The large spools of film print were placed within the hallowed walls of Lahore’s famed Data Darbar. The film crew then prostrated in prayer, asking for the blessing of the famed saint resting within the shrine. Their movie was releasing in a few days and the final print lay within the film rolls that they had brought with them, in the hope that the saint would turn a kindly eye towards it, ensuring its success at the box office.

Director Syed Noor recollects that this was a common practice during Lollywood’s heydays. “A lot of filmmakers wouldn’t proceed with a release without Data Sahib’s blessing. They believed that he brought good luck to them.”

Film actress Meera has a similar allegiance to the Darbar. “Before I start any project, I make a visit to Data Darbar and pray there,” she says. “I also go to the mausoleum of Bibi Pak Daman. This has been my practice for more than two decades now. I feel that whatever I have gotten in life has been through them.”

There is much else that Meera feels brings her good luck. “On the first day of shooting a movie, it is customary for the entire film team to pray and offer nawafil (prayers) to give thanks to God. I have a special tasbeeh (rosary beads) that I constantly recite and I try to remain bawuzu (having done ablution). I pray a lot and every time that I have prayed, things have improved for me. When I haven’t, bad luck has befallen me. I sometimes pray and then see things in my dreams that give me indications on how to proceed with certain things in my life. The months of December and May and wearing green stones brings me luck. The white colour particularly eases my troubles. I wear it a lot and keep the walls of my house white and the floors white or skin colour. Black tends to bring calamities [for me].”

In show business, where stars crash more often than they rise and insecurities run rampant, many turn to different belief systems in an attempt to gain control over an unruly wheel of fortune

This pursuit for good luck is hardly unusual. It has a quest that has prevailed all through the history of mankind, leading to myriad practices in the hope of attaining that elusive pot of gold sparkling at the end of an interminable rainbow. Lucky numbers are adopted, lucky colours and stones are worn, lucky places may be pinpointed and astrologers, numerologists and spiritual soothsayers are sought out. In show business, where stars crash more often than they rise and insecurities run rampant, many turn to different belief systems in an attempt to gain control over an unruly wheel of fortune.

A very well-known Pakistani film actress from the Lollywood era would always make a ‘mannat’ or vow before her movie released. She would walk barefoot for an entire week because she felt that this would bring good luck to her, and her movie would be a hit.

Actress Saba Qamar recalls how the shooting of her Bollywood movie Hindi Medium was delayed so that it began in April rather than March. The filmmakers’ spiritual guides had felt that April would be more lucky and eventually, lucrative. Similarly, when she had just started out, actress Kubra Khan worked in a Bollywood movie where the filmmakers wanted to use her original name, Rabia, instead of her screen name. “They said that the numbers for Rabia were more lucky,” recalls Kubra. “I agreed, although later things didn’t work out with the movie.”

In the Indian film industry, relying on astrology, numerology and good luck charms is, of course, quite the norm. Director Rakesh Roshan ensures that the name of every one of his movies begins with the letter ‘K’. TV producer Ekta Kapoor has a similar practice of starting the names of her TV serials with ‘K’. And a superstar such as Ashwariya Rai reportedly had to eliminate her bad luck for being born on a Tuesday by marrying a tree before she married her husband, Abhishek Bachchan.

But even in Pakistani entertainment, there are many that seek spiritual charms and guidance to ensure good luck. For some, the dictates of an astrologer or numerologist are imperative before making future decisions. Others may not follow the advice of a psychic if they find that it inconveniences them.

Changing the spellings of a name is a common practice. “When the movie Jawani Phir Nahi Ani was about to release, some of us from the movie’s team attended a morning show that also had an astrologer amongst the guests,” recalls actor and producer Humayun Saeed. “We asked him how we would fare at the box office and he said that it would be a bigger hit if we changed the spelling of the last word in the title from ‘Aani’ to ‘Ani’. We felt that there was no harm in it and we did so.”

“But there have been many other times when an astrologer has given me a warning or made a prediction that I ended up forgetting,” continues Humayun. “There have been times when I have been told to avoid certain dates but I truly never remember when those dates actually come about. And once an astrologer told me to avoid travelling for a certain amount of time and I couldn’t possibly agree. How would I work if I halted all travelling and stayed at home, scared of some unforeseen disaster?”

