was informed thatshe was selected for a
side role in Fazal Ahmed Karim Fazli's
movie, 'Chiragh jalta raha'.
Thus, she made
her movie debut in a 1962 film called 'Chiragh
jalta raha'.
That was a
glorious moment in history, harbinger of
more good films to come.
Moreover, in
those days, almost every Pakistani city
buzzed with popular film stories.
Following her
role in 'Chiragh jalta raha', Deeba worked
in the movie, 'Jabsay deikha hai tumhain'.
It was a huge hit.
Her co-workers
applauded her strength. She felt she could
accomplish a lot.
Her sustained
efforts paid dividends in the film 'Phir
subha hogee', in which she played the lead
female role.
With the
passage of time, her acting did sound
better. Deeba achieved lofty heights in her
next three movies:
She was the
heroine in Rehman's film 'Milan', the film
'Meray bacchay meri Aankhein' and the film
'Dil diwanay'.
She paid a
little extra attention to the way she faced
the world each day and was able to slow down
the hands of time.
Further, there
are enough success stories of Deeba to fuel
the fever. Six are mentioned below:
The films
'Aashiq', director Aslam Dar's film 'Wada',
director Shabab Kiranvi's super hit film
'Aa'ena', director Nazrul Dada's film
'Haqeeqat', the film 'Sir Taj' and the film
'Bay Qusur'.
Casting Deeba
in the films seemed a safe bet. Like other
aspiring artists of her generation, she
worked zealously to prove her worth. As an
actress, she had come completely into her
own.
Jubilant fans
greeted the release of these films:
'Koshish',
'Sajna door deyaan', 'Tum he ho mehboob
meray', 'Dil day kay deikho', 'Zindigi aik
safar hai', director Zafar Shabab's film
'Sung dil'.
Many of her
hugely successful films touched on the
themes of romance in one way or another.
Given the mood of their times, the movie
goers could hardly ignore those themes.
The stories of
those films ring true even today:
The film
'Aansoo', director S. A. Bukhari's film 'Do
Aansoo', the film 'Hum Dono' (director: Al-
Hamid, released in 1966, popular ghazal:
'Unki nazroan
say mohabbat ka jo paigham mila', sung by
Runa Laila, pictured on Deeba, starring:
Deeba - Kamal) the films 'Zameer', and
'Sajda'.
It is a signal
of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude
with moderation. Deeba is living proof of
that moderation.
She
increasingly found opportunities to show her
abilities, notably in the films 'Khamosh
raho', 'Dil diwana' and the film 'Daagh'.
Better yet,
was the film 'Insaan aur farishta'.
Director Dil
Jeet Mirza had cast Deeba in the role of the
mentally retarded girl in his film 'Riwaaj'.
Watching her role in 'Riwaaj' is an
experience of a lifetime. Her character came
precariously close to reality.
Her role in
the film 'Seeta, Maryam, Margaret', was
remarkable.
Beautiful,
vivid and gracious, Deeba, by all accounts,
completely captured the heart of Waheed
Murad in the film 'Ik Nagina'. He looked
right at her and smiled. It was quite a
smile!
Deeba, who
passed most of her life in Karachi, is not a
perfect actress, but she aimed to be a
better one. She is not egotistical-she just
has confidence in her own abilities.
The following
six films were an achievement that is still
a worthy yardstick:
'Anila',
'Behan bhai', 'Doosri shadi', 'Pak Daman',
'Dil kay tukray', 'Aao pyar karain'.
As the years
passed, she kept working in the films. Some
of her films are also based on the grand
theme of love, as well.
The visionary
film directors have so vividly recreated
them. With a little extra effort, Deeba was
able to rekindle the passion in the
following films:
'Neend hamari
khwab tumharay', 'Maujiza', 'Zameen',
director Luqman's film 'Pakeeza', director
Qadeer Ghauri's film 'Mehmaan', 'Doraha'.
The unifying
power of the written word-the lyrics, played
a decisive role in the success of her films.
The transporting power of love and gentility
were successfully captured in these movies.
Her love of
acting, which took her irresistibly to
filmdom, has not diminished yet.
She scored big
at the cinema, when the following films
arrived in the theatres. Mega hit film 'Anjuman',
'Afsana', 'Madar-e-Watan', 'Jahan walay',
'Hum matwalay naujawan', 'Ruswaye'.
Over the
years, she constantly improved her acting
skills. Her performance was quite striking
in her later films.
She did a
world of good for herself and for her fans,
as she kept a steady course.
Furthermore,
the directors had the savvy to motivate the
stars.
Deeba's
convincing performances in the following
films gripped the hearts of fans:
'Husn ka
chore', 'Zinda laash', 'Ulfat', 'Dost
dushman', 'Shehnai', 'Parosi'.
The past has
its allure, so is her memory. A sense of
quiet reverence pervades the past films, as
one re-visits them. This presence never
leaves.
The movies are
still fresh in the minds of cine-goers. They
have stories to tell: The films 'C.I.D.', 'Ishara',
director Zafar Shabab's film 'Dard', 'Dooor
ki Aawaz', 'Fasana-e-dil', 'Chaudween sadi'.
Staying
resilient through the challenges of life,
she worked even harder in another spate of
films. Deeba, whose life has been a long,
exciting trip in the film world, came up
with more interesting movies like the
following:
'Phir chand
niklay ga', 'Perdais', 'Kaun dilan diyan
janay', 'Meri mohabbat teray hawalay', 'Aik
raat', 'Bhola sajan', 'Nasha jawani da', 'Subha
ka tara', 'Sajan rang rangeela'.
Deeba, who is
61 years of age, worked with the best
people, who made her look good by helping
her display more of the full range of her
acting talent.
In the final
phase of her acting career, she appeared in
more movies. Seven of them are listed below:
'Umar Mukhtar',
'Karam Daata', 'Deewanay teray pyar kay', 'Barsaat
ki raat', 'Nikah', 'Saheb jee' and the mega
hit film 'Chooriyaan'.
She earned the
Nigar Award for best actress in the film 'Sajna
dooor deyan' in 1970.
Forty- one
years after her first film appearance, her
past images recall the brightest, happiest
hours of her life.
So long, Deeba!
Below is a
wistful note:
