Syed Kamal or simply called Kamal ( ur, ; (27 April 1937 – 1 October 2009) was a Pakistani

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

and TV

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, producer and

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

. He had worked in 4

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...

films before migrating to

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

in 1956.

Early life and career

Syed Kamal was born in

Meerut Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capital ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

on 27 April 1937.Syed Kamal 1937 – 2009
The News International (newspaper), Published 2 October 2009, Retrieved 3 July 2021 Syed Kamal was a popular film star in the 1960s and the 1970s. Kamal, whose film ''Tauba (1963)'' became a success at the box office, had a striking resemblance to the

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n filmstar

Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (pronunciation: �aːd͡ʒ kəpuːɾ born Shrishti Nath Kapoor; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered one of th ...

, and he was not evasive about this issue. He once said, "People used to mistake me for Raj Kapoor while I was in

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

and I enjoyed it". In fact, according to Pakistani script writer Ali Sufyan Afaqi, Kamal used to practice Raj Kapoor's scenes in front of a mirror. Kamal's first appearance in his Pakistani movie by producer Shabab Keranvi ''Thandi Sarak (1957)'' was meant to resemble Raj Kapoor.

Achievements and awards

* Syed Kamal won a Special

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 a ...

(Special Award) for film ''

Behan Bhai ''Behan Bhai'' is a 1968 Pakistani drama film directed by Hassan Tariq who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars an ensemble cast of Nadeem, Kamal, Rani, Deeba, Ejaz, Husna, Aliya Begum and Aslam Pervaiz. The music was composed by A. ...

'' (1968) *Special

(Lifetime Achievement Award) in 2000. Among his other activities, he founded the ''Karachi Film Guild'' and Pakistan Film and TV Academy. After retirement from films, he began acting in

Pakistan Television Pakistan Television Corporation ( ur, ; reporting name: PTV) is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster. Pakistan entered the television broadcasting age in 1964, with a pilot television station established at Lahore. Background Historical co ...

dramas at a fairly advanced age. His most notable TV appearance is in hit TV drama '' Kashkol'' in which he played a wealthy businessman whose son (played by his real life son, Ghalib Kamal) becomes addicted to

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

Death and legacy

Syed Kamal died on 1 October 2009 at

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

after a lingering illness at age 72. He had been a heart patient for many years and had fallen accidentally at his home about a month ago. He was bedridden since his fall. His survivors include his wife, his son Ghalib Kamal and three daughters.Film star Syed Kamal passes away
Dawn (newspaper), Published 2 Oct 2009, Retrieved 3 July 2021 Paying tributes to Syed Kamal, the president of

Hum TV Hum TV is a 24-hour Urdu General Entertainment TV channel based in Karachi, Pakistan. It was founded by Sultana Siddiqui and Duraid Qureshi. It is owned by Hum Network Limited and traded on Pakistan Stock Exchange as (HUMNL). Hum Network Limi ...

Sultana Siddiqui Sultana Siddiqui also known as Sultana Apa ( Sindhi: سلطانا آپي)is a Pakistani media mogul, television director, and producer who is the founder of Hum Network Limited. Siddiqui is an active director of Hum Network Limited and the pre ...

said that Syed Kamal belonged to a respectable family and had encouraged many people to join the

Pakistan film industry Cinema of Pakistan, popularly known as Lollywood ( ur, ), refers to the filmmaking industry in Pakistan. Pakistan is home to several film studios centres, primarily located in its three largest cities – Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad. ...

. Film script writer

Pervaiz Kaleem Pervaiz Kaleem is a Pakistani film screenwriter and a director, based in Lahore. (Farhan Lashari and Sher KhanPervaiz Kaleem bemoans dearth of Pakistani screenwritersThe Express Tribune (newspaper), Published 24 Jan 2013, Retrieved 23 March ...

