''Ashiana'' is a 1964 Pakistani film directed by

S. M. Yusuf Shaikh Muhammad Yusuf ( 17 August 1994), known professionally as S. M. Yusuf, was a Pakistani film director and producer. He made fourteen films in British India and later after the split of India subcontinent, he worked in Pakistani cinema a ...

, who co-produced it also under banner ''F&Y Movies''. The lead cast of the film includes

Zeba Shaheen Bano (born 10 September 1945), known professionally as Zeba ( ur, ), is a Pakistani actress. She was one of the top stars of the Pakistani film industry in the 1960s and the early 1970s.Kamal,

Habib Habib ( ar, حبيب, ''ḥabīb''; ), sometimes written as Habeeb, is an Arabic masculine given name, occasional surname, and honorific, with the meaning "beloved" or "my love", or "darling". It also forms the famous Arabic word ‘''Habibi’'' ...

, Rukhsana,

Asha Posley Sabira Begum better known as Asha Posley (Punjabi, ur, ) (1927 – 25 March 1998) was the first heroine of Pakistani films. Early life Asha Posley was born as Sabira Begum in Patiala, Punjab, British India in 1927. Asha Posley was the dau ...

Nighat Sultana Nighat Sultana was a Pakistani actress. She acted in both Urdu and Punjabi films and is known for her roles in films ''Chann Mahi'', ''Umar Marvi'', ''Saat Lakh'', ''Insaf'', ''Insan Badalta Hay'', ''Neend'', '' Dil Mera Dharkan Teri'', ''Afsana ...

and Lehri. The music was composed by

A. Hameed A. Hameed (born Shaikh Abdul Hameed; 1924 – 20 May 1991) was a Pakistani film score composer and music director. He started his career in Bombay cinema (in modern-day Bollywood) and later worked in Lollywood. The first Pakistani film he wor ...

and lyrics by

Fayyaz Hashmi Fayyaz Hashmi ( ur, ; 1920 2011) was a Pakistani poet and screenwriter who worked both in the Indian and Pakistani film industry. He penned some memorable songs such as the famous nazm Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo and ''Tasveer teri dil mera beh ...

. ''Ashiana'' is the third collaboration of S. M. Yusuf with Fayyaz Hashmi and A.Hameed, after '' Saheli'' and '' Aulad'' (1962). S. M. Yusuf received his third

Nigar Award The Nigar Awards ( ur, , translit=Inʿām Negār, lit=Picture Awards) were presented in an annual award show to recognize outstanding achievement in Pakistani cinema. The honors are awarded by Nigar Magazine founded in 1948. The Nigar Awards ...

for best director at annual award ceremony.

Plot

The plot focuses on Malik family, where the quarrelsome matriarch of the house Sabira Begum has full control on the house while the patriarch Malik Siraj is a soft-spoken and noble person. Their family comprises; an elder son Rasheed, his wife Husna and her son, younger son Saeed, daughter Kishwar and son-in-law Aslam. Sabira has a typical cruel relation with Husna and Kishwar also does the exploitation all the day. One day Saeed falls for a girl Safia, the daughter of a rich father and decides to marry her. Before the marriage, Saeed warns Salma, Safia's step-mother about the bad environment of his house but she agrees, knowing that her daughter will turn it into a heaven. One day, Kishwar manipulates her brother Rasheed about his wife Husna to which he starts hating her and becomes close to a tawaif Samia. After marriage, Salma owns all the dowry items on Safia's name which Sabira doesn't like. She just starts beating her but then Salma comes in front of her, who was in Safia's dress. She insults Sabira and denies to send her daughter in her house. Safia however comes back to her husband silently and sends her sister-in-law Kishwar to her in-laws, who caused chaos in the house. She then controls the whole house, by grabbing the keys of the house from Sabira. Rasheed becomes poorer as he starts loosing his wealth on Smaia. Safia warns Saeed to keep an eye on Rasheed, who one day catches him in Samia's house in drunken satate and brings him back. Kishwar returns and creates a doubt in Safia's mind by misrepresentating things about Husna and Saeed. One day, She doubts Saeed while observing him who confronts his sister-in-law Husna, and starts making a noise there. Rasheed who is in drunken state also comes there and throws Husna out of the house. Safia also goes to her father's house. Saeed goes to convince her but she doesn't believe her. Salma helps them in their problems, and tells them a plan according to which, Saeed with his manager brings Rasheed to right path. Safia becomes a servant at Samia's house so that she can save Rasheed from her. Rasheed sells the business and mortgages the house. On Samia's house, Saeed comes where both the brothers argue. Rasheed brings his father for his support who sparks on Saeed and slaps him. He decides to handle the business himself but comes to know about Rasheed's evil antics in the meantime. Rasheed and Samia decides to elope but Husna and Saeed comes to know about their plan. Samia's brother catches them with the help of police, but on veil lifting, Husna appears there instead of Samia to which police leaves them. He apologies Husna for his injustices and goes to his house with her. Salma prevents the selling of their house and everyone starts living there happily.

Cast

as Rasheed * Rukhsana as Husna *

as Salma * Lehri as Malik Siraj * Nabeela as Kishwar * Asad Jafri as Aslam *

as Sabira * Samia Naaz as Samia * G.N. Butt as Manager * Najmul Hasan as Safia's father *

Adeeb Muzaffar Adeeb (1934 – 26 May 2006), known mononymously as Adeeb, was a Pakistani film actor. He appeared in 38 Indian films from 1940 to 1962, although he did not start performing in films very actively until the 1950s. In 1962, he shifted ...

as Zahir * Tamanna * Sultan Rahi (extra)

Soundtrack

Reception

Box office

''Ashiana'' celebrated its silver jubilee on the Box office after a theatrical run of 39 weeks.

Critical reception

In a review of the film by ''

The Illustrated Weekly of Pakistan ''The Herald'' was a monthly magazine of politics and current affairs published by the Dawn Media Group from 1970 to 2019 in Karachi, Pakistan. ''The Herald'' has been responsible for producing many large and breaking stories since it started. I ...

'', the cinematography was praised but direction was faulted stating "If one ignores the old style of Yusuf's direction, then “Ashiana” can be termed as a good film technically. It has good photography and sets are ornate which have been exploited well. But the characters roam about as if acting on a theatrical stage." In another article, the same newspaper included ''Ashiana'' among the films that retained best wing of West Pakistan in 1964.

Awards

References

{{Reflist 1960s Urdu-language films Urdu-language Pakistani films Pakistani black-and-white films Nigar Award winners