Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
Posted on: April 17, 2024 | 
| 中文
A collage of Shabnam's pictures
She was born in what was East Pakistan and is now Bangladesh. She was not fluent in the Urdu language, but overcame all challenges and gained great popularity in just a few years. When legendary actress Shabnam Ghosh a.k.a Shabnam, received the Sitara-e-Imtiaz from President Asif Ali Zardari at the March 23rd celebrations this year, she got her long overdue recognition.
Shabnam receiving Sitara-e-Imtiaz from the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari
Born as Jharna Basak in Dhaka some eighty years ago, she is widely respected for her work during the golden era of Pakistani cinema. Writing about the leading actress of the yore is like travelling back in time. It was the year 1962, when names like Muhammad Ali, Zeba, Waheed Murad, Deeba and Rani were rising in the western wing of the country. In the eastern wing, Director Ehtisham made Chanda, a movie that saw the debut of actor-Director Rehman, music Director Robin Ghosh, lyricist-and-later-Director Suroor Barabankvi, along with Shabnam. The team made several successful films in East Pakistan and grew fast professionally. However, the personal lives of some team members also became intertwined, with Robin Ghosh marrying Shabnam, a marriage that has withstood the test of time for over five decades. Their marriage added an interesting dimension to their professional collaboration, further consolidating their bond, both on and off-screen. Shabnam was the leading lady of most of the hit films which had music provided by Robin Ghosh. Ehsaas (1972), Chahat (1974), Sharafat (1974), Do Saathi (1975), Umang (1975), Mom ki Gurya (1976), Aaina (1977), Bandish and Nahin Abhi Nahi (both 1980), to name a few.
Robin Ghosh and Shabnam
Shabnam gained immense popularity for her versatile acting skills and captivating presence in numerous Pakistani films. However, her rise to stardom did not come easy, as she had Bengali features and a strong Bengali accent. Her Urdu dialogues for the first few scripts were written in Bengali, and that is how she would memorize her lines. It was with the help of the legendary lyricist, Suroor Barabankvi, that Shabnam’s Urdu diction improved. ‘Suroor Sahib was the driving force behind my understanding of Urdu. He advised me to visit his house anytime and converse with his children in whatever Urdu I could come up with. I used to play with the kids, speaking to them in jaisi taisi urdu. My confidence grew, and I eventually got to know the language better’, revealed Shabnam to the scribe when contacted for the article.
Shabnam at KLF, 2017
After her debut, she was invited by producers to work in West Pakistan, but it was Waheed Murad’s Samandar (1968), that launched her in what was then West Pakistan. The film Samandar’s significance was that it addressed the discontent that was building up in East Pakistan, against West Pakistan. Shabnam was a perfect choice for the role, yet she encountered difficulties with the audience due to her accent. Later, she was dubbed in Andaleeb (1970) and the experiment worked. Shabnam, who was away for work during the dubbing, was accepted by people of the western wing, and hence started her phenomenally successful journey that continued late into the 90s. Viewers stopped complaining of her accent and accepted it as unique to her.
She worked with many renowned directors and actors of her time. A regular in movies of S. Suleman and Pervez Malik, she even gave hits like Dillagi (1974) with Aslam Dar, Aakhri Station (1965) with Suroor Barabankvi and Dosti (1971) with Sharif Nayyar. She was a frequent co-worker with Waheed Murad, Kemal, Muhammad Ali, but her pairing with Nadeem was a sure success. Their association that started with Tum Mere Ho (1968) to Aulad ki Qasam (1997), gave around 50 successful films and innumerable songs. The most famous films featuring Nadeem and Shabnam were directed by Nazr-ul-Islam, who also opted to stay in Pakistan, after the creation of Bangladesh. Aaina (1977) is still considered one of the best Urdu films, while Bandish (1980), a Pakistan-Indonesian co-production is not far away behind.
Shabnam and Nadeem Baig in 1977
Shabnam even worked with actors who were quite junior to her: Shahid, Ghulam Muhiuddin, Rahat Kazmi, Javed Shaikh, Shafi Muhammad and Faisal, to name a few. She not only worked in movies that were destined to be blockbusters, but also remained associated with movies that were experimental. Apart from Samandar, she was part of the first film that was shot in a foreign country (Kaajal, 1965), and in films like Kaamyabi and Qurbani that had social themes. She acted in the maiden film by Ibn-e-Safi, Dhamaka (1974), which was based on his renowned mystery novel. Despite Dhamaka faring badly at the box office, Shabnam was praised for her work as Sabiha. She was superb as the lady who went to Europe in search of her father in Mere Hamsafar (1972), and as an educated girl from the city, in Pehchan (1975).
Shabnam's ability to immerse herself into the characters she portrayed, was one of her greatest strengths. Whether it was an ordinary lady in ‘Aina aur Soorat’, or a village belle in Mann ki Jeet, a confused mother in Qurbani or a rowdy girl in Talaash, Shabnam had a remarkable talent for bringing characters to life on screen. It never mattered to her whether it was a dramatic role, a romantic lead, or a comic character, Shabnam's performances consistently resonated with audiences. She was lovely whether singing Roothay Ho Tum Tumko for her husband in Aaina, or warning her boyfriend of dire consequences with Mere Sartaj ko Samjhao in Sachcai. If you want to experience Shabnam’s range of acting, watch the sad and romantic versions of Do Pyasay Dil from Bandish (1980).
Shabnam and Waheed Murad in a non-film pose
Shabnam left the industry in the late ‘90s, but despite being out of sight, she was never out of mind. When asked how she felt about receiving the Sitara-e-Imtiaz from the President, there was a long pause and she said, ‘I am overwhelmed and cannot express my feelings. I felt very emotional and had to make an effort to stay calm and composed. I was rewarded for the hard work I had put in over the years’, recalled Shabnam. She has a special place for Pakistan in her heart, despite the horrors of the 1971 military operation in what was then East Pakistan.
She came to Pakistan with her late husband Robin Ghosh in 2012, for a television show, and was surprised by the response of the people. Since then, she has been visiting Pakistan that she considers her second home. She acted in a television serial in Pakistan circa 2016, and enjoyed the experience. Shabnam still remembers the golden days when she used to rule the hearts and minds of people, just like the words of her famous song, Tere Bin Mera Jeevan Kuch Nahi.
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