The icon of Pashto films, Shamshad alias Yasmeen Khan was born in 1950 in Peshawar’s Mohalla Jhangi to parents whose forefathers had migrated from Nangarhar in Afghanistan during the pre-partition era. The family shifted to Karachi where a maternal uncle, Ali Jan, a choreographer, introduced the young girl to the world of glitz and glamour, and the shy and charming Shamshad appeared as an extra in Urdu films.

When the super-hit Pashto film, Yousaf Khan Sherbano, released in December 1970, the title role of Sherbano went to Yasmeen Khan who captured cinegoers with her enchanting beauty alongside the mesmerising Badar Munir as Yousaf Khan. During a career that spanned 25 years, Yasmeen Khan reigned over the silver screen to become a much sought after actress and the first all-Pashto speaking heroine at a time when women from her background couldn’t even perform on radio.

Yasmeen was the recipient of 300 awards including the coveted Nigar award and performed in more than 200 Pashto films, including super hits such as Adam Khan Durkhanai, Orbal, Khana Badosh, Arman, Deedan, Ehsan, Nadaan, Zartaja, Ilzaam, Mujrim, Gungarrkup, Iqrar, Angaar, Bailtun, Baraan, Speen Stergey, Darra Khyber, Ujrati Qatil, Saugand, Ashna, Zaddi Pukhtun, Lewanai and Juram auo Sazaa. She also acted in some Urdu and Punjabi films but Pashto screen remained her forte. She appeared as the female lead in about 100 Pashto films with Badar Munir.

The Culture Journalists Forum (CJF) and Culture directorate Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa jointly organised an event titled Daa Zama Warze Dee (These Are My Days) on Feb 24, at Peshawar’s Nishtar Hall, to pay a tribute to Yasmeen Khan for her memorable contribution to Pashto cinema. The number of women attending the event remained dismally low and the crowd remained mostly noisy with crashing door sounds among other distractions.

Film artistes Asif Khan and Jamil Babar spoke on the occasion and said that Yasmeen was not only an artiste par excellence but also a source of pride for Pukhtoon female artistes. She had always hoped that young talent would come forward and play a role in developing a better image of society some day. “Her dialogue delivery, dance and basically everything she did was matchless.

She cast me in eight of her own productions and the Yasmeen Khan-Badar Munir super-hit pair never experienced a single flop,” said veteran film actor Asif Khan.

Jamil Babar said Yasmeen was never interested in making money but wanted to present a true image of Pakhtoon society on the big screen. But when vulgarity crept in, she made a quiet, graceful exit.

Earlier, a well-prepared documentary directed by Hameed and based on the life and contributions of Yasmeen Khan titled Da Lulme Gul (The Flower of Rainy Land) was shown. In addition to Yasmeen Khan’s life story, Durdana Rahman Amrozia, Shahid Khan, Jahangir Jani and film directors Inayatulah Khan, Qaiser Sanobar and Gul Akbar Afridi commented on their association with the late leading lady. Popular singers Gul Parna, Nelu, Sitara Younas, Fayyaz Khan Khesgi, Bakhtiar Khattak, Humayoun Khan, Shahsawar and Ikram sang the top 10 hit songs filmed on Yasmeen Khan that were remixed by Shakir Zeb.

TV actor Arshad Hussain and stage performer Neelum Gul performed Rasha o Rasha from Yousaf Khan Sherbano and received a standing ovation. A skit targeting today’s substandard trends in filmmaking while recalling the good old days of Pashto films when entire families would throng cinemas was also presented.

Yasmeen Khan’s film career came to an end on her sudden demise in May 1999.

The provincial minister for information and culture Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that a memorial will be erected at Yasmeen Khan’s last resting place while promising to continue the fight against terrorism and extremism through the promotion of cultural activities throughout the province. A cheque of Rs0.2 million was presented to late actor Tariq Shah’s widow and a road in Peshawar in the name of Badar Munir was also announced. Abid Hussain and Shazma Haleem hosted the event.