ISLAMABAD: Film star Muhammad Ali was remembered on his 11th death anniversary on Sunday.
Muhammad Ali’s widow, Zeba, arranged a prayer ceremony for the departed at her residence in Lahore.
Muhammad Ali was born to a religious family in Rampur of British India on November 10, 1938.
According to a private news channel, Muhammad Ali began his career from Radio Pakistan Hyderabad as a broadcaster and then as an actor.
Director Fazal Ahmad Kareem introduced him to the film industry through the 1962 film, Chiragh Jalta Rahe, which was inaugurated by Fatima Jinnah. According to critics, his performance herein outpaced that of the protagonist’s, thereby sparking a new phase in Pakistani cinema.
The first film in which he played the lead role was “Shararat” (1964) opposite Bahar.
Through the next two decades, he reportedly worked on hundreds of Urdu and Punjabi films of which Tipu Sultan, Mohabbat, Tum Mile Pyaar Mila, Khamosh Raho and Jag Utha Insan became super hits. His impressive roster of co-stars includes the top crop of the 60s and 70s, such as Naghma, Shabnum, Shamim Aara, Firdous and Durdana Rahman.
He was conferred with Pride of Performance in 1984 in recognition of his life-long services to the entertainment industry of Pakistan and subsequently became the only actor who was awarded Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.
Not only is Ali still remembered for his phenomenal work in movies like Jaag Utha Insan and Khamosh Raho but the new trends he brought forth to the field of acting still carry much weight today.
Ali was a cardiac patient and underwent two surgeries.
Mohammad Ali died on March 19, 2006, due to a heart attack in Lahore.
