Anjuman Shaheen ( ur, ), is a Pakistani film actress and singer. She was one of the most successful Punjabi film heroines of Pakistan during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. She was born in
Bahawalpur
Bahawalpur () is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. With inhabitants as of 2017, it is Pakistan's 11th most populous city.
Founded in 1748, Bahawalpur was the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur, ruled by the Abbasi fa ...
. Anjuman's parents were from
Ahmadpur East
Ahmedpur East or Ahmedpur Sharqia (), also spelled ''Ahmadpur'', ''Ahmed Pur'' or ''Ahmad Pur'', is a city in Bahawalpur District, Punjab province, Pakistan. It is the headquarters of Ahmadpur East Tehsil. It is the 69th largest city of Pakista ...
, settled in
Multan
Multan (; ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan, on the bank of the Chenab River. Multan is Pakistan's seventh largest city as per the 2017 census, and the major cultural, religious and economic centre of southern Punjab.
Multan is one of the List ...
where Anjuman was brought up. She later moved to
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
.
Career
Her career spanned almost 20 years and she appeared in more than 300 films. She first appeared in the
Waseem Abbas
Waseem Abbas ( ur, وسِیم عبّاس) is a Pakistani television, film actor and director. He is known for his roles in television dramas for PTV and other networks, including ''Samundar'', ''Raat'', ''Ashiyana'', ''Family Front'', '' Landa ...
, Afshan, Taj Niazi. Her last appearance was in ''Peengan'' (2000). ''Soorath'' was not a success. Her first major hit was ''Waadey Ki Zanjeer'' (1979). She had major roles in '' Sher Khan'' and ''
Chan Varyam
''Chan Varyam'' () is a 1981 Pakistani action film. Directed by Jahangir Qaisar and produced by Mohammad Sarwar Bhatti, the film stars Sultan Rahi, Anjuman, Iqbal Hassan, Mustafa Qureshi, Afzaal Ahmed, Humayun Qureshi and Mehboob Alam.
Relea ...
'' (1981) and played a supporting role in film ''Sala Sahib'' (1981). All three were
diamond jubilee
A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...
hit films and were released the same day, a unique record, which she shared with her co-star
Sultan Rahi
Sultan Rahi ( ur, ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻥ ﺭﺍﮨﯽ ; June 24, 1938 – January 9, 1996) was a Pakistani actor, producer and screenwriter.
He established himself as one of the leading and most successful actors of Pakistani and Punjabi cinema, and ...
, her playback voice Madam
Noor Jehan
Noor Jehan ( Punjabi: ) (born () Allah Rakhi Wasai ; 23 September 1926 – 23 December 2000; sometimes spelled Noorjehan),Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema,'' British Film Institute, Oxford University Pres ...
, and musician Wajahat Attre.
She appeared with every hero of her era, but her pairing with
Sultan Rahi
Sultan Rahi ( ur, ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻥ ﺭﺍﮨﯽ ; June 24, 1938 – January 9, 1996) was a Pakistani actor, producer and screenwriter.
He established himself as one of the leading and most successful actors of Pakistani and Punjabi cinema, and ...
ruled the Punjabi cinema for more than a decade. She also appeared with
Waheed Murad
Waheed Murad ( ur, ; 2 October 1938 – 23 November 1983), also known as Chocolate Hero, was a Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Famous for his charming expressions, attractive personality, tender voice and unusual talent for a ...
, Ali Ejaz,
Javed Sheikh
Jawed Sheikh (also spelled Javaid and Javed; born 8 October 1954) is a Pakistani actor, film director and producer who works in Lollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for working in the Hindi films ''Om Shanti Om'', '' My Name Is Anthony Gon ...
Nadeem
Nadeem (also spelled Nadim or Nedim; ar, نديم) is an Arabic masculine given name. It means "best friend of the drinker" "companion", "confidant" or "friend". Originates from the plural word "Nadama""نَدامَى" which means, drink to forg ...
Punjabi films. Her roles ranged from a traditional innocent village girl to modern sexy bombshell, romantic to action-packed films. Anjuman was a darling of the working classes. She had the figure of a traditional ''Punjabi Mutyaar'' much admired in
Punjab, Pakistan
Punjab (; , ) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in central-eastern region of the country, Punjab is the second-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the largest province by population. It shares land borders with the ...
. Her fans also admired her dancing, especially her ''thumkas'' (a dance form which consists of pelvic thrusting).
In the 1980s, after the box-office success of
Chan Varyam
''Chan Varyam'' () is a 1981 Pakistani action film. Directed by Jahangir Qaisar and produced by Mohammad Sarwar Bhatti, the film stars Sultan Rahi, Anjuman, Iqbal Hassan, Mustafa Qureshi, Afzaal Ahmed, Humayun Qureshi and Mehboob Alam.
Relea ...
(1981 film),
Sultan Rahi
Sultan Rahi ( ur, ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻥ ﺭﺍﮨﯽ ; June 24, 1938 – January 9, 1996) was a Pakistani actor, producer and screenwriter.
He established himself as one of the leading and most successful actors of Pakistani and Punjabi cinema, and ...
,
Mustafa Qureshi
Mustafa Qureshi is a Pakistani film and television actor.
He has acted in more than 600 movies, in Urdu, Punjabi and Sindhi languages.
He is best remembered for playing the antagonist Noori Natt in ''Maula Jatt'' (1979).
