ISLAMABAD, Jan 19 (APP):Actor, director and producer Shah Zaman Khan Afridi better known by his film name Sudhir was remembered on Friday on the occasion of his death anniversary. Born on January 25, 1921, Sudhir was a highly respected film personality.
He debuted with a role in a Bollywood film named Farz in 1947 but the same year he migrated to Pakistan and he started his career in Pakistani cinema his first film was Hichkolay in 1949. He appeared in the hit musical film Dupatta in 1952.
In 1954, his film 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. Sudheer’s Yakke Wali (1957) was the first blockbuster Punjabi film. Sudhir was the hero of the action film Baghi (1956), the first Pakistani film to be shown in China.
He was an “action film 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 also 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 the film Sahil (1960).
He appeared as a sidekick with his son in the film Dushman Ki Talash (1978). In the 1980s he worked on only a few. movies including Maidan, Zalzala and Son of Andata which was his last venture. Sudhir died on January 19, 1997, and was laid to rest in Lahore.
