Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
Posted on: March 29, 2023 | 
| 中文
Muhammad Ali and Zeba
They say ‘a name can often have a surprising impact on one’s personality’. For a Muslim, there can be no name greater than ‘Muhammad Ali’. The first name belongs to the Last Prophet of Allah while the other belonged to his cousin, named by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself. If names have the potential to influence the behavior, physical appearance, career path and life choices of the bearer, then Muhammad Ali had its impact.
There is hardly any person in Pakistan who has not heard of the legendary actor Muhammad Ali. He was part of the childhood of many like me. Even a generation before me adored him. He had played all characters in the book: a culprit in the witness box, a lawyer, a law-abiding citizen, smuggler, soldier, dacoit, a chief minister or a union leader, a prince or a pauper, a swordsman or a journalist, a doctor or a patient, a spy or a kidnapper. He was a man of many talents. He could capture the audience with his famous pleas; Mere Bees Saal Lauta Do Judge Sahab (give my twenty years back, Respected Judge), or Nawab Sahab, Yeh Aurat Meri Maa Hai, Jis Ke Liye Main Saari Dunya Thukra Sakta Hoon…. (This woman is my mother, respected Nawab sahab, for whom I can sacrifice the whole world) People would imitate his style, be it delivering a dialogue, luring a sweetheart, or copying his walk.
Muhammad Ali in Tiger Gang (1971)
A super-star by the late sixties, he was the one who was associated with Prime Minister Zulfikaar Ali Bhutto in the early days of his premiership, the person President Zia-ul-Haq turned to for suggestions and was quite close to the rulers in the 90s. He was especially close to Mian Nawaz Sharif; in whose regime he served as a Minister of Culture. Ali was the one who could be called the first ‘Angry Young Man’ from the subcontinent, with Indian actors Rajesh Khanna (Dard) , Amitabh Bachchan (Andha Qanoon) and Shashi Kapoor (Alag Alag) trying to enact the roles immortalized by him.
Muhammad Ali (second from right) in a function
Actor/Producer Muhammad Ali was born in Rampur on April 10, 1931. After partition, he migrated with his family to Pakistan and settled in Hyderabad, Sindh. By late 50s, he was performing in theatre and radio, from where he was picked by civil servant turned filmmaker, Fazal Karim Fazli in the year 1960. Selected for his voice and diction, Ali eventually made his debut with Chiragh Jalta Raha in 1962, but as an antagonist.
Around the same time, maverick writer/director Riaz Shahid was making Khamosh Raho. Although the movie had Yusuf Khan and Deeba in the lead, Ali stole the show with his power-packed performance, further immortalized by Ahmed Rushdi’s rendition of Habib Jalib’s poem, Main Nahi Manta (I will not accept it). His nuanced performance in the role, was earlier declined by Santosh Kumar and Darpan, the biggest stars of the day. With Ali's remarkable performance, he went on to become the most dramatic performer in the Pakistan film industry.
Muhammad Ali and Zeba receiving Best Actor and Actress Nigar Awards for Insan Aur Admi (1970)
Muhammad Ali had been a supporter of Zulfikaar Ali Bhutto and had protested by wearing black cloths at the International Moscow Film Festival for India holding 93,000 prisoners of wars after the 1971 war. When Ali realized that Bhutto’s politics had become opportunistic, he stood up to him. It is widely believed that the Federal Security Force was behind the attack on Ali’s car, a Cadillac, in Lahore’s Gulberg Area, when he was busy shooting for an international project.
Muhammad Ali’s famous fleet of cars were used to transport the leaders of the Muslim world during the Islamic Summit Conference of 1974. Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, Saudi Arabia’s King Faisal, Egypt’s Anwar as Saadat and Syria’ Hafiz-Al-Assad were just a few who enjoyed his hospitality, while Shah Faisal and Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman stayed over as special guests at his residence. He even featured in the list of 25 great actors from Asia in 2010, compiled by CNN.
Muhammad Ali (second from right) with Indra Gandhi
Muhammad Ali represented Pakistan at the international stage, something which he continued to do till the 90s. Be it collection of funds for a cause or helping the needy, Ali was always at hand. He also opened a series of hospitals that would treat Thalassemia patients.
Muhammad Ali worked in Saeed Rizvi’s sci-fi thriller Shaani (1989) for free, an experimental film that is still popular. Shaani was the first attempt from a movie director who wanted to make a sci-fi movie in the sub-continent. Ali appreciated the idea and ensured of his presence. He is believed to have offered to work for a lesser fee, if a producer decides to make a film in Karachi, a once bustling film centre. He had been part of several experimental films, including ‘A’ rated film Neela Parbat and Riaz Shahid’s Karishma.
Muhammad Ali and Ashok Kumar
Ali’s career declined by the early 1980s, as his health declined, and he was diagnosed suffering from the Parkinson’s diseases. Ali died due to a heart attack in 2006.
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