Famous Film Actor Sudhir Remembered

Shah Zaman Khan Afridi better known as Sudhir or Lala Sudhir, a Pakistani film actor, director and producer was remembered on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Monday

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jan, 2021 ) :Shah Zaman Khan Afridi better known as Sudhir or Lala Sudhir, a Pakistani film actor, director and producer was remembered on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Monday.

He was born as Shah Zaman Khan Afridi on January 25 in 1921 in Hasan Gari a village near Peshawar. He was of Pashtun origin but he spent all his life in Lahore.

He started his career with a role in a Bollywood film named Farz in 1947 in British India. Afterwards, he migrated to Pakistan. After 1947, he started his career in the Pakistani cinema.

His first film was the successful Hichkolay in 1949. He appeared in the hit musical film Dupatta in 1952. In 1954, Sassi was the first ever urdu film to celebrate a Golden Jubilee. Dulla Bhatti (1956), Mahi Munda (1956) and Yakke Wali (1957) were the highest grossing Punjabi films of the time. Yakke Wali (1957) was the first blockbuster Punjabi film. These two films led to building of large film studios in Pakistan.

Sudhir was the hero of film Baghi (1956), the first Pakistani film to be shown in China.

He was an "action films hero", but appeared as Hatim Tai in Hatim (1956), as Prince Saleem in the famous film Anarkali (1958), as Mirza Jat in the film Mirza Sahiban (1956), as Mahinwal in the film Sohni (1955) and as Mirza Ghalib in the film Ghalib (1961). He acted in the films Nooran (1957), Jhoomar (1959) and Gul Bakawli (1961) etc. He starred in one of the highest grossing Punjabi films Kartar Singh in 1959. He later appeared in hits such as the film Farangi (1964) and Ajab Khan (1961), on the struggle against the British Raj. His film Jeedar (1965) was the first to reach a Platinum Jubilee status. Maa Puttar (1970) was another Punjabi film to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. He once fought a real battle with a tiger in film Sahil (1960). He appeared as a sidekick with his son in film Dushman Ki Talash (1978).

Sudhir died on January 19, 1997 and was laid to rest at Defense Society Graveyard in Lahore.