With the news that the famous concrete structure of the globe on the roundabout near the Islamia College will be demolished, Karachi is set to lose another iconic landmark in recent times. Supposed to give way to the Red Line project, the globe will soon disappear.

The time is near when one will have to travel back in time to revisit Karachi’s architectural history, probably only accessible with the push of a button on a video player or a click on YouTube. Thankfully, some of the history and our memories have been preserved in old films.

Places such as the famous naturally formed arch at Paradise Point on Mauripur Road, the amusement park Playland in Clifton or the Musical Fountain near Zainab Market have now become a thing of the past, and eateries such as Café De Khan near Jheel Park are now only etched in memory. But one can still catch glimpses of them in Pakistani films of yore.

Paradise Point was one of the most popular seaside picnic spots in Karachi. With a natural sandstone arch, it was a place that every picnic-goer visited… until the wear and tear of smashing waves and strong winds finally led to it crumbling. A famous spot for filming romantic songs, it was a personal favourite of film stars Kemal, Muhammad Ali, Waheed Murad and Nadeem, who could be seen dancing in its waters, with the arch in the background.

Many of Karachi’s longstanding and iconic landmarks have been captured in films where they now remain, long after their remains have vanished from sight, destined to live on only in our memories

Waheed Murad’s production Samandar (1968) used the landmark to its fullest effect. The movie, made during the East-West Pakistan crisis, was the first Urdu film with a Bengali-speaking heroine. Be it the song ‘Hum ko duaein do’ from Eid Mubarak (1965), ‘Pyar mil jaaye tau’ from the movie Ladla (1969), or ‘Bun jaati meri qismat’, from Waheed’s own production Jaal (1973), Paradise Point remained dear to viewers as well as the makers of the films.

These days, with the arch literally lost to the ravages of both time and tide, not to mention government apathy, Paradise Point has also become a much-less-frequented picnic spot.

Situated at the intersection of Victoria Road and Din Mohammed Wafai Road, the famous Musical Fountain was right there in front of the now defunct Rex Cinema. Rio Cinema and the Mayfair open-air cinema were also close by. The musical fountain had a speaker around it and music was played while the fountain was lit up with decorative lights. The coloured lights kept changing in the evenings.

It can be easily seen at the beginning of the film Heera Aur Patthar’s song ‘Mujhe tum se mohabbat hai’, where Waheed Murad and Zeba are singing on a tonga (horse carriage). In the movies shot in Karachi, the famous musical fountain was a must up until the ‘80s, when it was replaced by a more traditional structure.

Just a few steps away was the legendary Hotel Metropole, whose hollow shell now stands abandoned. Its empty corridors echo with whispers from history. From opulent grandeur to mystery, it’s a landmark that draws intrigue.

Known for its dance floors and cabarets featuring foreign dancers, it was a badge of honour and prestige for all those who stayed here as guests. In the ‘90s, whenever there was a need for an outdoor shoot or a music video, Hotel Metropole was the obvious choice. For the last 20 years, one has been hearing news of its total demolition, but it seems suspended mid-way till now.

A place for intellectual gatherings, Café De Khan was also famous for its food. Situated on Tariq Road, it became famous for serving a whole quarter piece of chicken as tikka, instead of the then usual small chunks. Its seafood dishes were also quite appetising, but the thing Café De Khan would never be forgotten for is the introduction of singer and music director Alamgir to world music. Before moving on to television, Alamgir used to sing here, and it is here where he was first spotted.

Hotel Jabees in Saddar was also a popular destination for visitors. Similarly, the parks — Playland and, later, Funland by Jabees, remained a major attraction between the years 1966-2006. Jabees Funland, founded in the mid-’70s, boasted many rides, a bowling alley, a playing area and an aquarium. The rides included roller-coasters, spinning wheels, dodgem cars and a mini-train amongst others. It was hard to find a family who had not visited Funland during the ’70s and the ’80s.

The last scene of the Nadeem-Kemal-Rani starrer Behen Bhai (1968) was shot in Playland, where Kamal’s character shouts “Abdul Ghani” at the top of his voice. The scene when the head of the Sarkata Insaan (1994) gets detached from his body in the movie by the same name, was also superbly filmed by director Saeed Rizvi at this location.

Ironically, Saeed was also behind the famous television ad of Funland, with the memorable jingle, “Fouzia, Nadia, Babloo, Puppoo, chalo chalein Funland.”

Sadly, during the construction of Bagh-Ibn-i-Qasim during the early 2000s, the majority of the area was taken away and the aquarium and bowling alley decimated, bringing an end to an era of nostalgia.

Hailed as the most famous of all Karachi landmarks, the Jehangir Kothari Parade has been seen on celluloid throughout the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and 2000s. Built on land donated by Seth Jehangir Hormusji Kothari, a Parsi, in 1921, it continues to be an attraction since the 1940s.

The cupola at the Parade has been frequently filmed and has witnessed Waheed Murad, Nadeem, Kamal, Muhammad Ali, Shahid, Ayaz Naek, Faisal Rehman, Javed Sheikh and even Humayyun Saeed performing at its premises. Even the legendary Christopher Lee, as Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, bid adieu to his daughter Ruttie Jinnah in front of its monument in the film Jinnah (1998).

Thanks to some court cases, real estate developers have been unable to grab the land, yet the imposing Icon Tower next door has eclipsed the real icon, and it now stands relegated down the road. The badly damaged structure is now virtually concealed from the road because of the recently constructed underpass, seemingly destined to fade away altogether with time.

Then, we will only have the films to remind us of what once was.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 21st, 2024