Armaan: Pakistan’s Super Hit Movie

Posted on September 7, 2008
Filed Under >Owais Mughal, Music, TV, Movies & Theatre
21 Comments
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Owais Mughal
This post has videos of three very famous songs from ‘armaan’

gham-e-rozgaar (work) took me to Canada last week. On a dark and rainy night, I found myself driving on Trans Canadian Highway 1 in Vancouver area. Rain was pouring by bucket loads and windshield vipers were working over time. I was bored and scanning FM spectrum for a good song on car radio. There were English, French, Chinese and many more of the same channels. Suddenly at FM frequency 93.1, I heard a voice in Urdu announcing a song from Pakistani movie ‘armaan’. The song was titled ‘jab pyar mein do dil.’ You could imagine my joy over this surprise find. I immediately pressed set on the radio and started singing aloud with (late) Ahmed Rushdi‘s voice. This song never felt so good to me before as it did on that dark night in Canada. lijiye, aap bhi suniyay (lets listen)


Many of our readers may already know that above song is from Pakistan’s movie ‘armaan’.

armaan was released on March 18, 1966. Movie’s Producer and Hero was Waheed Murad. Its Director was Parvaiz Malik and music was given by Sohail Rana. It is said that in 1966-67 every ‘bacha bacha’ on the streets of Pakistan used to sing the most famous song of this movie called ‘akele na jaana’.

The song ‘akele na jaana’ was at first recorded by Sohail Rana for another movie with the same title as ‘akele na jaana’ but that movie got delayed. In the mean time Waheed Murad was making the movie ‘armaan’ and for a similar situation in the movie, the song got used in ‘armaan’ instead of ‘akele na jaana’.

I have even read in a book that just because of this one song, the movie ‘armaan’ completed its platinum jubilee (i.e. 75 consecutive weeks of screening). It was Pakistan’s first Platinum Jubilee movie. It is also said that despite an unusually extreme rainy season the movie continued to go ‘house full’ in Karachi circuit.

The song ‘akele na jaana’ is sung by Ahmed Rushdie and Mala.

akele na jaana

The movie ‘armaan’ was a complete comedy before the interval and a complete tragedy after the interval but director’s grip on the story never slipped. It is said that in the production of armaan‘s songs Waheed Murad gave a new style of acting and that is why people have not forgotten about this movie 42 years down the road now.

ko ko korina

I don’t have to write much about this song. I am sure most of our readers are already familiar with it as well as it has been covered at ATP here.

‘armaan’ was declared the best movie of the year 1966. It got a total of 6 nigaar awards which were as follows:

(i) The Best film for 1966
(ii) Best Director: Pervaiz Malik
(iii) Best Actress: Zeba
(iv) Best Comedy Actor: Nirala
(v) Best Musician: Sohail Rana, and
(vi) Best Singer: Ahmed Rushdie

The Cast of the Movie was as follows:

Waheed Murad, Zeba, Tarranum, Nirala, Rozina, M Zahoor, Agha Suroor and Babbu

ATP’s Other Related Posts:

1. Bandish: Pakistan’s Super Hit Movie
2. Aina: Pakistan’s Greatest Blockbuster Movie
3. Khuda ke liye
4. Lollywood Billboard Art
5. Movie: Ramchand Pakistani
6. kaanch: A tele movie from Pakistan
7. Ahmed Rushdie, Waheed Murand and Ko Ko Korina
8. Waheed Murad: Pakistan’s First Heart throb Hero?
9. Sohail Rana: Musical Maestro

21 responses to “Armaan: Pakistan’s Super Hit Movie”

  1. Owais Mughal says:

    Umar, yes it was pure pleasure and surprise to hear an Urdu song while driving down on a highway in Canada. FM 93.1 in Vancouver area gets one hour slot from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. for Pakistani songs.

  2. Umar Shah says:

    An enjoyable post Owais. You have captured the moments of driving and switching to FM 93.1 very nicely.

  3. ShahidnUSA says:

    @Faraz
    You answered your own question.I am glad you grew out of that perception.
    Music is never a bad thing as long as you are not annoying the person sitting next to you with it. I would go as far as saying that if Ramazan is zakat for your body, music is food for your soul.
    Look above and be proud that your country produced such a great talents.
    Desme nikla hoga chand
    and I believe it.
    Good post!

  4. Faraz Hafeez says:

    I thought we’re not supposed to listen music in ramazam. I guess I really am a grown-up.

  5. Saeed Ahmed says:

    Awesome post Owais. Armaan’s music is everlasting and here is my question to those who understand music, why is that songs from Armaan and many other old movies are still loved by people. Is it an incorrect notion and only those people who watched those movies in 60’s, 70’s and 80’s are addicted to these songs or all of us regardless of age. Well I only saw Armaan some where in late seventies but still like it, and more than the movie, I like its songs and they are my all time favorite. So is there something lacking in today’s music directors, lyricist and singers keeping them from creating such gems as produces by earlier teams.

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