| Sindhi cinema | |
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| No. of screens | 57 (2023) |
| Main distributors | Various local distributors |
| Cinema of Pakistan |
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| Part of a series on |
| Sindhis |
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 Sindh portal |
Sindhi cinema refers to the Sindhi language film industry in Sindh, Pakistan and among the Sindhi diaspora specially in India. [1]
The first Sindhi film produced was Ekta in 1940 directed by Homi Wadia; [2] [3] while the first Sindhi film produced in Pakistan was Umar Marvi in 1956 directed by Shaikh Hassan. [4] The first blockbuster Sindhi film released was Abana in 1958 in India. [5] Sindhi cinema used to see three to four releases a year until the 1990s. The last Sindhi film of note in Pakistan was Himmat in 1997.
Satish Anand said that the condition of the theatres is bad, funding is difficult and people prefer mainstream cinema. Many producers have tried to revive the industry but eventually it fell apart. An alternate model of releasing films only on television and home video was attempted, but that too didn't work because of rampant piracy. [6] [7]
Since 2010, Sindhi cinema in Pakistan has seen a general revival with many artists and actors have proposed to revive its capability and ability. [8] Ranveer Singh was also reported to be making an Indian Sindhi film called Dadho Sutho in 2022 but was a television commercial in actuality. [9]
Some notable Sindhi films include:
Sindhis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who speak the Sindhi language and are native to the Sindh province of Pakistan. The historical homeland of Sindhis is bordered by the southeastern part of Balochistan, the Bahawalpur region of Punjab and the Kutch region of Gujarat. Having been isolated throughout history unlike its neighbours, Sindhi culture has preserved its own uniqueness.
Umerkot is a city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The 3rd Mughal emperor Akbar was born at Umerkot in 1542.
Sassi Punnu or Sassui Punnhun is a folktale in the Sindhi, Balochi and Punjabi folklore. It is one of the seven popular tragic romances of Sindh. The other six are Umar Marvi, Momal Rano, Sohni Mehar, Lilan Chanesar, Sorath Rai Diyach, and Noori Jam Tamachi. In Punjab, it is four of the most popular romances. The other three are Heer Ranjha, Sohni Mahiwal and Mirza Sahiban.It also remains one of the most popular folktales in Balochistan. The story is about a faithful lover who will endure any difficulty while seeking her beloved husband who was separated from her by rivals.
Sindhi literature is the collection of oral and written literature in the Sindhi language in prose and poetry. The Sindhi language of the province of Sindh in Pakistan is considered one of the oldest languages of ancient India, and influenced the language of Indus Valley inhabitants. Sindhi literature has developed over a thousand years.
Umar Marvi is a folktale from Sindh, Pakistan about a village girl Marvi, who resists the overtures of a powerful King and the temptation to live in the palace as a queen, preferring to be in a simple rural environment with her own village folk.
Umar Marvi, , is a Pakistani film adapted from a popular Sindhi folk tale, Umar Marvi, produced by Syed Hussain Ali Shah Fazlani, directed by Shaikh Hassan and starring Fazlani himself, Nighat Sultana, Noor Mohammed Charlie and Bibbo.
Ustad Muhammad Juman was a Sindhi musician and classical singer from Pakistan, whose impact on Sindhi music is still pervasive.
Sanam Marvi is a Pakistani folk and sufi singer. She sings in Sindhi, Punjabi, and Balochi languages.
Sorath Rai Diyach is a romantic folktale in Sindhi and Gujarati folklore. The story also appears in Shah Jo Risalo and forms part of seven popular tragic romances from Sindh. The other six tales are Umar Marvi, Sassui Punnhun, Sohni Mehar, Lilan Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi and Momal Rano commonly known as the Seven Queens of Sindh, or the Seven heroines of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.
Umarkot Fort, is a fort located in Umerkot, Sindh, also called Amarkot, Umerkot was founded and ruled By Sodha Rajputs of Parmar Dynasty. It was named after its founder Rana Amar Singh Sodha. Emperor Akbar was born in Umarkot Fort when his father Humayun fled from the military defeats at the hands of Sher Shah Suri on 15 October 1542. Rana Prasad Singh Sodha of Umarkot, who had risen to power, had given refuge to Mughal Emperor Humayun, and it was there Hamida Bano Begum gave birth to young Akbar. Later the Mughal Emperor Akbar became the Shahenshah of Hindustan and was a popular figure with both Hindus and Muslims. Umerkot has many sites of historical significance such as Mughal emperor Akbar's birthplace near to Umarkot Fort. Currently, King Akbar birthplace is an open land. In 1746, the Mughal Subahdar, Noor Mohammad Kalhoro, built a fort at the location. Later the British took over that area.
Sindhi Hindus are Sindhis who follow Hinduism. They are spread across modern-day Sindh, Pakistan and India. After the partition of India in 1947, many Sindhi Hindus were among those who fled from Pakistan to the dominion of India, in what was a wholesale exchange of Hindu and Muslim populations in some areas. Some later emigrated from the Indian subcontinent and settled in other parts of the world.
Shero Feroz is a Pakistani film released on 18 October 1968. Produced by Khadim Films, it was directed by Shaikh Hassan and launched the career of two famous Sindhi actors, Meh Parah and Mushtaq Changezi.
Hari Shivdasani (1909–1994) was an Indian character actor in Hindi cinema from 1930s to 1980s.
Chakori a.k.a. Chakori Begum; was a film actress from Sindh, Pakistan. She worked in Sindhi, Punjabi and Urdu films till the 1990s.
Ekta is a 1942 Sindhi film directed by Homi Wadia and produced by Karim Bux Nizamani in Bombay at Wadia Studios. This black and white film holds the distinction of being the first Sindhi film and was entirely financed by Karim Bux Nizamani. The movie starred Nizamani and Kaushalya in the lead roles, with a central theme revolving around Hindu-Muslim unity.
Abana is a 1958 Indian Sindhi-language drama film directed by Arjun Hingorani and Dharam Kumar. It was the first Sindhi film to be released in independent India.
Nighat Sultana was a Pakistani actress. She acted in both Urdu and Punjabi films and is known for her roles in films Chann Mahi, Umar Marvi, Saat Lakh, Insaf, Insan Badalta Hay, Neend, Dil Mera Dharkan Teri, Afsana Zindagi Ka and Kabhi Alwida Na Kehna.
Mushtaque Changezi was an actor, director and writer of Sindhi film industry. He was nicknamed as Dileep Kumar of Sindhi films.
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