LAHORE: The Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) plans to organise a grand evening with renowned music composer Wazir Afzal next week to celebrate the heydays of Pakistani cinema.

Wazir Afzal is a popular name in the film and music industries. There are a number of catchy compositions to Afzal’s credit. A disciple of legendary music composer Khwaja Kursheed Anwar, Afzal contributed some unforgettable compositions to many films, such as ‘Kainday Nay Naina’, ‘Tu Qarar Mera Piyar Meray Jania’ and ‘Saat Suron Ka Behta Dariya Teray Naam’.

For the last four years, the PNCA has been exclusively concentrating on country’s film personalities. Why has the council started giving importance to Lollywood luminaries with such zeal and zest?

Shakir Ali Museum Director Amna Pataudi answers: “The council is of the view that the outstanding lot from Pakistani cinema should be given due importance because hardly one sees institutions celebrating evenings with our film veterans.”

Pataudi said the council had sent a request to Lahore Arts Council to book a hall at Alhamra Art Centre, The Mall. “Probably we shall hold the evenings on May 26 or 27,” she said.

Renowned choreographer and yesteryear film actress Zarin Pana (heading PNCA’s National Performing Arts Group at Shakir Ali Museum) told this scribe the arts groups had prepared a few dance performances to Afzal’s compositions, which would be a major part of the honorary evening.

Leading film personalities will grace the occasion.

Pataudi told Dawn in the first week of June, PNCA and Shakir Ali Museum would hold a two-day music conference with Shafqat Salamat from Sham Chaurasi Gharana.

Salamat had formed a ‘Sham Chaurasi Music Circle’ under which awards and certificates would be given to singer and instrumentalist Pervaiz Paris, classical singers Ustad Qamaruz Zaman and Ustad Badaruz Zaman, and classical singers Ustad Ghulam Haider and Ustad Habib Ali Khan.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2014