These films have one thing in common: timeless melodies

Silver screen superstar Waheed Murad famously known as the

“Chocolate Hero” was born on October 2^nd 1938, in the city of Sialkot, Punjab. Loved for his charming personality and tender voice, Murad acted in more than one hundred films throughout his career and bagged 32 film awards. He was awarded “Sitara-e-Imtiaz” in 2010, 27 years after his death.

Here are some memorable films of the actor:

1. ARMAAN:

This black and white film directed by Parvez Malik is one of the initial films starring Waheed Murad as lead. With Zeba as the heroine, the film went on to become the first Lollywood film to complete 75 weeks in cinemas and attained the Platinum Jubilee status.

Armaan presents Waheed Murad as a rich, irresponsible boy whose father is keen on getting him married as soon as possible. The boy falls in love with a girl who is hiding a dark secret that proves to be the conflict of the story. The film is a romantic drama with enjoyable comedy in the first half. Murad shines as an actor  in every single frame, depicting a range of emotions from love to hate and from happiness to sorrow.

Songs composed by Sohail Rana are undoubtedly the highlight of the film. Armaan produced two of the most iconic songs of Lollywood, “Ko Ko Korina” and

“Akelay Na Jana” sung by Ahmed Rushdi.

2. DIL MERA DHARKAN TERI:

This film is a musical romance starring Waheed Murad, Shamim Ara and Rani. At the time of its release it was a superhit at the box office.

Waheed Murad plays the role of a college student who is in love with a fellow pupil. All goes downhill for the lovers when they express their desire to get married, as their union is declared impossible because of social differences between their families. The film that opens up as a romantic comedy soon turns into a vengeful drama when another character decides to ruin the hero’s life due to a personal grudge.

Music is the most integral part of this film. When it comes to picturization of songs no actor ever came close to the genius of Waheed Murad. His charming expressions made most of his songs unforgettable. Dil mera dhadkan teri gave us the evergreen track “rakh dia qadmoon mai dil nazrana” voiced by Mala and Ahmed Rushdi.

3. DORAHA:

Even though it did average business at the box office, Doraha became one of the classics due to its stellar performances and soulful melodies.

The film introduces our chocolate hero as a young and talented singer who falls for one of his fans. Our couple’s love blossoms in the beautiful backdrop of Murree. Doraha primarily explores the theme of love and loss and goes on to reveal the hypocrisy of our society. It showcases how our people love and appreciate art but are unable to give respect to artists. Towards the climax Murad’s character, disappointed with himself and his profession, goes to a party and sings the iconic

                                        Mujhe tum nazar say gira toh rahe ho

                                       Mujhe tum kabhi bhi bhula na sako gay

This remains one of the most illustrious and cherished ghazal of Mehdi Hassan Sahab till this day.

4. NASEEB APNA APNA:

Produced by Waheed Murad himself, this film is regarded as one of the early superhits of actress Shabnam’s Lollywood career.

Naseeb Apna Apna portrays Murad as a student living away from home. Our hero’s only goal is to get a well -paying job after finishing his degree and reside with family in Karachi. But his mother and sister are hesitant in welcoming him back home. The film is not a mere love-story as it has a strong sense of mystery and intrigue attached to it.

“Ae abr-e-karam” filmed featuring Waheed Murad and Shabnam, with vocals by Ahmed Rushdi went on to become a sensation among audiences. The song has garnered immense love and praise through decades and deserves to be considered a classic.

5. SALGIRAH:

Released in 1969, the film became a winner at box office and was declared a super hit. Salgirah stars Tariq Aziz in an important role along with the leading Shamim Ara and Waheed Murad.

The movie opens with a tragedy as a young girl loses her parents during a journey. Years pass by and this girl becomes a singer in the guidance of a lady who raises her as her own. Our hero is enchanted by the girl’s voice after listening to her songs on radio, and decides to visit her at the radio station. The two fall for each other and commit to a relationship with the girl still lingering onto the hope of finding her lost parents. The film transforms into an intense courtroom drama when a murder is committed with our heroine as the prime suspect.

The music of Salgirah is graced with the vocals of Malika-e-Taranum madam Noor Jehan. The songs “lay aayi phir kahan pr kismat” and “ meri zindagi hai nagma meri zindagi tarana” gained widespread recognition and played a pivotal role in the success of the film.

All five films are available to watch for free on Youtube.