Sabiha Khanum and Santosh Kumar

A remarkable nobility of looks and manners marked the screen presence of Santosh Kumar. When he met the screen queen of the 1950s, Sabiha, who was known for her vivacity and beauty, it was a rare combination that lit up the screen. They first worked together in the first film Santosh did in Pakistan, which was Masood Parvez’s Beli in 1950s. But, it was actually Anwar Kamal Pasha’s Do Aansoo, the same year that launched the pair in the cine-circuit of the country. Later, they did many hit films together, namely Ghulam, Qatil, Inteqam, Hamida, Sarfarosh, Ishq-e-Laila, Wadah, Saat Lakh, Hasrat, Moseeqar, Daman etc. But it is said that during the making of Hasrat in 1958, they got married. The Sabiha-Santosh pair was a symbol of the pure and earthy elements, enriching an atmosphere that was essentially classical. Their true brilliance is revealed in the ritually romantic excellence of films like Wadah, Qatil and Moseeqar, intermingling the ideal family saga with ecstatic lift of semi classical music. Although Santosh and Sabiha did well in costume films like Sarfarosh and Sardar, they seemed more at ease in purely romantic flicks set in the village-meets-city tales. The fine tuned performances that they gave consistently were even praised by the top notch directors across the border.

The last movies of the pair, of course, as supporting actors, were Anjuman, and Mohabbat. Santosh died on 11th June, 1982, which also took much screen light out of Sabiha. Although she continued to play mother to lots of heroes on the celluloid, she wasn’t the same any more.

Sabiha Khanum in Gumnaam (1954)

Stars and superstars are the main vehicle for the multi-million rupees film trade. In countries around the globe the public devotion towards movie actors and actresses has touched the level of worship and they have assumed the stature of quasi-deities for their ardent followers.

At the time of independence, Pakistani Cinema, having no established or rising stars in its fold, was plagued by major impediment. Except for Noor Jehan, all the other who came from Bombay and Calcutta were either veterans, good only for character roles, or those whose careers were on the decline. Still worse, their counterparts-the performers in Bombay such as Ashok Kumar, Motilal, Kamini Kashal, and Nalini Jaywant were at the zenith of their profession. The younger lot, consisting of Dilip Kumar, Nargis, Madhubala, Raj Kapoor, and Dev Anand were on the threshold of superstardom. They enjoyed immense popularity amongst the main group of film goers, viz. young Pakistani men and women. In such a situation local film makers found it difficult to sell products featuring actors and actresses who were newcomers to the profession and largely unknown. The young performers who strove hard during this difficult formative period were Sudhir, Santosh Kumar, Ilyas Kashmiri, Gulshan Ara, Shammi, Shola, Asif Jah, Allaudin, Nazar, Zareef and Sabiha Khanum.

Born to famous pre-partition Punjabi actress Balo, Sabiha reigned supreme in the hearts of the film-goers. Her innocence, her coy smiles and entrancing personality earned her the title of First Lady of Pakistani Cinema. Whereas most actors have one definitive forte, Sabiha won over audiences and critics with strikingly versatile characterizations

Sabiha Khanum made her debut as a dancer in Masud Pervaiz’s Beli (1950), based on Saadat Hasan Manto’s story about the perils of the 1947 exodus, with Shahina Ghaznavi and Santosh Kumar in the lead. The memories of partition were still too fresh for the general public, therefore, the film flopped. Fortunately, her next film Do Ansoo in which she played the role of Noori, was Pakistan’s first silver jubilee Urdu film. After that Sabiha never looked back.

Sabiha gained immense prominence after her challenging role of a mentally retarded girl in the film Gumnaam (1954), which she executed with rare pathos. She embarked on the road to fame and stardom in a big way with the release of Sassi (1954). Sassi was a big budget movie and was filmed around the most picturesque areas of the country. Sabiha was cast in the title role, as the daughter of the chief of the washerman’s clan of Sindh. The remaining cast included Sudhir who played Punhu, Shahnawaz, Ghulam Mohammed, Bibbo, Nazar, and Asha Posley. Sassi was a great commercial hit by J.C. Anand and created an all time record for being the first golden jubilee film of Pakistan.

1956 commenced with the great success for Sabiha, with the release of Agha G. Gul’s Dulla Bhatti, loosely based on the historical conflict between a Punjabi freedom fighter and the Mughal satrap of the area. Sudhir, playing the title role, proved his mettle as the macho man of cinema. Sabiha with her coquettish Madhubala-like charm won the hearts of film-goers and can be reckoned as the first leading lady of Pakistani cinema. G.A. Chishtis’ composition Wasta e Rab da, too javain de kabootra picturized on Sabiha remained on the top of the popularity list for months. It is said that the film netted so much profit that it enabled Agha Gul to build his own well-equipped New Evernew Studios at Multan Road, Lahore.

