Ahmed Rushdi
Encyclopedia
Ahmed Rushdi, SI, PP
was a versatile Pakistani playback singer
who worked in film music and was "an important contributor to the Golden Age of Pakistani film music." Rushdi is acclaimed as one of the greatest singers ever lived in south asia
and was a natural baritone
, yet could sing high tenor
notes with ease. Born in Hyderabad Deccan, he migrated to Pakistan
and became a leading singer in the Pakistan film industry. He is considered to be one of the most versatile vocalists of the subcontinent
and was capable of singing variety of songs. He is also considered to be the first regular pop
singer of south asia and credited as having sung the "first-ever South asian" pop
song, "Ko-Ko-Ko-reena."
In 1954, he recorded the official National anthem
of Pakistan with several other singers. Rushdi has recorded the highest number of film songs in the history of Pakistani cinema in Urdu
, English
, Punjabi
, Bengali
, Sindhi
and Gujarati
languages. He suffered from poor health during the latter part of his life and died of a heart attack at the age of 48, after recording approximately five thousand film songs for 583 released films. Besides popular music, Rushdi also helped popularize the ghazal
s of Naseer Turabi.
In 2003, 20 years after his death, Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf
awarded him the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the "star of excellence," an honour given for distinguished merit in the fields of literature, arts, sports, medicine, or science. A street in Gulshan-e-Iqbal
, Karachi
, also named Ahmed Rushdi Road.
at Aurangabad College, Hyderabad, Deccan. He died when Rushdi was only six years old. From a young age, Rushdi was fond of listening to the musical programs, including songs, which were broadcast from the radio
. He neither inherited music from any one, nor any body in his family was ever affiliated to music. Ahmed Rushdi's singing talents impressed a very close friend of his father, whom he called uncle and who loved him dearly. He enrolled in a local music academy in Hyderabad Deccan. Moreover, two popular composers of the time, M.A. Rauf and Iqbal Qureshi, also taught music in the same school. Thus, Ahmed Rushdi learned the basics of music from the afore-mentioned teachers.
Ahmed Rushdi did not get any sort of formal training of classical music
neither before nor after becoming a successful playback singer but he had an effective command over high and low notes. He sang his first song in the Indian film Ibrat in 1951 and got recognition. His family moved to Pakistan and settled in Karachi in 1954, where he began participating in variety shows, music programs, and children's programs on radio. In 1954, he recorded his first non-film song, "Bunder Road se Keemari", written by Mehdi Zaheer for the popular Radio Pakistan show Bachchon Ki Duniya; the song was a hit and became the steppingstone for Rushdi's future.
The film Anchal
(1960) was an important film in Rushdi’s career. Music director Khalil Ahmed
recorded an extremely sad number “Kisi chaman mei raho tum” in singer Saleem Raza
's voice but wanted Rushdi to re-record the song as he was not satisfied with Saleem Raza’s singing. Rushdi did so and the song recorded in his voice satisfied composer Khalil. Raza's career as a singer was affected and doomed later on. After that, whenever Khalil composed music for any film, Rushdi remained his first choice. The mid 1960s saw the rise of brilliant singers like Mehdi Hassan
and Masood Rana
, but it did not affect Rushdi's career and he kept on leading the film music.
Music experts including Nisar Bazmi
, Sohail Rana
and M. Ashraf are unanimous that Rushdi’s voice was best suited for every hero
, comedian
and even character actor
. He lent his voice to Waheed Murad
, Nadeem
, Santosh Kumar, Darpan, Habib
, Rehman
, Ghulam Mohiuddin
and was tailor made for every actor of film industry. Rushdi's voice was even ideally suited to comedians such as Munawar Zarif
, Lehri
, Nirala
, Nanha and Rangeela
.
Rushdi recorded the ghazal “Shok-e-awargi” written by poet Habib Jalib
for actor Syed Kamal
in the 1963 film Joker. This ghazal sung by Rushdi, gained popularity amongst music listeners. Rushdi and Jalib again teamed together for Mohammad Ali
in the film Khamosh Raho (1964). Rushdi sang the ghazal “Mei Nahi Manta” for the same film and gained Habib Jalib country-wide fame. He recorded a qawwali
"Madiney waley ko mera salam kehdena" along with Munir Husain same year.
Actor Nadeem's first film as a leading actor was Chakori (1967). Rushdi recorded four songs for this film in the composition of music director Robin Ghosh
. “Kabhi toe tum ko yaad ayen gi”, “Pyare pyare yar humare” and “Tujhe chahein meri bahein”. Same year, film Doraha and Shehnai were released. He recorded all the songs for these films including “Bhooli hue hoon dastan”, “tumhein kaise bta doon”, “Han issi mor per” (film Doraha) and “Tujhey apney dil se mei kaise”, “Nazaron se haseen hai”, "Dunya mei tumko jeena hai agar" ( film Shehnai).
In 1968, Rushdi recorded his first ever Bengal
i song in the film Notun Name Dako of Dhaka
titled "Ke Tumi Ele Go", which became a smashing hit in the then East Pakistan
. He sang playback hits in the same year like "Ae mere diwaney dil" (film Jahan tum wahan hum), "Socha tha pyar na karein ge" (film Ladla), "Usey dekha usey chaha usey bhool gaye" (film Jahan tum wahan hum), "Teri aankhon ke bheegey sitarey" (film Ma Beta) and many more. Same year, Rushdi recorded a song "Salam-e-mohabbat" for Mohammad Ali in Khawaja Khurshid Anwar
's composition.
Rushdi sang for Waheed Murad in 1969 film Naseeb Apna Apna. The song “Ae abr-e-kaaram aaj itna baras” brought another Nigar award for him. The song was composed by Lal Mohammad Iqbal. He also won different awards for songs like "Dil tumko de diya hai" and "Hum se na bigar aye larki". Around the same year, he sang a duet with Mala
in the film Baharei phir bhi ayen gi, "Khush naseebi hai meri".
In 1969, the film Andaleeb was released. Ahmed Rushdi recorded all the songs for Waheed Murad in this film. The song “Kuch log rooth ker bhi” was a hit. Its sad version was sung by Noor Jahan. Although he sang for every film hero in Pakistan, his pairing with Waheed Murad proved to be the most popular, in such movies as Armaan
(1966); the song "Akele Na Jaana" from that movie in Sohail Rana
's composition gained Rushdi another Nigar Award. Well-known hits of Rushdi picturised on Waheed Murad such as "Lag rahi hai mujhey aaj sari faza ajnabi" or "Kuchh loag rooth kar bi" were composed by Nisar Bazmi
, the legendary composer for Pakistani movies. Ahmed Rushdi-Nisar Bazmi pair and Ahmed Rushdi-Sohail Rana combination were two of the most successful singer-music director pairs of Pakistan film music.