He was born into ...
, Anjuman and the playback singing of Madam
Noor Jehan
Noor Jehan ( Punjabi: ) (born () Allah Rakhi Wasai ; 23 September 1926 – 23 December 2000; sometimes spelled Noorjehan),Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen, ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema,'' British Film Institute, Oxford University Pres ...
dominated the Punjabi film industry to such an extent that a film was not considered a viable project unless they were present in it. Film after film was launched with all the four stars, with different names, but merely repeating their roles from the previous efforts. Nonetheless, the public lapped it up and all of them became icons of an era.
Anjuman as an action heroine
In Punjabi films,
Sultan Rahi
Sultan Rahi ( ur, ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻥ ﺭﺍﮨﯽ ; June 24, 1938 – January 9, 1996) was a Pakistani actor, producer and screenwriter.
He established himself as one of the leading and most successful actors of Pakistani and Punjabi cinema, and ...
gained reputation as an action hero but in many films Anjuman herself played an action heroine where she would fight with the villains. Some of her action films are '' Mela'' (1986), ''Hunter Wali'' (1988), ''Dulari'' (1987), ''Qatil Haseena'' (1989), ''Daku Haseena'', ''Kali Charan'', ''Sultana'', ''Nangi Talwar'', etc.
She was seen in action films, riding horses, driving motor bikes and doing stunts which gave a new dimension to female roles in
Lollywood
Lollywood ( ur, , translit=lâli vuḍ) refers to Pakistan's film industry based in Lahore, previously the base for both Punjabi and Urdu language film production.
Lahore has been the center of Pakistani cinema since the partition of ...
movies, which previously only promoted the image of a shy and innocent girl. Plots of Anjuman's action films were mainly revenge based. She played a don in ''Insaniyat ke dushman''. Anjuman can be considered as the first established action heroine of the Pakistan film industry. Her viewers not only liked her acting and dances but also her action skills.Early Days and a Brief History (To the 1980's) Actress Anjuman in action-packed movies, on brns.com website, Retrieved 25 May 2020Janbaaz : la chronique de Nanarland Actress Anjuman's film Janbaaz (1987) on nanarland.com website, Retrieved 25 May 2020 Anjuman and Sultan Rahi action-packed films, Foxybronx.free.fr. website, Retrieved 25 May 2020 Film review on thehotspotonline.com website, Retrieved 25 May 2020, Retrieved 25 May 2020 on thehotspotonline.com website, Retrieved 25 May 2020
Marriage
Anjuman married
income tax
An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of the income or profits earned by them (commonly called taxable income). Income tax generally is computed as the product of a tax rate times the taxable income. Tax ...
commissioner, Mobin Malik, gave birth to two sons and one daughter. Zeeshan, Adnan and Iman, quit films, and lived in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
with her family. However, Mobin Malik, Anjuman's husband was murdered on
Eid day
There are two official holidays in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated by Muslims worldwide. Both holidays occur on dates in the lunar Islamic calendar, which is different from the solar-based Gregorian calendar, so they a ...
in 2013 while he was in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
visiting relatives.Police get some clues to Mubeen's murder (husband of film actress Anjuman) Dawn (newspaper), Published 20 October 2013, Retrieved 25 May 2020
Anjuman got married for the second time on 17 June 2019 with Waseem Lucky Ali. The ceremony was attended by only close family and friends.
Comeback in films
Anjuman returned to acting in 1999 in the title role in the film ''Chaudrani'' (1999 film). The adoring masses welcomed their beloved 'Queen' home and lifted ''Chaudhrani'' to a considerable success upon its release but soon the golden touch began to fade. Anjuman, however, perceived ''Chaudhranis success as vindication of everything she had planned. She refused any further character roles, opting only for solo heroine projects and required a lofty salary of Rs. 300,000. She felt that she was in a position to be calling all the shots, but in any film industry you are only as good as your last hit and she was soon to taste the price of stardom. Her next release was ''Jag Mahi'', opposite Ghulam Mohiuddin, in 2000 met with a tepid response . Anjuman's next release was a litmus test of sorts. The film ''Peengan'' (2000) opposite Saud was met with derision due to the age gap between her and the film's hero.
She was abruptly dropped from the film '' Badmaash'', for which she had already canned two songs and numerous scenes, and replaced by upcoming starlet Noor. The film producer felt they would be better off cutting Anjuman, and their costs, rather than going ahead with Anjuman as the leading lady.
Further news arrived that Anjuman's scenes in the film ''Badmaash tey Qanoon'' had also been dropped and edited out of the film, and that she had been replaced by
Nargis
Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she made her screen debut in a minor role ...
. This was the final straw for Anjuman, the humiliation proving too much to take. She announced her immediate retirement, that she was just hanging around to complete her on hand assignments, and that she would shortly be leaving Pakistan altogether for a life of anonymity in the UK where her former husband Mobin Malik owned a flat in Knightsbridge, London. Her final two movies were ''Jatti da vair'' in 2000 and ''Ik dhee punjab di'' (Daughter of Punjab).Khan, Omar.
Filmography
Awards and recognition
See also
*
List of Pakistani actresses
This is an alphabetical list of notable Pakistani actresses related to the film and television industry.
A
*Aasia
*Armeena Khan
* Aaminah Haq
* Aamina Sheikh
*Aiman Khan
* Ainy Jaffri
* Alishba Yousuf ...