Khawaja Khurshid Anwar

Khawaja Khurshid Anwar was a Pakistani filmmaker, writer, director and music composer who earned recognition in both India and Pakistan. He is credited as one of the most original and inventive music directors of his generation.

Early life and education

Khawaja Khurshid Anwar was born on 21 March 1912 in Mianwali, Punjab. His maternal grandfather, Khan Bahadur Sheikh Atta Mohammad, served as a civil surgeon in the region. This grandfather was also the father of the woman married to the philosopher-poet Muhammad Iqbal.

His father, Khwaja Ferozuddin Ahmad, was a well-known barrister living in Lahore. Because the jurist maintained a large collection of gramophone records, the young Anwar had unhindered access to Indian classical music. He developed a deep taste for these sounds during weekly musical performances held at his home. In 1934, Khansahib Tawakkal Hussain agreed to take him as a disciple to provide formal training.

Anwar attended Government College, Lahore, where he proved to be a brilliant student. He topped his class in the master's degree in Philosophy in 1935. Although he attempted the Indian Civil Service examination in 1936, British colonial authorities disapproved of his political activities against the Raj. During a Punjab University prize distribution, he was notably absent when his name was called for the Nanak Gold Medal in Philosophy. The British Chancellor remarked that the student who forgot to receive his medal was a true philosopher.

Career

In 1939, Anwar joined All India Radio (Akashvani) in Delhi as the Programme Producer for Music. This role led to a meeting with producer Abdur Rashid Kardar, who requested that Anwar join the Bombay film industry. He made his debut as a music director in the Punjabi film Kurmai in 1941. His first Hindi film was Ishara, which was released in 1943.

The songs from Ishara gained immense popularity through performers such as Suraiya and Gauhar Sultan. Anwar composed music for several other Hindi films including Parakh in 1944 and Parwaana in 1947. Parwaana holds the distinction of being the final film featuring K. L. Saigal. He also worked on films like Singaar, Nishaana and Neelam Pari.

Anwar's influence extended to many future music directors in both India and Pakistan. Renowned Indian composer Roshan served as his disciple, and Shankar of the duo Shankar Jaikisha also studied under him. Naushad Ali frequently praised Anwar as one of the finest composers in the subcontinent. In Pakistan, he composed for many notable films such as Mirza Sahiban in 1956 and Heer Ranjha in 1970.

Beyond music, he worked as a writer and director. He wrote the story, screenplay and dialogues for films like Hamraz in 1967 and Intezar in 1956. He also directed Ghunghat in 1962 and Chingari in 1964. His work as a producer included Jhoomer in 1959 and several co-productions.

As a musicologist, he worked to preserve classical traditions. In 1976, he paid tribute to the legend Amir Khusro during the 700th anniversary celebrations in Pakistan. He produced the Aahang-e-Khusravi recordings through EMI Pakistan in 1978. These recordings included Raag Mala, which featured 90 Raags across ten Thaths.

Personal life

The poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz was a lifelong friend of Khurshid Anwar. During an interview with Anwar Maqsood, Faiz stated that he was inspired by the composer. Anwar died on 30 October 1984 at age 72 in Lahore following a protracted illness. He was laid to rest at the Miani Sahib Graveyard.

Awards and recognition

Anwar received the Clare Award for Best Music Director for Singaar in 1949. The Government of Pakistan awarded him the Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 1980. He also received the Nishan-e-Imtiaz from the President of Pakistan in 1982.

In India, the Bollywood industry gave him the Mortal-Men-Immortal-Melodies Award in 1982. He won 3 Nigar Awards for Best Music for his work on Zehr-e-Ishq, Ghunghat and Heer Ranjha. His son, Khwaja Irfan Anwar, maintains a comprehensive website regarding his life.