The 1970s brought new faces like Alamgir
, Akhlaq Ahmed
, Ghulam Abbas, A Nayyar
etc. But Rushdi remained a leading singer of film industry. Film Bandagi
, Naag Muni and Baazi
were released in 1971. Ahmed Rushdi had a playback in all the three films. He also won several awards for songs such as "Aik albeli si naar" (Naag Muni), "Tum bhi ho ajnabi" (Baazi) and "Poocho na hum ne kis liye" (Intezar). Perhaps, the song below never rang as true as it did after Ahmed Rushdi's demise:
"Chore chalay hum chore chalay lo sheher tumhara chore chalay", film, Phir Chand Nikley Ga
(1970) music, Sohail Rana.
Rushdi sung four solo songs and one duet for Waheed in the film Khalish (1972). “Honto pe tera naam”( with Mala), “Kal achanak jo sar-e-rah mili thi”, “Ghussey mei gulabi gaal” and “Pyar hota hai”. Music director was M.Ashraf. Around the same year, he sung for Mohammad Ali in the film Mohabbat
. Rushdi recorded three songs in the film including a sad song "Khudara mohabbat na karna". Music director was Nisar Bazmi.
In 1973, he recorded a qawwali “Dil torney waley” for the film Mehboob mera mastana. Ahmed Rushdi also recorded a romantic number ”Teri jabeen se chodhwin ka chand jhankta rahey” (film Nadan) for actor Rehman
. He recorded a sad song "Angara mera mann" for film Jaal
which was released same year. He was also fond of acting
and appeared in thirteen films as an actor including Anokhi (1956), Kaneez (1965), Saat Lakh (1967) and Dekha Jaye Ga (1976). He also composed a music album in singer Mujeeb Aalam
's voice.
In 1974, film Anhoni
was released. Waheed Murad and Aliya were in leading roles. Music director Lal Mohammad Iqbal recorded two songs in Rushdi’s voice. “Hai kahan who kali” and a sad number “Mei tujhey Nazar kia doon”. In the same year he sang for actor Shahid
in film Dharkan
. He recorded a romantic number “Rangat gulabi chehra kitabi” for Shahid.
In 1975, Ahmed Rushdi recorded “Dil ko jalana hum ne chor diya” (Film Mohabbat Zindagi Hai
). This song was picturised on Waheed Murad and gained country wide popularity. He sung another song “Mashriqi rang ko chor ke” for the same film. He recorded many songs for Pakistan television including “Dil mei tu hai”, "Han issi mor pe" and "Bheegey hue mousam mei". Rushdi was not only singing for films, but he was equally a busy figure for Radio and Television also. He remained a leading singer between 1954 and 1983. He sang for all the famous actors of Pakistan film industry. Rushdi recorded his last song "Ban ke misra ghazal ka" in 1983 for film Hero, which was picturised on Waheed Murad and the song was a hit. He recorded a large number of duets in many languages with Runa Laila
, Mala
, Naheed Niazi
, Noor Jahan
, Irene Parveen, Naseem Begum
and Naheed Akhtar
in his thirty-three-year singing career.
singer of south asia
as he introduced hip-hop, rock n roll
, disco
and other modern genres in South Asian music and has since then been adopted in Bangladesh
, India
and lately Nepal
as a pioneering influence in their respective pop cultures. Following Rushdi's success, Christian
bands specialising in jazz
started performing
at various night clubs and hotel lobbies in Karachi
, Hyderabad
, Mumbai
, Dhaka
and Lahore
. They would usually sing either famous American jazz hits or cover Rushdi's songs. Rushdi sang playback hits along with Runa Laila
until the Bangladesh Liberation War
when East Pakistan was declared an independent state.
Because of Ahmed Rushdi, Pakistani music industry has steadily spread throughout South Asia
and today is the most popular genre in Pakistan and the neighbouring South Asian countries. Pop icons like Alamgir
and Muhammad Ali Shehki later on followed Rushdi's landmarks in playback singing.
family (a sacred cast in muslims) and was a religious person. Despite of his popularity and fame, Rushdi never had any scandal in his entire career. He had three daughters. His younger daughter, Rana Rushdi used to sing her father’s songs in his presence which always pleased Rushdi a lot. He was against allowing his daughters to adopt singing as a profession. Ahmed Rushdi and Noor Jahan
were highest paid singers in their time but Rushdi did not charge those producers and music directors a single rupee, who could not afford him. Famous music director Lal Mohammad made his entry into Pakistan film industry because Rushdi introduced him to different producers which he disclosed after Rushdi’s death. Likewise, poet Masroor Anwer got his first film as Rushdi insisted the music director Manzoor-Ashraf to give Masroor a chance.
as he was not feeling well and wanted to have a proper heart treatment. He was also singing less for films and film music itself was facing a decline. The 1980s saw a nose-dive in the progress of cinema in Pakistan. Number of cinemas decreased rapidly and people preferred watching television over going to a cinema. Playback singing that once was popular now struggled to exist and the singers needed a new medium to start afresh. Even then, Rushdi's demand and popularity was still there with the music directors. He opened a music academy in order to teach music and playback singing to youngsters. Ahmed Rushdi never faced downfall as far as his singing career is concerned.
Until the 1970s, Rushdi was one of the leading voices in the subcontinent. In his last years, a weakened Rushdi, suffering from heart disease, recorded fewer songs on his doctor's advise.
. On the night of April 11, 1983, he had a third heart attack. He was immediately taken to the hospital but pronounced dead by the doctors. He was 48. Rushdi was buried at Sakhi Hassan Graveyard, Karachi. His last non film song was "Aaney walo suno" which was a duet with Mehnaz
.
On his death, actor Waheed Murad
said. "Today I have lost my voice." After Rushdi's death, Waheed Murad as well as other friends and singers had appeared on a show to pay him a tribute; many of those same people appeared on the show six months later, reminiscing about Waheed as he also died.
and his impact has also been felt to the India
n and Bangaladeshi film industries. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest singers ever lived in south asia
and was effective in every genre of singing including ghazal
s and qawwali
s. Once music director Nisar Bazmi
in an interview said, “Ahmed Rushdi and Mohammad Rafi are amongst those few singers in the subcontinent, whose voices did not form ‘cones’, as they rose and touch the higher notes. Their volumes rose up without getting squeaky!” Bazmi also quoted the song "Aisey bhi hain meharban" (film Jaisey jantey nahin) to prove that Rushdi was also a master of serious singing. In another interview he said, "I was happy and amazed to find a Chinese group rendering this song on one occasion. People from abroad also sing Rushdi's songs which clearily indicates his popularity and influence. India
n playback singer Kishore Kumar
, being an admirer of Ahmed Rushdi, paid him a tribute at Royal Albert Hall
London
by singing Rushdi's one of the songs "Aik urran khattola aye ga kisi lal pari ko laye ga".
