Anjuman (actress)

Career

Her career spanned almost 20 years and she appeared in more than 300 films. She first appeared in the Urdu film, Soorath (1973) co-starring with Waseem Abbas, Afshan, Taj Niazi, and she gave her last appearance in 2000 in the film Peengan. Film Soorath was not a success; her first major hit was Waadey Ki Zanjeer (1979). She had major roles in Sher Khan and Chan Varyam (1981) and played a supporting role in film Sala Sahib (1981). All three were diamond jubilee hit films and were released the same day, a unique record, which she shared with her partner-hero Sultan Rahi, her playback voice (singer) Melody Queen Madam Noor Jehan, and musician Wajahat Attre. Anjuman was a darling of the working classes, who went to the cinema frequently. She could dance according to their taste and she had the figure of a traditional Punjabi Mutyaar, which is the ideal of adult males, especially in Punjab, Pakistan.

She appeared with every hero of her era but with Sultan Rahi she ruled the Punjabi cinema for more than a decade. She also appeared with Ali Ejaz, Javed Sheikh, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Izhar Qazi and Nadeem. Her initial films were in Urdu but the bulk of her career was based on acting in Punjabi films. Her roles ranged from a traditional innocent village girl to modern sexy bombshell, romantic to action-packed films.

Marriage

Anjuman married income tax commissioner, Mobin Malik, gave birth to two sons and one daughter. Zeeshan, Adnan and Iman, quit films, and lived in the United Kingdom with her family. However, Mobin Malik, Anjuman's husband was murdered on the Eid day in 2013 while he was in Lahore visiting relatives. During this period Sultan Rahi was murdered on the National Highway in 1996. Lollywood was deprived of its most famous star, Anjuman who retired from her film career, and the Punjabi film industry virtually ground to a halt for a few years until its revival with Syed Noor's film Choorian (1998 film).

Comeback in films

Anjuman returned to acting in 1999 in the title role in the film Chaudrani (1999 film). The adoring masses welcomed their beloved 'Queen' home and lifted Chaudhrani to a considerable success upon its release but soon the golden touch began to fade. Anjuman, however, perceived Chaudhrani's success as vindication of everything she had planned. She refused any further character roles, opting only for solo heroine projects and required a lofty salary of Rs. 300,000. She felt that she was in a position to be calling all the shots, but in any film industry you are only as good as your last hit and she was soon to taste the price of stardom. Her next release was Jag Mahi, opposite Ghulam Mohiuddin, in 2000. It had a superb response and ran for 103 weeks at Metropole cinema lahore, ran packed to houses till 75 weeks. Anjuman's next release was a litmus test of sorts and this she succeeded flawlessly. The film Peengan (2000) opposite the young hero Saud was met with applause by the viewers. Audiences started shouting slogans of Sohni Mutyar (Beautiful Girl) during the showing of the film. Peengan became super blockbuster and ran for record 202 weeks at Shabistan cinema lahore, 108 weeks at Metropole cinema, 116 weeks at Capitol cinema lahore. It is the only film in history that completed 200 weeks during its 2nd run at Prince cinema Lahore. Peengan became lottery for the producers who have earned 100 times the investment made. She was abruptly dropped from the film Badmaash, for which she had already canned two songs and numerous scenes, and replaced by upcoming starlet Noor due sudden rise in the signing amount (ie 1 crore per movie).The producer felt they would be better off cutting Anjuman, and their costs, rather than going ahead with Anjuman as the leading lady.

Further news arrived that Anjuman's scenes in the film Badmaash tey Qanoon had also been dropped and edited out of the film, and that she had been replaced by the actress Nargis. This was the final straw for Anjuman, the humiliation proving too much to take. She announced her immediate retirement, that she was just hanging around to complete her on hand assignments, and that she would shortly be leaving Pakistan altogether for a life of anonymity in the UK where her former husband Mobin Malik owned a flat in Knightsbridge, London. Her final two movies were Jatti da vair in 2000 and Ik dhee punjab di (Daughter of Punjab), they were huge hits.

End of career

Her departure may have been a crushing blow to many of her die-hard fans, who admired the thumkas (pelvic thrusting dance manoeuvres) of Anjuman. In the 1980s, after the box-office success of Chan Varyam (1981 film), Sultan Rahi, Mustafa Qureshi, Anjuman and the playback singing of film songs by Noor Jehan dominated the Punjabi film industry to such an extent that a film was not considered a viable project unless they were present. Film after film was launched with all the four stars, with different names, but merely repeating their roles from the previous efforts. Nonetheless, the public lapped it up and all three became icons of an era.

Anjuman in action films

Action was the essential element of the Punjabi films; Sultan Rahi gained a reputation as an action hero but in many films Anjuman herself played an action heroine. The audience saw her fighting with bad guys and displaying her powers along with her dances simultaneously in those movies. Some of her action films are . Mela (1986), Hunter Wali (1988), Dulari (1987), Qatil Haseena (1989), Daku Haseena, Kali Charan, Sultana, Nangi Talwar, etc.

She was seen in action films, riding horses, driving motor bikes and doing stunts thus giving a new dimension to female roles in Lollywood movies, which were previously based on a shy and innocent girl. Plots of Anjuman's action films were based on revenge, although she played a don in Insaniyat ke dushman. Anjuman can be considered as the first established action heroine of the Pakistan film industry. Her viewers not only liked her acting and dances but also her action skills.