In a tableau held for 14th August celebrations at a private school auditorium in Karachi, kids began performing on Tum kaun ho pehchaan batao, originally sung by Naheed Akhtar.

In the original, veteran singers Shaukat Ali, Rajab Ali, A. Nayyar and Ghulam Abbas join in, revealing their ethnic identities as Punjabi, Sindhi, Baloch and Pakhtun, respectively, in Tum kaun ho pehchaan batao, until Akhlaq Ahmed’s soothing vocals put an end to the divisions.

The song was from the Muhammad Ali-Babra Sharif-Ghulam Muhiuddin-starrer Khotay Sikkay, released in November 1981. As per the situation, the movie promoted nationalism and spread the message of unity.

Almost everyone in the audience in the school auditorium were clueless about the song’s origin; many thought it to be an unheard-of milli naghma [national/patriotic song]. Interestingly, many of the old milli naghmay people still remember actually have filmic origins.

Patriotic songs had always been part and parcel of full-length feature films produced before and after Partition. But many don’t now recall the film origins of many well-known ‘milli naghmay’...

Many such milli naghmay had been used in early Pakistani films to promote national peace and harmony. Cinema was a powerful tool in moulding audiences’ mindsets during the early days after Independence. Cinema was then the only way to connect visually to the people.

Patriotic songs had always been part and parcel of full-length feature films produced before and after Partition, be it during World War II or the mass migrations of 1947. Cinema always wielded the power to influence people’s minds.

At a time when television was yet to be introduced in Pakistan and most of the programmes at Radio Pakistan were live, singer Munawwar Sultana, who rendered seven songs in Pakistan’s first film Teri Yaad (1948), had the privilege to sing Pakistan’s foremost national song, Chand roshan chamakta sitara rahay. Recently reproduced by the military’s publicity wing ISPR, this song qualifies as the first milli naghma by a film playback singer, though there will be those who would question its characterisation as the first filmi milli naghma.

Most of us have grown up listening to Salim Raza’s Ao bachon saer karayein tum ko Pakistan ki. The song depicts the sacrifices rendered by people for the creation of a separate Muslim homeland. Santosh Kumar (real name Musa Raza) played the role of a teacher dressed in classic Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah attire, teaching his students about Partition.

Ratan Kumar (real name: Nazir Ali Rizvi), Bollywood’s favourite child star, had migrated to Pakistan with his family and appeared in 1954’s Jagriti, a successful film . To cash in on his fame, Rattan’s father Wazir Ali decided to produce a replica of Jagriti by the name of Bedaari (1957), where veteran director Rafiq Rizvi was roped in for direction.

Aao Bachon... became Pakistan’s most beloved milli naghma until the original source was revealed. Rattan Kumar may have been introduced to films in a big way, yet the songs from his debut film were banned from airing after allegations of plagiarism, as most of them were exact copies of songs from Jagriti. Hum laaye hain toofan se kishti, rendered by Salim Raza, and Ae Quaid-i-Azam tera ehsaan hai by Munawwar Sultana were also part of the soundtrack that ceased to be aired.

Ae mard-i-mujahid jaag zara has been a second national anthem for years. A regular with Pakistan Army brass bands, it was revisited by pop singers in the 1990s. Originally created with Inayat Hussain Bhatti’s vocals and Rasheed Attre’s composition for the film Changez Khan (1958), it proved to be one of the best motivational songs of all time. The country itself was moving towards martial law and a song with a military tune was a sign of what was soon to come.

In 1963, two movies starring lead actor Darpan (real name: Ishrat Abbas) featured patriotic songs. Many remember them even today, 60 years after their release. Najam Naqvi’s film Aik Tera Sahara had Irene Parveen singing Apnay parcham talay, with lyrics by Himayat Ali Shair and composed by Master Inayat Hussain (not related to Inayat Hussain Bhatti).

In Waheed Murad’s third movie as producer, Jab Se Dekha Hai Tumhein, Himayat Ali Shair joined debutant music director Sohail Rana to come up with Ahmed Rushdi’s Himmat se har qadam uthana, tu hai Pakistani. Waheed Murad appeared as a lead in his next production, Heera Aur Patthar, and Rushdi became his voice till death did them part. As for Sohail Rana, his name became synonymous with patriotic songs, as he composed hundreds of such songs for PTV till 1988.

Movies, until the 1970s, were often used as a medium to convey messages from the top brass. Many propaganda films were produced after 1965 to portray the nation’s zeal. Songs from the soundtracks of movies from 1965 and 1966 became part of folklore.