Many of his contemporaries compared his music with that of classically trained singers, although Rushdi never had any influences from any classical singer. He is famously known as Magician of voice and his popularity also turned traditional classical singers against him but did not effect his fame and his death is termed as irreparable loss to the industry. Actor Waheed Murad
declared Rushdi's song, "Bhooli hui hoon daastan", his favorite song. Music directors like M.Ashraf and Nisar Bazmi also hold centaury partnerships with Ahmed Rushdi and they have composed hundreds of songs for him. According to complete songography, M.Ashraf composed 734 songs in 211 films for Rushdi but available figures indicate a composition of 132 songs in 100 films for him. The first film of this pair was Speran in 1961 and the last was Hero in 1983. Ahmed Rushdi influenced many singers in music industry including A Nayyar
, Mujeeb Aalam
, Naheed Niazi
and Runa Laila
.
Graduate Awards
Musawwir Awards
Other Awards
Pride of Performance
Pride of Performance , is one of the highest civil award given and conferred by the Pakistan Government to Pakistan's citizens in recognition of distinguished merit in the fields of Literature, Arts, Sports, Medicines, and Science for civilians in most particular cases.The announcement of civil...
was a versatile Pakistani playback singer
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
who worked in film music and was "an important contributor to the Golden Age of Pakistani film music." Rushdi is acclaimed as one of the greatest singers ever lived in south asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and was a natural baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, yet could sing high tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
notes with ease. Born in Hyderabad Deccan, he migrated to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and became a leading singer in the Pakistan film industry. He is considered to be one of the most versatile vocalists of the subcontinent
Subcontinent
A subcontinent is a large, relatively self-contained landmass forming a subdivision of a continent. By dictionary entries, the term subcontinent signifies "having a certain geographical or political independence" from the rest of the continent, or "a vast and more or less self-contained subdivision...
and was capable of singing variety of songs. He is also considered to be the first regular pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer of south asia and credited as having sung the "first-ever South asian" pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
song, "Ko-Ko-Ko-reena."
In 1954, he recorded the official National anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
of Pakistan with several other singers. Rushdi has recorded the highest number of film songs in the history of Pakistani cinema in Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, Sindhi
Sindhi language
Sindhi is the language of the Sindh region of Pakistan that is spoken by the Sindhi people. In India, it is among 22 constitutionally recognized languages, where Sindhis are a sizeable minority. It is spoken by 53,410,910 people in Pakistan, according to the national government's Statistics Division...
and Gujarati
Gujarati language
Gujarati is an Indo-Aryan language, and part of the greater Indo-European language family. It is derived from a language called Old Gujarati which is the ancestor language of the modern Gujarati and Rajasthani languages...
languages. He suffered from poor health during the latter part of his life and died of a heart attack at the age of 48, after recording approximately five thousand film songs for 583 released films. Besides popular music, Rushdi also helped popularize the ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s of Naseer Turabi.
In 2003, 20 years after his death, Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
awarded him the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the "star of excellence," an honour given for distinguished merit in the fields of literature, arts, sports, medicine, or science. A street in Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Gulshan-e-Iqbal
'Iqbal Goth' is a large residential and commercial neighbourhood of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.The name "Gulshan-e-Iqbal" means "the garden of Iqbal", referring to the national poet of Pakistan, Allama Muhammad Iqbal....
, Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, also named Ahmed Rushdi Road.
Early life
Ahmed Rushdi was born to a religious, conservative family of Hyderabad Deccan in 1934. His father, Syed Manzoor Ahmed, taught Arabic, Islamic History and PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
at Aurangabad College, Hyderabad, Deccan. He died when Rushdi was only six years old. From a young age, Rushdi was fond of listening to the musical programs, including songs, which were broadcast from the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
. He neither inherited music from any one, nor any body in his family was ever affiliated to music. Ahmed Rushdi's singing talents impressed a very close friend of his father, whom he called uncle and who loved him dearly. He enrolled in a local music academy in Hyderabad Deccan. Moreover, two popular composers of the time, M.A. Rauf and Iqbal Qureshi, also taught music in the same school. Thus, Ahmed Rushdi learned the basics of music from the afore-mentioned teachers.
Ahmed Rushdi did not get any sort of formal training of classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
neither before nor after becoming a successful playback singer but he had an effective command over high and low notes. He sang his first song in the Indian film Ibrat in 1951 and got recognition. His family moved to Pakistan and settled in Karachi in 1954, where he began participating in variety shows, music programs, and children's programs on radio. In 1954, he recorded his first non-film song, "Bunder Road se Keemari", written by Mehdi Zaheer for the popular Radio Pakistan show Bachchon Ki Duniya; the song was a hit and became the steppingstone for Rushdi's future.
Singing career
After the success of "Bunder Road se Keemari", Rushdi was offered songs as a playback singer for films and quickly gained popularity. He lent his voice to many hit films like Bara Aadmi (1956), Wah Rey Zamaney (1957), Raat Ke Rahi (1957), Yeh Dunya (1958) and many more. Rushdi got well recognition for singing "Mari lela ne aisi" in Anokhi (1956), "Chalak Rahi Hain Mastiyan" and "Chal Na Sakey Gi 420" in Raaz (1959). In 1961, he sang the popular song "Chand Sa Mukhra Gora Badan" in the film Saperan, for which he received his first Nigar Award as Best Male Playback Singer. He further strengthened his status as one of the top male playback singers in Mehtaab (1962), in which he sang "Gol Gappay Wala Aaya" for actor Alauddin; they would again be teamed in Susral. In 1966, he sang "Ko Ko Koreena", considered the first modern Pakistani pop song.The film Anchal
Anchal
Anchal is a very fast developing town in the east central part of Kollam district of Kerala, India. It is the second fastest developing town in Kerala after Chalakudi. The name Anchal means the land of five proverbs. What characterizes this town is its quick pace of development...
(1960) was an important film in Rushdi’s career. Music director Khalil Ahmed
Khalil Ahmed
Khalil Ahmed was a well known Pakistani composer for films. He started his career with film Anchal in 1962 and remained one of the leading music directors in subcontinent.-Early Life and career:...
recorded an extremely sad number “Kisi chaman mei raho tum” in singer Saleem Raza
Saleem Raza (singer)
Saleem Raza was a Pakistani playback singer. He started his singing career from Lahore film industry and quickly gained popularity. Raza was a classically trained singer and was more famous for singing sad songs. Saleem Raza's career suffered due to the rise of the singer Ahmed Rushdi in the late...
