Bandish: Pakistan’s Superhit Movie

Posted on August 25, 2007
Filed Under >Owais Mughal, Music, TV, Movies & Theatre
23 Comments
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Owais Mughal

In May 2007, we had introduced Pakistan’s greatest blockbuster Movie called Aina. Today we are back with yet another superhit movie of Urdu cinema called bandish.

Bandish was released on November 1, 1980 and it was a co production between Pakistan and Indonesia. Besides completing a 81 consecutive week (platinum jubilee) screening in Pakistan, the movie did very good business in Indonesia too. Music of the movie was given by Robin Ghosh and following evergreen song from the movie became very famous. It is titled as sona na chandi and was sung by Akhlaq Ahmed.

The story of the movie revolves around 3 main characters which are: Nadeem, who is a Pakistani businessman with some real estate in Indonesia, Shabnam, who is an air stewardess and meets Nadeem in a flight from Karachi to Singapore and Diana Christina who is an island girl in Indonesia.

During the course of the movie, Nadeem is seen taking a leisurely cruise on his business trip to Indonesia. His boat suddenly catches fire and he fells down in water. Eventhough he survives the accident and reaches ashore on an island but due to trauma he suffers memory loss. On the island he meets Jotia (Diana Christina) who brings him home and takes care of him. Days pass by and Jotia starts learning Nadeem’s bhasha (language). Few scenes later the following song takes place where Nadeem is seen trying to correct Diana‘s Urdu grammar and pronunciation. The song is titled acha acha lage re and is sung by Nayyara Noor and A Nayyar.

some key information about the movie is here:

Director: Nazr-ul-Islam
Writer: Basheer Niaz
Music Director: Robin Ghosh
Song Writers: Saeed Gilani and Tasleem Fazli
Cameraman: Kamran Mirza
Producer: Ahmed Shamsi
Actors: , Nadeem, Shabnam, Diana Christina, Roy Martin, Talish, Alauddin and Talat Hussain

Following is another famous song from Bandish. It is titled tujhe dil se and is sung by Mehnaz.

Bandish won 6 Nigar Awards in 1981 which are the most prestigious movie awards in Pakistan. These awards were given to Bandish in following categories:

Best Supporting Actor: Alauddin
Best Song Writer: Tasleem Fazli
Best Cameraman: Kamran Mirza
Best Female Singer: Mehnaz
Best Male Singer: Akhlaq Ahmed
Best Editor: K.D. Mirza

Following song is titled do pyase dil eik and is sung by Mehdi Hassan and Mehnaz

Following are a couple of historic photos of Bandish. First photo is a movie scene with Shabnam and Nadeem and the second photo is a poster in sepia with cinemascope aspect ratio of Shabnam, Nadeem and Diana.


Reference: Pakistan ki 100 shahkar filmen by Yasin Gorija

ATP’s Other Movie Posts:
(1) Khuda ke liye,
(2) Aina, and
(3) Lollywood Billboard Art

23 responses to “Bandish: Pakistan’s Superhit Movie”

  1. Shahran Asim says:

    Nice Post,

    I do recall that movie when I was young and went with my family to “Arshi” Cinema in Federal B Karachi (the Cinema is now in history). I remember the plot and there was plane crash in which Nadeem Loses his memory although he survives. In that movie, there was a funny song called “Accha Accha LAGAY RAY” which I still remember.

  2. Raza Rumi says:

    Owais, thanks for this post. I am one of the readers who actually saw this film in cinema. I don’t remember the plot (as I was quite young) but the music has always remained with me.

    It was a pleasure to hear these songs. My favourite is “Do piyase dil” in the effortless and golden voices of Mehdi Hasan and Mahnaz. It is deeply romantic and mellow. Alas, what passes for music today does not have a fraction of musicality when you hear such compositions.

    Good to have seen the Pak cinema icons – Nadeem and Shabnam – again. Theirs was a couple with great chemistry.

    Having said all of this, I am a little sorry to state that Bandish (one of our better films) was in fact a re-make of a 1979 Indian film called Prem Bandhan – http://tinyurl.com/2gmpqr – (starring Rekha and Rajesh Khanna).

    There is nothing wrong with that – after all the masala mix remains the same. Amnesia, forgotten wife, second saviour wife and all that South Asian rona dhona.

    Btw Aina was also repackaged in Bollywood. All in the region!

  3. kbaba says:

    excellent movie and songs

  4. hira khan says:

    i didnt know pakistan was once into producing great movies…could you believe this…i have never seen a pakistani movie …though i have been living in pakistan since the time i was born…..

  5. i have heard the song sona na chandi…i didnt know it was from this movie…or infact a pakistani movie..wow!

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