, film director Aslam Dar, actress

Babra Sharif Babra Sharif ( ur, ), (born 10 December 1954) is a Pakistani film actress, most known for her roles from the mid-1970s to the 1980s. She started her career in television commercials. She has worked with many famous names of her time, including Sh ...

and actor Ghulam Mohiuddin also paid their tributes to Syed Kamal.

Filmography

As an actor

*''Thandi Sarak'' (1957)Actor Kamal dies
The Nation (newspaper), Published 2 October 2009, Retrieved 3 July 2021 *''Sawera'' (1959) *''Apna Paraya'' (1959) *''Banjaran'' (1962) *''Tauba'' (1963) *''Aashiana'' (1964) *''Aisa Bhi Hota Hai'' (1965) *''

'' (1968) *''Nai Laila Naya Majnoon'' (1969) (a

platinum jubilee A platinum jubilee is a celebration held to mark an anniversary. Among monarchies, it usually refers to a 70th anniversary. The most recent monarch to celebrate a platinum jubilee is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and the other Co ...

film *''Road To Swat'' (1970) * ''Insan Aur Gadha'' (1973)

As a director

*''Shehnai (1968)'' starring (Syed Kamal-

Deeba Deeba ( ur, ), is a Pakistani film actress. She was one of the leading film actresses during the 1960s and 1970s, well known for her romantic and tragic roles in Urdu and Punjabi films. She has received a Nigar Award and Pride of Performance. ...

) *'' Insan Aur Gadha (1973)'' starring (Syed Kamal-Nisho-Rozina) *''Yahan Say Wahan Tak'' starring (Syed Kamal-

Mumtaz Mumtaz ( ar, ممتاز) is a name commonly used in various countries in the Muslim world, mainly Afghanistan, Brunei, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Turkey. It can also be used as a female name. ''Mumtazah'' is a related female versio ...

) *''Honeymoon (1970)'' starring (Syed Kamal-

Husna Husna was a Pakistani actress in the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. She was first introduced as a child star in film ''Jan-e-Bahar'' (1958) and played the daughter of Sudhir and Musarrat Nazir. She appeared in such films as ''Changez Khan'' (1958 ...

-Rozina) *''Roop Behroop'' starring (producer-director-actor Syed Kamal opposite Nisho) *''Doosri Maan'' starring (Syed Kamal-

Shamim Ara Shamim Ara (22 March 1938 – 5 August 2016) was a Pakistani film actress, director and producer. She was known as ''The Tragic Beauty'' because of the tragic heroine roles she often portrayed in films. She was one of the most popular actresse ...

) *''Meray Bacchay Meri Aankhein'' starring (Syed Kamal-

) *''Dard-E-Dil'' starring (Syed Kamal and

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.Shamim Ara Shamim Ara (22 March 1938 – 5 August 2016) was a Pakistani film actress, director and producer. She was known as ''The Tragic Beauty'' because of the tragic heroine roles she often portrayed in films. She was one of the most popular actresse ...

) *''Jatt Kurrian Taun Darda (1976)'' A Punjabi film, starring Syed Kamal,

Neelo Neelo Begum (born Cynthia Alexander Fernandes; ''née'' Abida Riaz; 30 June 1941 – 30 January 2021) was a Pakistani veteran film actress. She made her film debut in 1956 with Hollywood film ''Bhowani Junction''. She was known as ''The Qu ...

and

Aslam Pervaiz Aslam Parvez (12 February 1932 – 21 November 1984) was a Pakistani film actor. Career Born as Chaudhary Muhammad Aslam into a family of traders in Lahore, Punjab, British India on 12 February 1932. Aslam Parvez entered the Pakistani f ...

*''Ajj Dian Kurrian (1977)'' A Punjabi film, starring Syed Kamal and

*''Kal De Munday'' (1978) *''Jat Kamala Gaya Dubai (1984)'' *''Siyasat'' (1986)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kamal, Syed 1937 births 2009 deaths People from Meerut Muhajir people Pakistani male film actors Pakistani male television actors Pakistani film directors Pakistani film producers Pakistani politicians Male actors from Karachi Nigar Award winners