's voice but wanted Rushdi to re-record the song as he was not satisfied with Saleem Raza’s singing. Rushdi did so and the song recorded in his voice satisfied composer Khalil. Raza's career as a singer was affected and doomed later on. After that, whenever Khalil composed music for any film, Rushdi remained his first choice. The mid 1960s saw the rise of brilliant singers like Mehdi Hassan
Mehdi Hassan
Mehdi Hassan is a Pakistani ghazal singer and a former playback singer for Lollywood. He is famously known as the 'King of ghazal' . He has ruled the Pakistan film industry along with Ahmed Rushdi...
and Masood Rana
Masood Rana
Masood Rana was a Pakistani playback singer. He began his singing career in 1962 with the film Inqalab and became one of the top male singers in both Urdu and Punjabi films for more than three decades...
, but it did not affect Rushdi's career and he kept on leading the film music.
Music experts including Nisar Bazmi
Nisar Bazmi
Nisar Bazmi was a composer and music director of Pakistan film industry. Bazmi remained one of the most famous musicians of subcontinent. He also introduced new singers like Alamgir. The duo of composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal were musicians with Bazmi in India before partition...
, Sohail Rana
Sohail Rana
Sohail Rana is a Pakistani music composer for films. He was introduced by actor Waheed Murad in Pakistan film industry and gained popularity when singer Ahmed Rushdi sang his compositions in such films like Arman and Doraha. He is now based in Canada.-Early Life and career:Sohail Rana was born in...
and M. Ashraf are unanimous that Rushdi’s voice was best suited for every hero
Hero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and even character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
. He lent his voice to Waheed Murad
Waheed Murad
Waheed Murad was a legendary Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Waheed is considered to be one of the most famous and influential actors of subcontinent. Born in Sialkot, Pakistan, he was the only child of well-off film distributor Mr. Nisar Murad. He got early education from...
, Nadeem
Nadeem
Nadeem is a masculine given name. It has the meaning "friend", "close companion", or "confidant"...
, Santosh Kumar, Darpan, Habib
Habib
Habib is an Arabic male name with the meaning "beloved", or "darling", it also appears as a surname. The name is popular in the Middle East, Africa, and France.-Given name:* Habib Beye , French-Senegalese footballer...
, Rehman
Rehman
Rehman was an Indian film actor whose career spanned from late 1940s through to late 1970s. He was an integral part of the Guru Dutt team, and most known for his roles in films, like Pyaasa , Chaudhvin Ka Chand , Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Waqt...
, Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ghulam Mohiuddin
Ghulam Mohiuddin is a Pakistani actor of Urdu and Punjabi films. His first film Mera naam hai mohabbat released in 1975, was a blockbuster in Pakistan and China. The film was inspired by a Chinese folk story. The opposite actress was Babra Sharif, whose this movie was the first as heroine...
and was tailor made for every actor of film industry. Rushdi's voice was even ideally suited to comedians such as Munawar Zarif
Munawar Zarif
Munawar Zarif was a famous Pakistani comedian and film actor. He was a versatile actor and comedian best known for his work in the Pakistani cinema of the seventies...
, Lehri
Lehri (actor)
Safirullah is his birth name but he is famous by his screen name which is Lehri. He is ‘the king of comedy’ of Urdu films in Pakistan, though he has also performed exceptionally in a few Punjabi movies as well. He started his film career in the 1950s which lasted till 80s.-Career:Just after...
, Nirala
Nirala
Nirala is a Urdu word, its meaning is 'rare'.Nirala was a Pakistani comedian film star of the 1960s. He only appeared in the urdu films made in Pakistan. His very first film was Aur bhi gham hain...
, Nanha and Rangeela
Saeed Khan Rangeela
Saeed Khan Rangeela was a Pakistani Lollywood actor, singer and director.His birthname was Mohammad Saeed Khan and he was born in Nangarhar, Afghanistan...
.
Rushdi recorded the ghazal “Shok-e-awargi” written by poet Habib Jalib
Habib Jalib
Habib Jalib was a Pakistani revolutionary poet. A left-wing activist and politician, he was a staunch democrat who opposed martial law, authoritarianism and state oppression.-Early life:...
for actor Syed Kamal
Syed Kamal
Syed Kamal was a Pakistani film and TV actor.Kamal was a popular film star of in the 1960s and the 1970s. Kamal, whose film Tauba became a success, has a striking resemblance with the Indian filmstar Raj Kapoor, and he is not evasive about this issue...
in the 1963 film Joker. This ghazal sung by Rushdi, gained popularity amongst music listeners. Rushdi and Jalib again teamed together for Mohammad Ali
Mohammad Ali (actor)
Mohammad Ali was a Pakistani actor. He was known as Shahenshah-e-Jazbaat , means The Emperor of Emotions. He had starred in over 250 movies playing roles as hero and villain. He was included among 25 greatest actors of Asia by CNN survey...
in the film Khamosh Raho (1964). Rushdi sang the ghazal “Mei Nahi Manta” for the same film and gained Habib Jalib country-wide fame. He recorded a qawwali
Qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, Hyderabad, Delhi, and other parts of northern India...
"Madiney waley ko mera salam kehdena" along with Munir Husain same year.
Actor Nadeem's first film as a leading actor was Chakori (1967). Rushdi recorded four songs for this film in the composition of music director Robin Ghosh
Robin Ghosh
Robin Ghosh is a musician and music composer. Famous playback singer Ahmed Rushdi has a notable contribution to Ghosh's success...
. “Kabhi toe tum ko yaad ayen gi”, “Pyare pyare yar humare” and “Tujhe chahein meri bahein”. Same year, film Doraha and Shehnai were released. He recorded all the songs for these films including “Bhooli hue hoon dastan”, “tumhein kaise bta doon”, “Han issi mor per” (film Doraha) and “Tujhey apney dil se mei kaise”, “Nazaron se haseen hai”, "Dunya mei tumko jeena hai agar" ( film Shehnai).
In 1968, Rushdi recorded his first ever Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...
i song in the film Notun Name Dako of Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
titled "Ke Tumi Ele Go", which became a smashing hit in the then East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
. He sang playback hits in the same year like "Ae mere diwaney dil" (film Jahan tum wahan hum), "Socha tha pyar na karein ge" (film Ladla), "Usey dekha usey chaha usey bhool gaye" (film Jahan tum wahan hum), "Teri aankhon ke bheegey sitarey" (film Ma Beta) and many more. Same year, Rushdi recorded a song "Salam-e-mohabbat" for Mohammad Ali in Khawaja Khurshid Anwar
Khawaja Khurshid Anwar
Khwaja Khurshid Anwar was a filmmaker, writer, director and music composer who gained extreme popularity both in India and Pakistan...
