef of Capital Films, Lahore planned to make a Punjabi film, 'Pattan (1955)'. Lateef's friend, poet and script writer, Baba Aalam Siah Posh, advised him to cast Chandani (Musarrat Nazir) in the film. Lateef agreed. This was the debut of Musarrat Nazir, aka Chandani, in Punjabi films. Then she appeared in the hit Punjabi film, Pattan (1955), under her real name, Musarrat Nazir, and played the lead role opposite Santosh Kumar in Pattan. The producer was Sheikh Lateef and the film was directed by Luqman. The film Pattan opened the doors for Musarrat in the Punjabi film industry, which led her to the hit film Patay Khan (1955). She was the supporting actress. The film was produced by film actress Shammi and Musarrat Nazir acted in a supporting role along with Noor Jehan and Aslam Pervaiz. Her main competitor actresses, in those days, were Sabiha Khanum, Asha Posley, Bahar Begum, Nayyar Sultana, Jamila Razzaq, Yasmin, Neelo and Noor Jehan.[5]

Musarrat also gave performances in Pakistan cinema's greatest melodramas like the films Mahi Munda (1956) and Yakke Wali (1957).[7]

The film song Us bay wafa ka sheher hai in the mega-hit film Shaheed (1962), is considered to be one of the popular songs in 2022. Even after she retired from her film career in 1988, she had continued to sing for Pakistan Television until recently.[6][4]

Personal life

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Nazir married physician Arshad Majeed and relocated to Canada in 1965.[5] The couple has three children, including son Omar Majeed, a film director. Nazir chose to abandon her thriving film career to accompany her husband, prioritizing her personal life.[6]

In late 1970s, the couple planned to return to Pakistan and settle in Lahore. Majeed intended to set up a hospital in Lahore and they purchased a home for this purpose. However, after investing significant time and resources, the project was abandoned.[6]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role Network
1983 Tariq Aziz Show Herself PTV
1984 20 Golden Years Of PTV Herself PTV
1986 Mehmil Herself PTV[8]

Film

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Year Film Language
1955 Qatil Urdu[7]
Pattan Punjabi[9]
Paatay Khan[7]
1956 Mahi Munda[7]
Kismet Urdu
Peengaan Punjabi[9][7]
Mirza Sahiban Urdu[9]
Baghi[5]
Guddi Gudda Punjabi[7]
1957 Seestan Urdu
Yakke Wali Punjabi[9][7]
Palkaan
Thandi Sarak Urdu
Aankh Ka Nasha
Sethi Punjabi
Baap Ka Gunah Urdu
1958 Naya Zamana
Jaan-E-Bahar[9][7]
Zehr-e-Ishq[7][6]
Jatti Punjabi[7]
Rukhsana Urdu
1959 Society
Sahara
16 Aanay
Yaar Beli Punjabi
Kartar Singh[9][7]
Raaz Urdu[5][7]
Lukkan Meeti Punjabi
Jaidad
Jhoomer Urdu[6][7]
1960 Clerk
Street 77
Gul Badan
Noukari
Watan
Dil-e-Nadan
Daku Ki Larki
1961 Chotay Sarkaar
Sunehray Sapnay
Mangol
Muftbar Punjabi
Gulfam Urdu[9][7]
1962 Shaheed[9][7]
Ek Manzil 2 Rahen
1963 Ishq Par Zor Nahin[7]
1967 Bahadur[9]
1970 Shanakhat Parade Punjabi
1988 Da Bhabhi Bangri Pashto

Discography

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Musarrat Nazir made an appearance on Pakistani television's Tariq Aziz Show in 1983. Songs from that show became highly popular in Pakistan.[5]

Her popular songs are listed below:

  • Gulshan Ki Baharon Mein
  • Mera Laung Gawacha (1983), song lyrics by Khawaja Pervez was a runaway hit song[6][5]
  • Chalay To Kat Hi Jaaye Ga Safar Aahistah, Aahistah[5]
  • Apnay Haathoan Ki Lakiroan Mein
  • Lathe Di Chader Uttay Saleti Rung Mahiya, a traditional folk song of Punjab
  • Chitta Kukkar Banairey Tay
  • Mehndi Ni Mehndi
  • Jogi Uttar Paharon Aaya (1985)[5][6]
  • Mein Kamli Da Dhola[6]

Awards and recognition

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Year Award Category Result Title Ref.
1958 Nigar Awards Best Actress Won Zehr-e-Ishq [4]
1959 Won Jhoomer [4]
1962 Won Shaheed [4]
1989 Pride of Performance Award by the Government of Pakistan Won Contribution to Cinema Industry [4]
[edit]
  • Bushra Ansari parodied her singing style and songs several times.[2]
  • In 2021, Atif Aslam paid tribute to her recreating her song "Chale To Kat Hi Jayega Safar".[10]
  • * In 2022, Syra Yousuf recreates Nazir's look from her famous song "Mera Long Gawacha" for a brand campaign.[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Mussarat Nazir: The Silver Screen's Sparkling Star". Youlin Magazine. 1 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Bushra Ansari, Behroze Sabwari talk friendship, early careers and life of art in digital age". The Express Tribune. 6 July 2022. Archived from the original on 12 December 2024.
  3. ^ "مسرت نذیر". Dunya News. 5 March 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Amjad Parvez (31 August 2019). "Musarrat Nazir: the iconic heroine – Part II". Daily Times newspaper. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Zurain Imam (27 September 2009). "Profile of Musarrat Nazir". Cineplot.com website. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Khalid Hasan (18 March 2005). "Looking for Musarrat Nazir (her Profile)". The Friday Times. Academy of the Punjab in North America (APNA). Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Amjad Parvez (29 August 2019). "Musarrat Nazir: the iconic heroine - Part I". Daily Times newspaper. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Khawaja Najamul Hassan's Encounters with Iqbal Bano and Musarrat Nazir: Part VI". Youlin Magazine. 4 April 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Filmography of Musarrat Nazir". Complete Index To World Film (CITWF) website. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Atif Aslam's 'Chale Tu Kat He Jayega Safar' hits 14 million views". www.thenews.com.pk. 22 March 2021.
  11. ^ "Syra Yousuf recreates look of singer Musarrat Nazir's 'Mera Long Gawacha' (VIDEO)". 24 News HD. 4 October 2022. Archived from the original on 8 November 2025.
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