PESHAWAR: Noted actress of silver screen after years of living in oblivion appeared on social media recently and requested authorities to recognise her contributions she had made to Pashto cinema in its heydays.

Sabra Sultana, who played the role of Ms Molly Ellis in a classic Pashto movie ‘Ajab Khan Afridi’ in 1971, has surfaced from her decades-long disappearance from the silver screen and has made an appeal to both federal and provincial governments to confer award on her in recognition of her services for Pashto cinema industry.

Narrating her story of her illustrious film career, she said that her family had been shifted after partition and settled in Karachi but film industry forced her parents to relocate to Lahore where she had been living with her grandchildren.

“We are Bangash Pathan, when Rahim Gul, the director of Ajab Khan Afridi film, offered the role to me, I readily accepted it as I knew the profile of the brave Pathan rebel against the British Raj who had kidnapped Molly Ellis, 18-year-old daughter of Major Ellis, on April 14, 1923 from Kohat garrison to take revenge for his home’s desecration by British soldiers during his absence,” she recalled.

The legendary actress said that during her stay in Mardan, Nowshera and Kohat, people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa treated her and the film team with memorable respect and hospitality and she still remembered those heart-touching moments. She said that her role was a real challenge, but she performed it with great confidence and it paved way for performing in several other Pashto flicks.

“I started my career with Radio Pakistan Karachi, PTV and then switched over to silver screen but my performance in ‘Ajab Khan Afridi’ fetched me unprecedented name and fame. Unfortunately, my best work for Pollywood was forgotten and I was never considered for presidential award, even junior artists have been honoured,” said Sabra Sultana.

“I, therefore turn to President of Pakistan Arif Alvi and governor to consider my name for an award in recognition of my past services. Though Punjab government gives me some monthly stipend yet living is hard with it and secondly the award would give a spiritual solace as I think I have served a noble cause,” she said.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2022