's composition.
Rushdi sang for Waheed Murad in 1969 film Naseeb Apna Apna. The song “Ae abr-e-kaaram aaj itna baras” brought another Nigar award for him. The song was composed by Lal Mohammad Iqbal. He also won different awards for songs like "Dil tumko de diya hai" and "Hum se na bigar aye larki". Around the same year, he sang a duet with Mala
Mala (Pakistani singer)
Naseem Nazli popularly called Mala was a Pakistani playback singer of Urdu and Punjabi films. In 1960s, Mala had a hit pair with famous playback singer Ahmed Rushdi and they gave numorous hits to Pakistan film industry. She sung many super hit songs in almost two decades singing career in the...
in the film Baharei phir bhi ayen gi, "Khush naseebi hai meri".
In 1969, the film Andaleeb was released. Ahmed Rushdi recorded all the songs for Waheed Murad in this film. The song “Kuch log rooth ker bhi” was a hit. Its sad version was sung by Noor Jahan. Although he sang for every film hero in Pakistan, his pairing with Waheed Murad proved to be the most popular, in such movies as Armaan
Armaan (1966 film)
Armaan is a Pakistani black-and-white film produced by Waheed Murad and directed by Pervaiz Malik. It was the first Pakistani film to complete 75 weeks in cinemas and, thus, became the first Pakistani "Platinum Jubilee" film...
(1966); the song "Akele Na Jaana" from that movie in Sohail Rana
Sohail Rana
Sohail Rana is a Pakistani music composer for films. He was introduced by actor Waheed Murad in Pakistan film industry and gained popularity when singer Ahmed Rushdi sang his compositions in such films like Arman and Doraha. He is now based in Canada.-Early Life and career:Sohail Rana was born in...
's composition gained Rushdi another Nigar Award. Well-known hits of Rushdi picturised on Waheed Murad such as "Lag rahi hai mujhey aaj sari faza ajnabi" or "Kuchh loag rooth kar bi" were composed by Nisar Bazmi
Nisar Bazmi
Nisar Bazmi was a composer and music director of Pakistan film industry. Bazmi remained one of the most famous musicians of subcontinent. He also introduced new singers like Alamgir. The duo of composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal were musicians with Bazmi in India before partition...
, the legendary composer for Pakistani movies. Ahmed Rushdi-Nisar Bazmi pair and Ahmed Rushdi-Sohail Rana combination were two of the most successful singer-music director pairs of Pakistan film music.
The 1970s brought new faces like Alamgir
Alamgir (pop singer)
Alamgir is a Pakistani pop singer of the 1970s, who is in fact one of the pioneers of the Urdu pop music in Pakistan. His style of singing is inspired by legendary playback singer Ahmed Rushdi.-Life & career:...
, Akhlaq Ahmed
Akhlaq Ahmed
Akhlaq Ahmed was a Pakistani playback singer. He was a member of a famous singing group with two other artists, singer Masood Rana and actor Nadeem. Akhlaq debuted as a singer in the 1973 film, Pazaib...
, Ghulam Abbas, A Nayyar
A Nayyar
A Nayyar is a Pakistani ghazal/film Singer.He started singing in 1974, beginning his career from film Bahisht. His first film song Yunhin din cut jayen, yuhin shaam dhal jaye... was a duet song with Rubina Badar in film Bahisht , composed by A. Hameed...
etc. But Rushdi remained a leading singer of film industry. Film Bandagi
Bandagi
Bandagi is a 1972 Bollywood romance film directed by K. Shankar. The film stars Pandharibai....
, Naag Muni and Baazi
Baazi
Baazi is a 1951 Indian Hindi film directed by Guru Dutt. Dev Anand's Navketan production house produced the movie, and as per a commitment given by Dev Anand to Guru Dutt in their days of struggle, the movie was directed by Dutt....
were released in 1971. Ahmed Rushdi had a playback in all the three films. He also won several awards for songs such as "Aik albeli si naar" (Naag Muni), "Tum bhi ho ajnabi" (Baazi) and "Poocho na hum ne kis liye" (Intezar). Perhaps, the song below never rang as true as it did after Ahmed Rushdi's demise:
"Chore chalay hum chore chalay lo sheher tumhara chore chalay", film, Phir Chand Nikley Ga
Phir Chand Nikley Ga
Phir Chand Nikley Ga is a Pakistani film directed by Iqbal Akhter starring Waheed Murad, Deeba and Lehri. It premiered on 3 October 1970. Sohail Rana composed music in the voices of Ahmed Rushdi and Mala.-Songs:...
(1970) music, Sohail Rana.
Rushdi sung four solo songs and one duet for Waheed in the film Khalish (1972). “Honto pe tera naam”( with Mala), “Kal achanak jo sar-e-rah mili thi”, “Ghussey mei gulabi gaal” and “Pyar hota hai”. Music director was M.Ashraf. Around the same year, he sung for Mohammad Ali in the film Mohabbat
Mohabbat
Mohabbat is a Romantic Hindi film directed by Reema Nath and starring Sanjay Kapoor,Akshay Khanna and Madhuri Dixit. The film released on September 19, 1997 and was a flop at the box-office.-Plot:...
. Rushdi recorded three songs in the film including a sad song "Khudara mohabbat na karna". Music director was Nisar Bazmi.
In 1973, he recorded a qawwali “Dil torney waley” for the film Mehboob mera mastana. Ahmed Rushdi also recorded a romantic number ”Teri jabeen se chodhwin ka chand jhankta rahey” (film Nadan) for actor Rehman
Rehman
Rehman was an Indian film actor whose career spanned from late 1940s through to late 1970s. He was an integral part of the Guru Dutt team, and most known for his roles in films, like Pyaasa , Chaudhvin Ka Chand , Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam and Waqt...
. He recorded a sad song "Angara mera mann" for film Jaal
Jaal (1973 film)
Jaal, a 1973 Pakistani Urdu colour film, is a musical and romantic film produced by Waheed Murad and directed by Iftikhar Khan. It was the first colour movie that was produced by Waheed Murad. The film was released on 31 August 1973. It starred Waheed Murad, Nisho, Husna, Shaista Qaiser and Nanna...
which was released same year. He was also fond of acting
Acting
Acting is the work of an actor or actress, which is a person in theatre, television, film, or any other storytelling medium who tells the story by portraying a character and, usually, speaking or singing the written text or play....
and appeared in thirteen films as an actor including Anokhi (1956), Kaneez (1965), Saat Lakh (1967) and Dekha Jaye Ga (1976). He also composed a music album in singer Mujeeb Aalam
Mujeeb Aalam
Mujeeb Aalam was a Pakistani playback singer who had a short film career. His singing style was a mixture of Mehdi Hassan and Ahmad Rushdi's style. He sang dozen of hit songs in late 1960s and remained popular with cinema viewers...
