HOLLYWOOD films have contributed immensely to the life of a versatile director of the subcontinent, S. Suleman, who was surrounded by a star family.
His elder brother, the late actor, Santosh Kumar, introduced him to Alfred Hitchcock and George Cooker’s legendary movies, and characters such as Sherlock Holmes, which are still stored in S. Suleman’s memory. His films Baji, Gulfam, Aag, Jaise Jante Nahin, Prince and Shararat emerged as fabulous hits of their time. Those melodious days, when songs were composed on heartstrings and lyrics were written on rose petals gave birth to brilliant men and women. Artists like Santosh Kumar, Darpan, Sabiha Khanum and Nayyar Sultana were the heart and soul of films which spoke of both values and fun. As an example, one can quote S. Suleman’s Baji, which gave new dimensions to family bonds and values.
“Making a hit is not only a director’s job,” says S. Suleman, a magnanimous personality. “It contains a mixture of sweet fieriness, which is made up of the same quality of poetry, story, dialogues, music and screenplay. My producer, Hafizullah, was not a technical person but his ideals were the same as mine regarding the requirement, environment, calibre and background needed to build the pivotal character of Baji, and it inspired me. The whole team sat together to choose the tunes of the lyrics of the great poet and lyricist, Ahmed Rahi, behind such hits as Dil kay afsanay and Chanda tori chandni mein. It was absolute communication, coordination and interaction between the director, lyricist, composer and the writer. Tunesmiths of calibre, Saleem-Iqbal, who stand as an unbeatable duo of our film music, made classic and historic tunes in Baji, which live on till this day. Songs such as Sajan lagi tori lagan sung by Farida Khanum and Madam Noorjehan, and the great classical number by the inimitable classical pair, Ustad Nazakat and Ustad Salamat Ali Khan. Today, the print is not available anymore, but the beautiful mixture of classical moods and semi-classical mastery still thrills listeners.”
S. Suleman says that pop music has its own charisma, but it cannot not produce artists like Mehdi Hassan, Farida Khanum, Zubeida Khanum, Salim Raza and Noorjehan. It only seems to have the capacity to spoil legendary compositions through rap and raucous remixes.
With lamps of memory aglow in his eyes, S. Suleman peered into the past. “None of the romantic movies can be hits unless their music touches the core of every heart. One can name many films such as Lakhoon Mein Aik, Intizar, Ghulam, Qatil, Wada, Clerk, Shaheed, Tehzeeb, etc. These are ever-green movies with a soft touch of romance, beautiful treatment, presentation, melodious background and an exceptional storyline that captivates the audience from start till the end. The movies have messages for families, societies and individuals. Cinemas, in those days, were also neat and clean with a hygienic and friendly environment,” says he.
The professional director remember the craze for art movies he developed when he saw a touching movie starring Smita Patel and Shabana Azmi, called Arth. The movie depicts the usual romantic triangle, when a man is divided and sub-divided between the love of two women, one his wife and the other a woman he discovers along the way. It appealed to the viewers because of being so close to reality.
Although Waheed Murad was a dear friend, S. Suleman did more films with Mohammad Ali and Zeba, Nadeem and Shabnam, and Shahid and Babra. “These were master performers who needed just inkling of the concept to do wonders on the big screen. I must say Babra was indeed a multi-talented actress, with all components of screen requirements in her. She played beautiful characters, but our film industry ruined her as they have done with others,” he says. Regarding character actors such as Agha Talish, Lehri and Alauddin, he says they were the masters of expressions.
“We do not have any single book written individually on any of our superb actors or actresses, although I have seen in India and Hollywood that they pay tribute to their legends by publishing books and pull-outs in magazines. We do not present something new or better these days on our silver screen, as was the case with Yeh Dil Aap Ka Hua, which had something that inspired audiences to house-full shows. The film has an endless array of songs and dances. “If we make films within our limitations and resources, incorporating ideas that revolve around some social themes, the impact will be much more far-reaching. Our people know that Pakistani cinema can only produce films which are possible within certain resources. Yet, we copy others to show off. When such films flop, the loss is on a huge scale, which only undermines the industry a bit more. Now, after a long time, people have finally come out of the Maula Jat phase, to refresh their minds. Let’s hope we can give them something to look forward to in the future,” says he.
S. Suleman feels that Qateel Shifai, Kaifi Azmi Tanvir Naqvi, Muneer Niazi, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Josh gave a visual effect on the silver screen through their poetic expressions, even if he has not read their works in print, something which he doesn’t seem very keen about. The common man praised their verses because they depicted his day-to-day life. “Ranjish hi sahi by Ahmed Faraz is still sung in concerts. Why? Because the lyrics are alive with emotions and feelings.”
Who can forget that incredible expression in the poetry of those times, that is so distinctly put in these fine couplets by the great poet from Hyderabad Deccan, Makhdoom Mohyuddin:
Raat bhar deeda-i-namnak mein lehratey rahey;
Saans ki tarha se aap aate rahey jatey rahey.
Shab key jagey huay taron ko bhi neend aaney lagi,
Aap kay aaney ki ik aas thi ab janey lagi.
FAVOURITE FILM: Arth
FAVOURITE SINGER: Zubeida Khanam, Salim Raza, Mehdi Hassan
FAVOURITE POETS: Kaifi Azmi, Faiz and Makhdoom Mohyuddin
HOLLYWOOD films have contributed immensely to the life of a versatile director of the subcontinent, S. Suleman, who was surrounded by a star family.