There are others who are willing to upturn entire schedules in the quest for that one auspicious time. TV director and producer Babar Javed, for instance, is famous for consulting with psychics, astrologers and numerologists before making a decision. “Shooting has to begin at a certain precise time which Babar has been told would be lucky,” says Humayun Saeed. “Babar is very particular about it.”

Syed Noor recalls film directors’ penchant for particular places and music. “I had constructed the set of a house for my film Choorriyan at Shahbaz Studio in Lahore. The movie was a super-hit and following this, all directors wanted to shoot some scenes in that particular set, in the hope that it would also bring them good luck. I even remember one very big film producer launching a new movie and insisting that I give the very first clap that would initiate shooting and say the name Choorriyan. There was another very old Pakistani movie called Dilaan Diyaan Sauda and it had the dhamaal genre of music in it. Following this, every movie started having dhamaal in its soundtrack in an attempt to gain box office success.”

On a more personal level, most celebrities have good luck tokens or certain practices (totkay in common parlance) that they adopt. Actor and producer Aijazz Aslam believes in giving great respect to his script. “Most people throw their script here and there but I make sure that I keep it safe and neat because it represents my livelihood.”

Film actress Resham feels that her car is lucky for her. “I have had it for eight years now and I refuse to change it,” she says. Kubra Khan, meanwhile, keeps a small tasbeeh with her that was given to her by her grandmother. “She told me that it had seven precious stones in it and whatever I would ask from it, it would give to me. I don’t really pray on it very often and I do believe that whatever has to happen, will happen. But I do keep it with me at all times.”

Actor and producer Sheheryar Munawar believes in putting his faith on his lucky number. “I think that lucky charms vary from person to person and it isn’t just something restricted to show business. Even while growing up, I remember that when I had a cricket match I would want to wear a certain pair of socks. Now, though, I am down to just getting excited about my lucky number, whether I make it my car number plate or time my shoots round it. I won’t change my entire schedule just so that it could be numerically lucky for me, but if there’s a possibility that something can happen on a particular date, I’ll try to make sure that it does. For instance, if a shoot can be delayed by a day just so that the date coincides with my lucky number, I’ll try to work it out.”

Moving away from the psychic ‘sciences’, good luck charms can also be borne out of emotional bonds. For actor Shaan, his mum Neelo’s blessing brings him good luck. “Every time I am about to start work on a new film, I sit with my mum and tell her about it,” he says. “She’s a film industry veteran and her feedback is invaluable. But more than anything, I just need her to pray for me. The first day of shooting has to take place while she is in town. If she is travelling, I will delay it until she comes back. And she has to give the first ‘clap’ that starts off the first shoot.”

Perhaps such superstitions are natural in an industry renowned for its capriciousness and instability. After all, as the saying goes, nobody can predict the fate of a film.

Most predominantly, the quest for luck is tied with theological beliefs. It is common for people to incorporate certain verses from the Holy Quran in their routine, because they feel that they protect them from harm. Similarly, in the entertainment industry — as well as other fields — major projects tend to be preceded by the offering of ‘sadqa’ (sacrifice) of a (preferably) black goat with the meat distributed amongst the poor. “It is in our religion that sadqa washes away our sins and wards off future mishaps,” says Resham. “Feeding the poor and getting their prayers is very important. Even getting the prayers of animals leads to good luck and it’s so easy to do it, like giving sugar to ants. The power of prayer cannot be undermined and whenever I am down or am starting something new, I pray nafl in order to gain His favour.”

Nina Kashif, GM at Urdu1, recalls, “I have worked with almost everyone in the business and what I have seen most commonly is people praying before they start a movie or offering sadqa if things start to go wrong.”

Do things start going right then? “Sometimes they do,” she says with a smile.

“It’s all about good energy, having positive thoughts,” says actor Ahsan Khan. “Nothing else works better.”

And yet, personal beliefs continue to play an important role in the lives of the rich and famous. Actresses will lock themselves in their rooms and pray before performing. Performers will kneel down and kiss the stage in reverence before stepping on to it. Directors will seek astrological guidance before deciding upon release dates. Rings set with white opal will be worn on the index finger of the right hand to hail in good luck.

Director Asim Raza offers a concrete bit of advice: “Avoid people with negative energies and surround yourself with positive people.”

If nothing else works, that might just manage to do the trick.

Published in Dawn, ICON, July 1st, 2018