's voice.
In 1974, film Anhoni
Anhoni
Anhoni is a Pakistani film directed by Iqbal Akhter starring Waheed Murad, Aaliya and Lehri. It premiered on 12 October 1974. Lal Mohammad Iqbal composed music in the voices of Ahmed Rushdi and Runa Laila....
was released. Waheed Murad and Aliya were in leading roles. Music director Lal Mohammad Iqbal recorded two songs in Rushdi’s voice. “Hai kahan who kali” and a sad number “Mei tujhey Nazar kia doon”. In the same year he sang for actor Shahid
Shahid
Shahid is an Arabic word meaning "witness". It is a religious term in Islam, meaning both "witness" and "martyr." While a martyr may die as a consequence of fighting, a shahid is a "witness" because he gives his life out of passion for truth. The shahid exchanges himself for the divine and thereby...
in film Dharkan
Dharkan
Dharkan is an Indian film directed by Devendra Goel and released in 1972. The movie stars Sanjay Khan, Mumtaz, Rajendra Nath, Helen, Alankar Joshi , Roopesh Kumar and Bindu...
. He recorded a romantic number “Rangat gulabi chehra kitabi” for Shahid.
In 1975, Ahmed Rushdi recorded “Dil ko jalana hum ne chor diya” (Film Mohabbat Zindagi Hai
Mohabbat Zindagi Hai
Mohabbat Zindagi Hai is a 1966 Hindi movie. Produced by K. C Gulati for Roop Chaya it is directed by Jagdish Nirula. The film stars Dharmendra, Rajshree, Mehmood, Deven Verma and Johnny Walker. The films music is by O. P. Nayyar....
). This song was picturised on Waheed Murad and gained country wide popularity. He sung another song “Mashriqi rang ko chor ke” for the same film. He recorded many songs for Pakistan television including “Dil mei tu hai”, "Han issi mor pe" and "Bheegey hue mousam mei". Rushdi was not only singing for films, but he was equally a busy figure for Radio and Television also. He remained a leading singer between 1954 and 1983. He sang for all the famous actors of Pakistan film industry. Rushdi recorded his last song "Ban ke misra ghazal ka" in 1983 for film Hero, which was picturised on Waheed Murad and the song was a hit. He recorded a large number of duets in many languages with Runa Laila
Runa Laila
Runa Laila is a singer of the Indian subcontinent who is from Bangladesh. She started her career from Pakistan film industry and is effective in Ghazals also. She made a hit pair with famous singer Ahmed Rushdi after replacing Mala. She also has done numerous playbacks for movies in Bangladesh,...
, Mala
Mala (Pakistani singer)
Naseem Nazli popularly called Mala was a Pakistani playback singer of Urdu and Punjabi films. In 1960s, Mala had a hit pair with famous playback singer Ahmed Rushdi and they gave numorous hits to Pakistan film industry. She sung many super hit songs in almost two decades singing career in the...
, Naheed Niazi
Naheed Niazi
Naheed Niazi is a Pakistani playback singer. She started her singing career in late 1950s and her first hit was a duet with Ahmed Rushdi. She married with composer Muslehuddin who composed numerous hits for her. Soon after marriage they migrated to UK, which was a tremendous setback for Pakistani...
, Noor Jahan
Noor Jehan
Noorjehan or Noorjehan was the adopted stage name for Allah Wasai who was a legendary singer and actress in British India and Pakistan. Her career spanned seven decades...
, Irene Parveen, Naseem Begum
Naseem Begum
Naseem Begum was a popular, and well known Pakistani playback singer. She rose to prominence towards the end of the fifties, and by 1964 had managed to win the prestigious Nigar award on five separate occasions...
and Naheed Akhtar
Naheed Akhtar
Naheed Akhtar is a Pakistani playback singer. She was discovered by veteran musician M. Ashraf in the mid-1970s.Naheed Akhtar was a successful replacement for Runa Laila, who left Pakistan the same year. Her debut film was "Nanha Farishta" in 1974 and that year she climbed to the top with super...
in his thirty-three-year singing career.
First regular pop singer of South Asia
Ahmed Rushdi is considered to be the first regular popPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer of south asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
as he introduced hip-hop, rock n roll
Rock N Roll
-Personnel:*Ryan Adams - Bass, Composer, Costume Design, Guitar, Keyboards, Multi Instruments, Vocals, Vocals *Billie Joe Armstrong - Vocals *Melissa Auf der Maur - Vocals...
, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
and other modern genres in South Asian music and has since then been adopted in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and lately Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
as a pioneering influence in their respective pop cultures. Following Rushdi's success, Christian
Christianity in Pakistan
Christianity is the largest religious minority in Pakistan. The total number of Christians in Pakistan is approximately 2,800,000 in 2008, or 1.6% of the population. Of these, approximately half are Roman Catholic and half Protestant...
bands specialising in jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
started performing
Gig (musical performance)
Gig is slang for a musical engagement in which musicians are hired. Originally coined in the 1920s by jazz musicians, the term, short for the word "engagement", now refers to any aspect of performing such as assisting with performance and attending musical performance...
at various night clubs and hotel lobbies in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Sindh
is the second largest city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the seventh largest city in the country. The city was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as Neroon Kot...
, Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
and Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. They would usually sing either famous American jazz hits or cover Rushdi's songs. Rushdi sang playback hits along with Runa Laila
Runa Laila
Runa Laila is a singer of the Indian subcontinent who is from Bangladesh. She started her career from Pakistan film industry and is effective in Ghazals also. She made a hit pair with famous singer Ahmed Rushdi after replacing Mala. She also has done numerous playbacks for movies in Bangladesh,...
until the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
when East Pakistan was declared an independent state.
Because of Ahmed Rushdi, Pakistani music industry has steadily spread throughout South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and today is the most popular genre in Pakistan and the neighbouring South Asian countries. Pop icons like Alamgir
Alamgir (pop singer)
Alamgir is a Pakistani pop singer of the 1970s, who is in fact one of the pioneers of the Urdu pop music in Pakistan. His style of singing is inspired by legendary playback singer Ahmed Rushdi.-Life & career:...
and Muhammad Ali Shehki later on followed Rushdi's landmarks in playback singing.
