Mustafa Qureshi Reveals His Passion To Watch Film Shooting Made Him An Actor

(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Mustafa Qureshi reveals his passion to watch film shooting made him an actor

HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Jan, 2022 ) :Veteran film star Mustafa Qureshi said though he had gone to watch a shooting of film "Aag ka Darya" starring famous actors Mohammad Ali and Shamim Ara, he was offered a role in films and he started film career some 56 years ago.

"Due to war there was a hate against India and at the same time I was offered a role of a Hindu young man so I declined to perform that role but on an advice of my mentor Allama I.I Qazi, I accepted it", Qureshi disclosed in a panel interview with this news agency during his private visit to Hyderabad on Saturday.

"Lakhon Mein Ek" was his career's first urdu film and after that he started his journey as an actor, Mustafa Qureshi said and added that after the success of his first film, he started getting offers for many films.

Qureshi said he started his career from Radio Pakistan where he used to produce several radio programs in the early 60's and also performed different roles in radio dramas.

He said during 1965 Pakistan - India war, he was In-charge of the war programs aired on Radio Pakistan to boost morale of our soldiers fighting with enemy forces at the border and fueling national spirit in the masses.

He said on the recommendation of then Information and Broadcasting Minister, Pir Ali Muhammad Rashdi, he got a job as a studio executive in Radio Pakistan Hyderabad started a Sindhi program "Asan Jo Pakistan" (Our Pakistan).

Mustafa Qureshi said that he was later posted as a duty officer at Radio Pakistan Karachi where he learned Urdu language from the best Urdu experts like Agha Jan which benefited him a lot in his career in the film industry.

He said after a gap of two and a half years, he was promoted and sent back to Radio Hyderabad as a program producer and he was given the drama section and children's program.

A cheque of Rs.10 was his first earning at Radio Pakistan Hyderabad while Rs.3000 was his first earning as a film actor, Mustafa Qureshi elaborated.

"I used to get a lot of offers from Punjabi film producers and I told them that my presence in Punjabi movies would ruin their projects as I was not fluent in their language but they were adamant and at last I accepted their offer to work with them", Mustafa Qureshi said.

"My first Punjabi film was "Char Khoon De Piyase" which became a hit and after that "Jailer te Qaidi", "The License" and some other films with Sultan Rahi released", Qureshi said and added that "Mola Jatt" was released later which had become a blockbuster.

He said his first pair in films was with film star Mohammad Ali and they both worked together in many Urdu films and later an everlasting pair was with Sultan Rahi which lasted for 25 years.

He said majority of his films with Sultan Rahi were super hits and even our failed Punjabi films would also cover the expenses of the producers.

Replying to another question, Qureshi said he had performed positive as well as negative roles in 750 Urdu, Punjabi and Sindhi films during his career spanning over more than six decades, of which the majority were super hits at the box office.

Qureshi said there were Sindhi films being produced in Pakistan in the past and silver jubilee of one of the film "Omar Marvi" was held in Bombay where Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru watched it and got impressed, he also asked about the story and he was told that this is a folk tale of Sindh province of Pakistan.

The 84-year old actor said that before starting his formal film career, he also acted in a Sindhi film "Pardesi" which proved to be a great film and after that he turned towards Urdu films.

He said his films were not only popular in Pakistan but millions of Indian fans also liked to watch his Punjabi films.

He said the Indian film star Dharmendra once met him in London and told that he was his big fan. "He also offered me to work with him but I refused to do so because of some reasons", Qureshi said.

In reply to a query, Mustafa Qureshi said "Mola Jat" was his super hit Punjabi movie which had been copied in India and Dharmendra had told him that they had tried their best but failed to make a copy of it like the original one.

He said the Radio career had helped him develop his own style in Punjabi films to counter Sultan Rahi's harsh dialogue delivery as Rahi was loud and he was soft spoken.

Regarding decline in the local film Industry, Qureshi said efforts must be needed for the revival of the country's film industry as films were the best form of entertainment in any country, adding that films with positive messages would educate the people at the same time.

Replying to a question, he said that there was a lot of talent in Sindh and there were educated youth in today's age of modern technology but the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) government had not done any significant work for the promotion of the film industry.

He said when Asif Ali Zardari was president of Pakistan, he met him at the Governor House Lahore and presented some suggestions for the promotion of the film industry. Though he welcomed all his suggestions but later no further action was taken in that regard, Qureshi regretted.

Pakistan People's Party founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had taken significant steps for the promotion of film industry in the country and National Film Development Corporation, Lok Virsa, National Council of Arts, academy of Letters and other institutions were established during his tenure, Qureshi said.

He regretted that the PPP government under Asif Zardari had not taken any significant steps for promotion of the industry.

In response to a question, he disclosed that his upcoming film with his actor son Aamir Qureshi was in final stages which would be released on next Eid-ul- Fitr.