The film Dulla Bhatti was followed by successful string of hit movies, including Wadah, Shaikh Chilli, Aas Paas, Choti Begum, Daata, Ayaz, and Saath Lakh-a comedy of social comment. In Saath Lakh (1957), Sabiha played the role of a young, smart and spoilt girl who is to inherit her deceased father’s immense wealth (seven lakh rupees in cash, the bungalow where she lives which is also worth seven lakhs and seven lakhs in lands and real-estate) on condition that she settles down to a married life.

Another blockbuster from the same year, Wadah (1957), was the story of the poor and contented man who loves the daughter of a police officer in a rural town. The highlights of the film were its crisp direction by the seasoned film maker W.Z. Ahmed, and Rashid Attre’s melancholy compositions rendered in the voice of a new singer, Sharafat Ali. The song Teri ruswayon se derta hun, Jab tere sheher se guzerta hun, perfectly depicted the plight of an ordinary man.

Although she was cast opposite all famous heroes of her time including Yosuf Khan, Habib, Masud, and Aslam Pervaiz, her pairing with Santosh Kumar generated sparks both on and off screen. Sabiha-Santosh pair had many successful films to their credit including Saath Lakh, Wadah, Mauseeqar, Saltanat, Mukhra, Shaam Dhaley and Sarfarosh. It is said that during the making of the film Hasrat (1958), Sabiha and Santosh got married. Their screen pair remained popular for almost a decade.

In the late 60s, Sabiha switched to character roles and gave strong and commendable performances in films like Ek Gunah Aur Sahi, Devar Bhabhi, and Anjuman. Ek Gunah Aur Sahi was based on Sadat Hassan Manto’s well known short story Mummy. Sabiha played the main role of a middle-aged Christian woman caught in the prevailing hypocrisy of a male-dominated society. The veteran actress performed superbly, making her presence felt amongst the youthful and glamorous set of filmdom including Rani, Shahid, Mohammed Ali, etc. Ek Gunah Aur Sahi was a major commercial hit as well, a rare achievement for serious movies at that time. The film was sent to the Moscow Film Festival as Pakistan’s official entry and was reported to have been appreciated by the viewers.

Even today the very mention of the name Sabiha conjures up the image of those moon-lit eyes, that innocent smile… – Ummer Siddique & Mushtaq Gazdar

Santosh Kumar in Do Ansoo (1950)

Sentimental melodrama beginning with the dilemma of a spoilt and prodigal Nawab, played competently by Himaliyawala, who has one daughter born to his mistress, a resident of local brothel, and one to his legally wedded wife. Two daughters bring twofold woes as the title of the film implies. His family pride is at stake with the prospect of his daughter growing up in a brothel, and lacking the means to buy custody of the child, he makes a desperate attempt to run away with her but ends up killing the father-cum-procurer of his mistress. His fate is fourteen years in prison but the real burnt is borne by the wife and daughter who are left without a roof over their heads. Bakhshu Baba, a loyal and faithful servant, comes to their rescue. He takes them to his village where they start a new life. The wife declares her husband dead in order to spare her daughter from this painful chapter in their lives. Time passes and the girl (Sabiha Khanum), is now a charming young woman.

Her childhood friendship with the son of the landlord turns into an engagement with the blessings of both the families. As fate would have it, the young man, Santosh Kumar, is a final year student of a college in the city where he lives with some friends. The city boys lure him to a mujra. Here he encounters the other girl (Gulshan Ara), who has so far been successful in avoiding all `arrangements’ made by her mother. The decency of the young man impresses her and she is drawn towards him In the meantime, the Nawab is released from prison after completing his term. In disguise, he gets a job as a watchman at the brothel. Seeing a chance of redemption for his daughter, he helps Santosh and Gulshan Ara get married. During the ceremony, the other daughter, her mother already dead, finds her way to the house of the young man with the help of Bakhshu Baba. Shocked by witnessing the marriage of her fiancé to her unknown sister she meets with an accident and dies. The father’s crime completely ruins the lives of two innocent persons, the mother and the daughter. This pathetic and tragic tale drew large audiences and the film ran for twenty-five weeks (Silver – Jubilee), a great achievement for a local film at that time.

The cast, comprising veterans like Shahnawaz, Ajmal, and Himaliyawala, was supported by Shamim and up-and-upcoming artistes Allaudin, Asif Jah, Santosh Kumar, and Gulshan Ara. A new find, Sabiha Khanum was the mainstay of the film. Crisply directed, the film holds the viewer’s attention even today with its smooth flow of editing. However, the fact that it was made on a shoestring budget is evident from the simple two dimensional set designs.

Do Ansoo was based on Hakim Shuja’s story about the decadence of aristocracy. It would have been better suited against a Lucknow or Oudh background. Since the locale was not very well-identified, it worked well here. After the success of Do Ansoo, the director Anwar Kamal Pasha never looked back – Mushtaq Gazdar

Cast and Production Credits

Year - 1950, Genre – Drama, Country - Pakistan, Language - Urdu, Producer -Sheikh Latif, Director -Anwar Kamal Pasha, Music Director – Mubarak Ali, Cast -Sabiha Khanum, Santosh Kumar, Shamim, Gulshan Ara, Himaliyawala, Shahnawaz, Ajmal, Asif Jah and Alauddin