DAWN.COM

LAHORE, Sept 9: A colourful evening will be organised to pay a tribute to the late lyricist, Khwaja Pervaiz, by arts councils in the last week of September.

Officials told Dawn that the Pakistan National Council of Arts and the Lahore Arts Council had planned the event for Sept 27 in which singers, musicians and artistes would show up.

They said preparations for the event were under way at the Alhamra Art Center, The Mall and the PNCA designers were looking for a unique set.

Some of the late lyricist’s songs ‘Jub koi pyar say bulai ga, tum ko aik shakhs yaad aiy ga’, ‘Kisay da yaar na wichray’, ‘Tum hee ho mehboob mairay’ and ‘Mahi aavey gaa main phulan naal therti sajawan gi’ will be presented.

Shakir Ali Museum Director Amna Pataudi said Khwaja Pervaiz was a towering film personality and that’s why the PNCA had decided to pay a tribute to him. In India, she said, his compositions were performed by Hans Raj Hans and Gurdas Mann.

Pervaiz also wrote lyrics for the Indian Punjabi film ‘Pind di kuri’, she added.

“We are trying to make it a memorable show by inviting film artistes, playback singers of yesteryears and other national heroes who will pay a tribute to Khwaja Pervaiz,” she said.

She said the event would include exclusive dance performances by the PNCA’s National Performing Arts Group.

Legends like Madam Noor Jehan, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ghulam Ali and Masood Rana lent voice to his lyrics. By virtue of his poetic genius, Khwaja Pervaiz was ranked among the top lyricists of the Pakistani film industry. He created thousands of film songs, ghazals, national and war songs as well as poems. Among his famous songs were ‘Sanu ik pal chain na awey sajna terey bina’ and ‘Mera long gawacha.’ He also directed three Punjabi films – ‘Guda Gudi’, ‘Lukan Miti’ and ‘Sohni Kamharan’.