Shoaib Mansoor

Shoaib Mansoor is a Pakistani television and film director, writer, producer, lyricist and musician. He remains one of the most influential figures within the Karachi entertainment sector.

Early life and education

Shoaib Mansoor was born on 4 February 1951 in Karachi. No specific details regarding his formal education are provided in the available records.

Career

Mansoor began his professional journey in the television industry in 1976. He produced Jharnay, which was one of the first programmes to be aired in colours on PTV. This early work established his presence within the medium.

He gained significant success through his work with the musical band Vital Signs. In 1987, he wrote and composed the song Dil Dil Pakistan, an achievement that introduced the band to mainstream Pakistani television. As a mentor to Junaid Jamshed, Mansoor acted as the backbone for the group by composing and producing most of their albums. He also directed all of their music videos and produced the movie Geetar '93.

His television career includes several critically acclaimed productions. He directed the 1982 classic drama series Ankahi and the comedy series Fifty Fifty, which aired between 1979 and 1984. Mansoor also directed the military fiction series Alpha Bravo Charlie in 1997 and the travel documentary show Gulls and Guys in 1999. The latter was a commercial success reality show sponsored by the John Player Gold Leaf company.

Mansoor transitioned into film direction with great critical acclaim. He debuted as a film director in 2007 with the release of Khuda Kay Liye on 20 July 2007. Following this, he directed the big budget film Bol, which premiered on 24 June 2011. The cast featured Atif Aslam, Mahira Khan, Humaima Malick and Iman Ali. His fourth film, Verna, was released by Hum Films on 17 November 2017.

Between 2001 and 2003, he directed the Ishq Mohabbat Apna Pan music video featuring Iman Ali and Rasheed Naz. He also wrote and composed hit numbers such as Aitebar for Vital Signs.

Awards and recognition

The Government of Pakistan decorated Mansoor with the Pride of Performance award in 2002. He received the Sitara-i-Imtiaz from the President of Pakistan in 2008. In November 2007, he was presented with the PTV Lifetime Achievement Award by then-President Pervez Musharraf during the 43rd anniversary of Pakistan Television.

His cinematic work has earned international honors. Khuda Kay Liye won the Silver Pyramid Award from the Cairo International Film Festival in 2007. The film Bol received the Best Film award at the 2011 IRDS Film awards for its portrayal of social issues. Mansoor has also won a Lux Style Award and the Roberto Rossellini Award. He received recognition from the London Asian Film Festival and earned a nomination for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.