Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
Posted on: August 31, 2021 | 
| 中文
Allauddin in Maa Baap (1944), Nizam Lohar (1966), Baghi (1956) and Kartar Singh (1959)
The Pakistani film industry has produced numerous heroes, several villains and a handful of comedians, over the years. Allauddin is perhaps the only one who fits all of these categories. The legendary actor had a career spanning over four decades. Known affectionately as Papa in film circles, Allauddin rose to fame after he performed diverse roles in various films. From being the anti-hero of Neend (1959), the loveable uncle from Banjaran (1962), to the shepherd who stood up against the British in Farangi (1964), and the rebel in Yeh Aman (1971), his versatility is evident. He had the ability to make audiences dance with him (as gol-gappay wala in Mehtaab) and weep with him.
Born in 1920 in Rawalpindi, he started his career in pre-Partition India as a singer, but eventually turned to acting. An accomplished singer and a musician, Allauddin’s pinnacle was starring as Nargis’s father in Mela (1948), where Dilip Kumar played the lead. Thereafter, Allauddin pursued roles only in Pakistani films.
The film Kartar Singh's poster
In his early days, Allauddin mostly took on the role of a villain. On-screen he was usually seen swindling the poor, kidnapping the leading lady and rarely standing up against wrongdoings. With release of the Punjabi film Kartar Singh (1959), Allauddin’s career shifted gears and he started appearing as the good guy.
By the 1960s, the film industry in Pakistan had matured and this opened several doors for Allauddin, with his first lead role in Ashfaq Malik’s Salma (1960). The following year saw Allauddin as a cowboy in Pakistan’s first western film, Bara Bajay (1961). For the next ten years, he appeared regularly in Hasan Tariq’s films (Banjaran, Phannay Khan, Yateem) as well as Khalil Qaisar’s films (Shaheed, Farangi, Maa Baap).
Later, Allauddin joined hands with the maverick screen-writer turned director, Riaz Shahid. Nizam Lohar, Zarqa and Yeh Aman were the result of their collaboration. After Riaz Shahid’s death, Allauddin lost a dear friend and partner in the film industry.
Allauddin in Badnaam (credits to Guddu Film Archive)
Even in the later stages of his career, he remained one of the most versatile actors in Pakistan, from being the lead in Nizam Lohar, to playing Neelo’s father in Badnaam. There may be no other actor in Pakistan’s film industry who has played the role of a classical singer (Koel), a bandit (Nizam Lohar), a helpless father (Badnaam), a poet (Jameela), an addict (Hameeda), a judge (Shikwa), a street singer (Pak daman) and a union leader (Aadmi). Since 1957, Allauddin won a Nigar Award for his acting talent nearly every year till 1968. It is rare for an actor who has played a villain for so long, to break away from that stereotype and take on other roles so effortlessly.
The poster for Badnaam
By the mid-1970s, VCR had arrived and pirated copies of films became easily available, badly hitting the film industry financially. The industry began to change, and soon actors like Allauddin were marginalized. Good roles with quality scripts were hard to come by, and many leading actors had to turn to minor roles to keep their careers going. Various actors re-enacted some of Allauddin’s iconic past performances. Legendary actors like Muhammad Ali and Nadeem starred in remakes of his films. Muhammad Ali’s role in Aadmi (1979) and Watan (1981) were re-enactments of Allauddin’s character in Aas Paas (1957) and Shaheed (1962).
Allauddin is also remembered for his performances in some of the songs from his films. Sahir Ludhianvi’s Ae Watan, Tanvir Naqvi’s Zamaana kis qadar na meherban hai, Himayat Ali Shair’s Hum bhi Musafir and Faiz’s Gulon Mein Rang Bhare are just a few such songs. Towards the end of his acting career, some of the memorable performances that he gave were in Talaash (1976) and in Bandish (1980), where he was seen as a Malaysian guide.
Agha Talish (R), Allauddin (L) and Waheed Murad at an award function
Allauddin died in May 1983 in Lahore, months after the death of his young son. With the passing away of Santosh Kumar less than a year before, the death of Waheed Murad a few months after and the death of Allauddin’s mentor, famous director and producer, Nazeer, the film industry had suffered an irreparable loss. Despite many attempts of revival, the industry never regained the glory it had during Allauddin’s lifetime. The legendary actor left a void in Pakistani cinema.
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