The chequered history of Pakistan film industry is interspersed with many vicissitudes. Starting almost from a scratch soon after the political division of the Sub-continent, it gradually progressed to achieve self-reliance and prosperity, and a time came when it could proudly and successfully compete with quality films made across the border in India, matching them in all departments of cinematography.
The golden era of Pakistan cinema was the period which spanned the decades of the 60s and 70s, although a number of good movies had already been produced in Lahore studios during the second half of the 50s. A large number of dedicated workers and movie-makers, who had made names during their stay in Mumbai, like producer-directors Nazir, Shaukat Hussain Rizvi and W Z Ahmad (and their actress-wives Swaran Lata, Nur Jehan and Neena); directors Nazir Ajmeri, Luqman, S Fazli and Masud Parvez; and play-actors of the calibre of Shah Nawaz, Shakir, Alauddin, Charlie, Ghauri, Himaliyawala, Sadiq Ali, Shameem, Najma and Ragni contributed to the evolution of Pakistan film industry during the formative years of the new state.
The factors which contributed to the decline of Pakistan film industry were: the loss of East Pakistan territory; the inception of television; and the infiltration of non-artistic financiers, who had no or little background, either in the arts, or business. Consequently, senior film-makers (directors and composers including) went into voluntary exile and the industry was taken over by those rich people who invested money for purposes other than artistic ends...
Pakistani Films
Lollywood History
The Silent Era (1896-1931)
The Pre-Independence Period (1931-1947)
The Formative Period (1948 – 1955)
The Golden Era (1956 – 1966)
The Period of Great Change (1967 – 1978)
The Period of Crisis (1979 – 1990)
The Period full of Ups and Downs – (1991-1999)
Producers / Directors
Iqbal Kashmiri | Iqbal Shehzad | Shabab Kiranvi | Shaukat Hussain Rizvi | Zahoor Raja | Sheikh Hasan | Sangeeta | | Rehman | Pervez Malik | Luqman | Zia Sarhady | W.Z. Ahmed | S.M. Yousuf | S. Suleman | Agha G.A. Gul |
Actors / Actresses
Heroes - | Santosh Kumar | Sudhir | Badar Munir | Mohammad Ali | Rattan Kumar | Waheed Murad | Waheed Murad | Ayaz Naik | Rehman | Habib | Sultan Rahi | Shahid | Nadeem | Yousuf Khan |
Heroines - | Sabiha Khanum | Meena Shorey | Mussarat Nazir | Shamim Ara | Anjuman | Madiha Shah | Babra Sharif | Bahar | Rani | Deeba | Yasmin | Jamila Razzaq | Aaliya | Aasiya | Nayyar Sultana | Neelo | Rehana | Zeba | Sangeeta | Khursheed Begum | Shahpara | Noor Jehan | Nisho |Mumtaz | Komal | Chakori | Shabana | Suchinda | Nina | Nasreen (Senior) | Saloni | Renuka Devi | Neeli | Naghma | Nimmi | Nasima Khan | Shabnam | Shahina Ghaznavi | Swaranlata | Firdous | Shammi |
Villains - Himalayawala | Ilyas Kashmiri |
Character Artistes - | Afshan Qureshi | Nasreen | Zurain | Nabeela | Shehzadi | Mahpara | Allaudin | Talish | Talat Siddiqui | M. Ismail | Atiya Sharaf | Kumar | Bibbo |
Singers - Ahmed Rushdi | Mala | Zubaida Khanum | Naheed Akhtar | Irene Parveen | Naseem Begum | Mehdi Hassan | Zeenat Begum | Naseem Akhtar | Munawwar Sultana | Mujeeb Alam | Firdousi Begum | Bashir Ahmed | | Noor Jehan | Naheed Niazi | Kauser Parveen |
Music Directors - Khurshid Anwar | A. Hameed | Nazir Ali | Ghulam Haider | Bashir Ahmed | Amjad Bobby | M. Ashraf | Khan Ataur Rehman | Robin Ghosh | Muslehuddin |
Lyricists/Script Writers - Bashir Ahmed | Masroor Anwar | Munir Niazi | Suroor Barabankvi | Saifuddin Saif | Habib Jalib |
Lollywood Films - Khamosh Raho (1964) | Chingari (1964) | Do Ansoo (1950) | Jago Hua Savera (1959) | Hamraaz (1967) | Jhoomar (1959) | Saath Laakh (1957) | Ghoonghat (1962) | Intezar (1956) | Heer Ranjha (1970) | Sassi (1954) | Shaheed (1962) | Zehr-e-Ishq (1958) | Yeh Dil Aapka Hoa (2002) | Pyaar Hi Pyaar Mein (2003) | Pehla Pehla Pyar (2006) | Neela Parbat (1969) | Majajan (2006) | Larki Punjaban (2003) | Laaj (2003) | Koi Tujh Sa Kahan (2005) | Khuda Ke Liye (2007) | Ishtahari (2002) | Khazanchi (1941) | Aina (1977) | Maula Jatt (1979) | Zinda Laash (1967) | Kaun Bane Ga Crorepati (2002) | Khamosh Pani (2003) | Aansoo (1971) | Virsa (2010) | Channa Sachi Muchi (2010) | Armaan (1966) | Mukh-o-Mukhosh (1956)
Filmi Pairs - Pran - Noor Jehan | Noor Jehan - Aslam Pervaiz | Sabiha Khanum - Santosh Kumar | Darpan - Nayyar Sultana | Sudhir - Mussarat Nazir | Nadeem - Shabnam | Ejaz - Firdous | Mohammed Ali - Zeba | Rani - Waheed Murad | Zeba - Waheed Murad | Sultan Rahi - Anjuman