THIS refers to the advertisement of the film Naela in the column ‘Fifty years ago’ (Oct 29). The copy describing the advertisement is factually incorrect. The first colour film of Pakistan was Sangam, produced in East Pakistan and released on April 23, 1964.

This can be verified in the book Pakistan Filmdom, edited by Mr A.R. Slote, who was associated with Dawn for a long time. The film was presented by Iftekharul Alam and Zaheer Raihan, who were writer, director and producer of the film. Since it was financed by our company, the world rights were held by Star Film Distributors Ltd, of which my family was the major shareholder. Leaving the legal niceties aside, Sherally L. Ramzi has always been credited as the person responsible for producing the first colour film of Pakistan.

The producer of Naela, G.A. Gul, who was a contemporary of my father, is cognisant of this fact and advertised the film as the first colour film of the country in Agfa Colour since Sangam was shot in Eastman Colour.

This to set the record straight and give credit to whom it is due.

Zulfiqar Ali Ramzi

Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 8th, 2015

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