Marriage
Ahmed Rushdi got married to Humera on November 30, 1963. His wife died in 1992, nine years after Rushdi's death. He belonged to a SayyidSayyid
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet's daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib.Daughters of sayyids are given the titles Sayyida,...
family (a sacred cast in muslims) and was a religious person. Despite of his popularity and fame, Rushdi never had any scandal in his entire career. He had three daughters. His younger daughter, Rana Rushdi used to sing her father’s songs in his presence which always pleased Rushdi a lot. He was against allowing his daughters to adopt singing as a profession. Ahmed Rushdi and Noor Jahan
Noor Jehan
Noorjehan or Noorjehan was the adopted stage name for Allah Wasai who was a legendary singer and actress in British India and Pakistan. Her career spanned seven decades...
were highest paid singers in their time but Rushdi did not charge those producers and music directors a single rupee, who could not afford him. Famous music director Lal Mohammad made his entry into Pakistan film industry because Rushdi introduced him to different producers which he disclosed after Rushdi’s death. Likewise, poet Masroor Anwer got his first film as Rushdi insisted the music director Manzoor-Ashraf to give Masroor a chance.
Last years
In early 1980s, Rushdi shifted to KarachiKarachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
as he was not feeling well and wanted to have a proper heart treatment. He was also singing less for films and film music itself was facing a decline. The 1980s saw a nose-dive in the progress of cinema in Pakistan. Number of cinemas decreased rapidly and people preferred watching television over going to a cinema. Playback singing that once was popular now struggled to exist and the singers needed a new medium to start afresh. Even then, Rushdi's demand and popularity was still there with the music directors. He opened a music academy in order to teach music and playback singing to youngsters. Ahmed Rushdi never faced downfall as far as his singing career is concerned.
Until the 1970s, Rushdi was one of the leading voices in the subcontinent. In his last years, a weakened Rushdi, suffering from heart disease, recorded fewer songs on his doctor's advise.
Death
Since 1976, Ahmed Rushdi was a heart patient and his doctors advised him to abstain from singing but Rushdi refused by saying that music was his life. When he had a second heart attack in 1981, he was composing a musical album in the voice of singer Mujeeb AalamMujeeb Aalam
Mujeeb Aalam was a Pakistani playback singer who had a short film career. His singing style was a mixture of Mehdi Hassan and Ahmad Rushdi's style. He sang dozen of hit songs in late 1960s and remained popular with cinema viewers...
. On the night of April 11, 1983, he had a third heart attack. He was immediately taken to the hospital but pronounced dead by the doctors. He was 48. Rushdi was buried at Sakhi Hassan Graveyard, Karachi. His last non film song was "Aaney walo suno" which was a duet with Mehnaz
Mehnaz
Mehnaz is a female singer from Pakistan, well-known for her film appearances. She has sung a variety of genres but specializes in ghazal, thumri, dadra, khayal, drupad and reciting salam, noha and marsiya. She is the daughter of celebrated sub-continental singer Kajjan Begum...
.
On his death, actor Waheed Murad
Waheed Murad
Waheed Murad was a legendary Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Waheed is considered to be one of the most famous and influential actors of subcontinent. Born in Sialkot, Pakistan, he was the only child of well-off film distributor Mr. Nisar Murad. He got early education from...
said. "Today I have lost my voice." After Rushdi's death, Waheed Murad as well as other friends and singers had appeared on a show to pay him a tribute; many of those same people appeared on the show six months later, reminiscing about Waheed as he also died.
Popularity and influence
Ahmed Rushdi has changed the sound of film music in subcontinentSubcontinent
A subcontinent is a large, relatively self-contained landmass forming a subdivision of a continent. By dictionary entries, the term subcontinent signifies "having a certain geographical or political independence" from the rest of the continent, or "a vast and more or less self-contained subdivision...
and his impact has also been felt to the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n and Bangaladeshi film industries. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest singers ever lived in south asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and was effective in every genre of singing including ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s and qawwali
Qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, Hyderabad, Delhi, and other parts of northern India...
s. Once music director Nisar Bazmi
Nisar Bazmi
Nisar Bazmi was a composer and music director of Pakistan film industry. Bazmi remained one of the most famous musicians of subcontinent. He also introduced new singers like Alamgir. The duo of composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal were musicians with Bazmi in India before partition...
in an interview said, “Ahmed Rushdi and Mohammad Rafi are amongst those few singers in the subcontinent, whose voices did not form ‘cones’, as they rose and touch the higher notes. Their volumes rose up without getting squeaky!” Bazmi also quoted the song "Aisey bhi hain meharban" (film Jaisey jantey nahin) to prove that Rushdi was also a master of serious singing. In another interview he said, "I was happy and amazed to find a Chinese group rendering this song on one occasion. People from abroad also sing Rushdi's songs which clearily indicates his popularity and influence. India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n playback singer Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century...
, being an admirer of Ahmed Rushdi, paid him a tribute at Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
by singing Rushdi's one of the songs "Aik urran khattola aye ga kisi lal pari ko laye ga".
Many of his contemporaries compared his music with that of classically trained singers, although Rushdi never had any influences from any classical singer. He is famously known as Magician of voice and his popularity also turned traditional classical singers against him but did not effect his fame and his death is termed as irreparable loss to the industry. Actor Waheed Murad
Waheed Murad
Waheed Murad was a legendary Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Waheed is considered to be one of the most famous and influential actors of subcontinent. Born in Sialkot, Pakistan, he was the only child of well-off film distributor Mr. Nisar Murad. He got early education from...
declared Rushdi's song, "Bhooli hui hoon daastan", his favorite song. Music directors like M.Ashraf and Nisar Bazmi also hold centaury partnerships with Ahmed Rushdi and they have composed hundreds of songs for him. According to complete songography, M.Ashraf composed 734 songs in 211 films for Rushdi but available figures indicate a composition of 132 songs in 100 films for him. The first film of this pair was Speran in 1961 and the last was Hero in 1983. Ahmed Rushdi influenced many singers in music industry including A Nayyar
A Nayyar
A Nayyar is a Pakistani ghazal/film Singer.He started singing in 1974, beginning his career from film Bahisht. His first film song Yunhin din cut jayen, yuhin shaam dhal jaye... was a duet song with Rubina Badar in film Bahisht , composed by A. Hameed...
, Mujeeb Aalam
Mujeeb Aalam
Mujeeb Aalam was a Pakistani playback singer who had a short film career. His singing style was a mixture of Mehdi Hassan and Ahmad Rushdi's style. He sang dozen of hit songs in late 1960s and remained popular with cinema viewers...
, Naheed Niazi
Naheed Niazi
Naheed Niazi is a Pakistani playback singer. She started her singing career in late 1950s and her first hit was a duet with Ahmed Rushdi. She married with composer Muslehuddin who composed numerous hits for her. Soon after marriage they migrated to UK, which was a tremendous setback for Pakistani...
and Runa Laila
Runa Laila
Runa Laila is a singer of the Indian subcontinent who is from Bangladesh. She started her career from Pakistan film industry and is effective in Ghazals also. She made a hit pair with famous singer Ahmed Rushdi after replacing Mala. She also has done numerous playbacks for movies in Bangladesh,...
