LAHORE: It was an evening of glitz and glamour at Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall, where a daylong exhibition featured rare film posters and photographs of the late film actress Rani.

The exhibition titled Aik Mulaqat was organised by Rohtas 2 Gallery and Lahore Arts Council in collaboration with Rabia Hasan, Rani’s daughter, and Zahid Khan Guddu.

The exhibition was inaugurated by Salima Hashmi and Lahore Arts Council Board of Governors Chairman Kamran Lashari.

Rabia Hasan, a visual artist, told Dawn the basic objective of the exhibition was to highlight the cinematic journey of her mother.

Salima Hashmi said the exhibition could well be utilised for a thesis on the actress. It featured 102 film posters, 75 studio promotional stills and 150 photographs. LP records and synopses of various films starring Rani were also part of the exhibition. The collection belonged to a Karachi-based film memorabilia collector Zahid Khan aka Guddu.

“My mother Rani departed on May 27, 1993 with things unsaid and things unheard, which left an endless longing and yearning inside me to see her again and again.

The only way I could see or feel her presence is by revisiting the art she left behind. I am thankful to Mr Zahid Khan Guddu for keeping cinema alive which has provided me with an opportunity to pay homage to my late mother Rani. The intention behind displaying this extraordinary collection is to resurrect my mother as an artist and meet her yet once again,” Rabia said.

Rani needs no introduction. The actress’s journey from Nasira to Rani was a continuous and vigorous struggle. She was unique in her acting, dancing, beauty and dressing. She started her career with Sahab but Mahboob was declared her first film as it got released first.

She played a character called Rani in her debut movie, a name that was to be associated with her for the rest of her life. Rani acted in more than 166 Punjabi and Urdu movies.

Prominent faces from the film industry at the exhibition were Ghulam Muhyuddin, Irfan Khoosat, Bahar Begum and many others.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2016