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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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 was Ekta produced by Raes Karim Bux Nizamani in 1940 while it was 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]
Some notable Sindhi films include:
Umerkot is a city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The Mughal emperor Akbar was born in Umerkot in 1542. The Hindu folk deities Pabuji and Ramdev married in Umerkot.
Sassui Punnhun or Sassi Punnu is a traditional Sindhi, Balochi, and Punjabi tragic folktale. Set in Sindh and Makran, the tragedy follows the story of a faithful lover who endures many difficulties while seeking her beloved husband who was separated from her by rivals.
The film industry of Pakistan, consisting of motion pictures, has had a large effect on Pakistani society and culture since the nation's independence. Pakistani cinema is made up of various sub-industries, including Lollywood, which makes motion pictures in Urdu and Punjabi. Lollywood is one of the biggest film industries in the country.
Umar Marvi is a traditional Sindhi folktale dating back to the 14th century, and first penned by Shah Abdul Karim Bulri in the 16th century. It follows the story of a village girl Marvi, who resists the overtures of a powerful local ruler 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.
Marvi Memon is a Pakistani politician who recently served as Chairperson of the Benazir Income Support Programme, from February 2015 until June 2018. She had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from March 2008 to June 2011 and again from June 2013 to May 2018.
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, also called Amarkot, is a fort in Umerkot, Sindh. 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 that 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, Akbar's 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.
Sultana Siddiqui also known as Sultana Apa is a Pakistani media mogul, television director, and producer who is the founder of Hum Network Limited.
Sheila Ramani, also known as Sheila Kewalramani, was an Indian actress who was introduced into Bollywood by the film-maker Chetan Anand. She is known for her role in the movie Taxi Driver. She was born in Sindh and was one of the few actresses from Sindh to join the Indian film industry.
Muhammad Ali Kazi also known as Ali Kazi is a Sindhi journalist and news anchor from Pakistan.
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 produced by Karim Bux Nizamani and directed by Homi Wadia 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.
Ayesha Aziz, popularly known as Marvi, was a Pakistani cinema actress. She was one of the few Sindhi actresses that made a career in Lollywood. Her career was cut short when she was murdered on 25 August 1998.
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.
Mushtaque Changezi was an actor, director and writer of Sindhi film industry. He was nicknamed as Dileep Kumar of Sindhi films.