.
Awards
Nigar Awards- 1961 - Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Chand Sa Mukhra Gora Badan" in film Saperan
- 1962 - Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Gol Gappey Wala" in film Mehtaab
- 1963 - Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Kisi Chaman Mei Raho" in film AnchalAnchalAnchal is a very fast developing town in the east central part of Kollam district of Kerala, India. It is the second fastest developing town in Kerala after Chalakudi. The name Anchal means the land of five proverbs. What characterizes this town is its quick pace of development...
- 1966 - Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Akeley Na Jana" in film ArmaanArmaan (1966 film)Armaan is a Pakistani black-and-white film produced by Waheed Murad and directed by Pervaiz Malik. It was the first Pakistani film to complete 75 weeks in cinemas and, thus, became the first Pakistani "Platinum Jubilee" film...
- 1970 - Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Aey Abr-e-Karam" in film Naseeb Apna Apna
- 2004 - Life Time Achievement Award
Graduate Awards
- 1965 - Best Male Playback singer for the song "Mohabbat Mei Tere Ser Ki Qasam" in film Aisa Bhi Hota Hai
- 1967 - Best Male Playback singer for the song "Haan Issi Mor par" in film Doraha
- 1968 - Best Male Playback singer for the song "Kabhi Toe Tumko Yaad Ayen Gi" in film Chakori
- 1969 - Best Male Playback singer for the song "Kuch Log Rooth Kar Bhi" in film Andaleeb
- 1970 - Best Male Playback singer for the song "Lag Rahi Hai Mujhey Aaj Sari Fiza" in film AnjumanAnjumanAnjuman is a Pakistani film actress. She was one of the most successful Punjabi film heroines of Pakistan during the 1980s and early 90s. Her real name is Anjuman Shaheen and she was born in Bahawalpur...
Musawwir Awards
- 1972 - Best Male Playback singer for the song "Meri Jaan Meri Jaan Yehi Zindagi Hai" in film BandagiBandagiBandagi is a 1972 Bollywood romance film directed by K. Shankar. The film stars Pandharibai....
- 1973 - Best Male Playback singer for the song "Hai Kahan Woh Kali" in film AnhoniAnhoniAnhoni is a Pakistani film directed by Iqbal Akhter starring Waheed Murad, Aaliya and Lehri. It premiered on 12 October 1974. Lal Mohammad Iqbal composed music in the voices of Ahmed Rushdi and Runa Laila....
- 1975 - Best Male Playback singer for the song "Mashriqi Rang Ko Chor Ke" in film Mohabbat Zindagi HaiMohabbat Zindagi HaiMohabbat Zindagi Hai is a 1966 Hindi movie. Produced by K. C Gulati for Roop Chaya it is directed by Jagdish Nirula. The film stars Dharmendra, Rajshree, Mehmood, Deven Verma and Johnny Walker. The films music is by O. P. Nayyar....
- 1978 - Best Male Playback singer for the song "Tu Saamney Hai Mere" in film Sharmeeli
- 1979 - Best Male Playback singer for the song "Sab Kamron Mein Band Hain" in film ZameerZameerZameer is Hindi film made in 1974, released in 1974. Produced by B.R. Chopra, the film is directed by Ravi Chopra. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan , Saira Banu, Shammi Kapoor, Madan Puri and Vinod Khanna. The music for this film was composed by Sapan Chakraborty...
Other Awards
- 1967 - Best Sad Song Award for "Tujhey Apney Dil Se Mei Kaisey Bhuladoon" in the film ShehnaiShehnaiThe shehnai, shahnai, shenai or mangal vadya, is an aerophonic instrument, a double reed conical oboe, common in North India, West India and Pakistan, made out of wood, with a metal flare bell at the end...
- 1968 - Classic Award for the song "Kiya Hai Jo Pyar Toe" in the film Dil Mera Dharkan TeriDil mera dharkan teri (1968 film)Dil mera dharkan teri is a blockbuster Pakistani Urdu black-and-white film produced by Murtaza Aftab and directed by M.A. Rasheed. The film cast Waheed Murad, Shamim Ara, Rani, Lehri, Talish and Aslam Pervaiz. DMDT is a melodious love story.-Release:...
- 1970 - Silver Screen Award for the song "Chhor Chaley Hum Chhor Chaley" in the film Phir Chand Nikley GaPhir Chand Nikley GaPhir Chand Nikley Ga is a Pakistani film directed by Iqbal Akhter starring Waheed Murad, Deeba and Lehri. It premiered on 3 October 1970. Sohail Rana composed music in the voices of Ahmed Rushdi and Mala.-Songs:...
- 1973 - Al-Fankar Award for the song "Mei Tujhey Nazar kya Doon" in the film AnhoniAnhoniAnhoni is a Pakistani film directed by Iqbal Akhter starring Waheed Murad, Aaliya and Lehri. It premiered on 12 October 1974. Lal Mohammad Iqbal composed music in the voices of Ahmed Rushdi and Runa Laila....
- 1975 - Screen Light Award for the song "Dil Ko Jalana Hum Ne Chor Diya" in the film Mohabbat Zindagi HaiMohabbat Zindagi HaiMohabbat Zindagi Hai is a 1966 Hindi movie. Produced by K. C Gulati for Roop Chaya it is directed by Jagdish Nirula. The film stars Dharmendra, Rajshree, Mehmood, Deven Verma and Johnny Walker. The films music is by O. P. Nayyar....
- 1983 - Rooman Award for the song "Ban Ke Misra Ghazal Ka Chaley Aaona" in the film Hero
- 2000 - Best Singer Of The Millennium Award
- 2001 - Legend Award
- 2004 - Sitara-i-ImtiazSitara-i-ImtiazThe Sitara-i-Imtiaz , is the third highest honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes the individuals who made an "especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of Pakistan, world peace, cultural or other significant public endeavors"...
- 2005 - Indus TVIndus TVINDUS is a Pakistani satellite television network offered for international subscribers by the Indus Entertainment Limited. Indus offers a combination of the best programming from the popular channels: Indus Vision, Indus Music also known as MTV Pakistan, Indus News and G KABOOM.Indus, a 24 hour...
Indus Music Hall of Fame
See also
- Pakistan film industry
- Playback singerPlayback singerA playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
- GhazalGhazalThe ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
- Cinema of PakistanCinema of PakistanThe cinema of Pakistan refers to Pakistan's film industry. Most of the feature films shot in Pakistan are in Urdu language but may also include films in English, Punjabi, Pashto, Balochi or Sindhi languages....
- List of Pakistani film singers
- List of Pakistani ghazal singers