After the success of Khamosh Raho, director Jamil Akhtar, writer Riaz Shahid and actor Muhammad Ali joined hands for Mujahid. The most popular song from the film was sung by Masood Rana and Shaukat Ali: Jaag utha hai saara watan. It was filmed on Muhammad Ali and Sudhir, and composed by Khalil Ahmed. Released at the height of the 1965 Indo-Pak war, it quickly became the voice of the nation.

After the war of 1965, propaganda films such as Moajaza, Hamrahi and Watan ka Sipahi were produced to highlight the bravado of the Pak Army during the war.

Although Naseem Begum’s Ae rah-i-haq kay shaheedon qualifies more as a specific Defence Day song than a general patriotic one, it left many teary-eyed when played at the death of Muhammad Ali’s character in Madar-i-Watan (1966).

The theme song of Waheed Murad’s Samandar (1968) carried the message of unity before the separation of East Pakistan. Composed by a musician from East Pakistan and written by the Karachiite Sehba Akhtar, it was brilliantly rendered by Ahmed Rushdi and Masood Rana.

Saathi tera mera saathi hai lehrata samandar highlighted the importance of the sea, which connected the eastern and western wings of Pakistan. Before qualifying as a milli naghma, it was hijacked by a political party, and the lyrics altered to turn it into their party theme song.

The eventual break-up of the country in 1971 took its toll on the nation. It was not until 1973 that the nationalistic spirit was restored, and ‘nationalism’ returned to Pakistani films.

It was in the Punjabi language film Khushia that the entire nation joined in when Madam Noor Jehan rendered Sohni dharti Allah rakhay. The song had already been voiced by Shahnnaz Begum for PTV and composed by Sohail Rana, but the power of the cinema and the effect of Madam Noor Jahan’s voice was an altogether different experience in Khushia.

One was thrilled to see visuals of then Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) attending an awami mela where the movie stars also joined in. The leading men of cinema were parading with flags while the leading ladies were seen greeting the ‘man of the moment’ ZAB.

In the 1973-74 ‘progressive’ years, superstars Nadeem, Waheed Murad and Muhammad Ali starred in Iqbal Akhtar’s Nadaan, Pervez Malik’s Dushman and Shabab Kairanvi’s Aaina Aur Soorat, respectively. With Pakistan backing the socialist ideas of ZAB, all films carried duets with Ahmed Rushdi singing for the hero. The themes promoted were love of the land, and staying true to one’s roots.

In Nadaan, it was Sada suhagan apni dharti for Nadeem; in Dushman, it was Har dharrkan mein jaag utha hai for Waheed Murad; and in Aaina Aur Soorat, it was Pak watan ki dharti for Muhammad Ali.

For the 1974 Islamic Summit Conference in Lahore, Sohail Rana was joined by poet Jamiluddin Aali to compose a song in three different languages. Written in Urdu, Arabic and Persian, the song was rendered by singer-music composer Mehdi Zaheer. Rather than use the word Muslims, ‘Mustafavi’ was coined for the event. By then, cinema had started to lose its audience to television, which was more in reach of the common man.

The last of the filmi milli naghmay came in 1975, when K. Khursheed (originally Kishen Kumar) co-produced and directed Farz Aur Maamta. Considered to be the most popular milli naghma of the post-East Pakistan period, Iss parcham ke saaye talay, joined together the pieces of a country which was trying hard to stand on its feet... The same year when Farz aur Maamta was released, Nadeem and Shabnam starred in Pervez Malik’s Pehchaan, which dealth with the identity crisis of a long-lost brother.

After the military takeover of 1977, the rhetoric of ‘Islamic socialism’ propagated by ZAB was suppressed. Hum Mustafavi was locked away, only to be aired again in 1989, after ZAB’s daughter Benazir Bhutto came into power. The film industry was too weak to take a stand, as the policies of Gen Zia-ul-Haq had left it in a shambles. This gave way to external forces who took over the industry.

Pervez Malik’s film Kamyaabi (1984) was the last movie which had two patriotic songs, both by Naheed Akhtar. The Nadeem-Shabnam starrer Kaamyaabi was filmed in Canada, addressing the issues of the South Asian diaspora living there. Hai apnay watan se pyaar humain was filmed on Shabnam, while Chalo chalain papa hum apnay Pakistan was filmed on Master Khurram, whose character was seen persuading his father to return to their country.

Such powerful milli naghmay are perhaps the reason why the Pakistani nation still remains attached to its roots, and why pledges for better times are renewed over and over again every year, despite adverse circumstances.

Published in Dawn, ICON, August 13th, 2023