Akhtar J. Kardar (25 November 1926 – 14 February 2002),
or Ajay, was a Pakistani
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
,
producer
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
and
screenwriter
A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based.
...
. He was the brother of filmmaker
Abdur Rashid Kardar
Abdur Rashid Kardar (1904–1989) was an Indian film actor, director and producer. He is credited with establishing the film industry in the Bhati Gate locality of Lahore, British India (now in Pakistan).[Abdul Hafeez Kardar
Abdul Hafeez Kardar PP, HI ( ur, ) (17 January 1925 – 21 April 1996) was a Pakistani cricketer, politician and diplomat. He was the first captain of the Pakistan cricket team. He is one of the only three players to have played Test crick ...]
.
He is credited in particular for having directed ''
The Day Shall Dawn
''The Day Shall Dawn'' ( ur, جاگو ہوا سویرا, Jago Hua Savera) is a 1959 Pakistani drama film directed by A. J. Kardar. The film was selected as the Pakistani entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 32nd Academy Awards, but w ...
(Jago Hua Savera)'', a film which has received international recognition and numerous awards. It was the first Pakistani film to be submitted for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film Category.
Biography
Akhtar J Kardar graduated from the Royal Naval Academy after serving through World War II as a Commissioned Officer. He served until 1945 after an attack on his ship the Ituara in the Gulf, where he was one of a few members to survive a torpedo hit. A few years later, he went on to work as a journalist and studied Art and Cinematography at the London School of Arts & Goldsmiths College.
In 1959 he started making films and has since written, produced and directed three feature films and 59 documentaries. His work has been exhibited in several international film festivals. Some of the awards his work has received include The Boston Film Festival Award (1961), The Moscow Gold Medal Award (1959), The Golden Dolphin Award from Iran and the Nigar Award from Pakistan (1969).
He was the managing director for seven years of one of Pakistan's premier documentary film production companies; National Film Studios Ltd and retained as consultant for 5 years by the National Film Development Corporation of Pakistan.
During 1982 and 1985, he served as a senior lecturer in "The Theory & Practice of Film Making" in the Yarmouk University (Jordan), where he received an honorary doctorate by the university.
Selected filmography
* ''
The Day Shall Dawn
''The Day Shall Dawn'' ( ur, جاگو ہوا سویرا, Jago Hua Savera) is a 1959 Pakistani drama film directed by A. J. Kardar. The film was selected as the Pakistani entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 32nd Academy Awards, but w ...
'' (1959)
See also
*
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kardar, A. J.
1926 births
2002 deaths
Pakistani film producers
Pakistani screenwriters
Film directors from Lahore
Nigar Award winners
20th-century screenwriters