Masood Rana

Early life

Masood Rana was born in Mir Pur Khas, Sindh to a Rajput landowner family which had migrated from the East Punjab's city Jalandhar. He started his singing career on Radio Pakistan, Hyderabad in 1955 and helped establish a singing group in Karachi in the early 1960s with two other famous names in showbiz - Nadeem Baig and Akhlaq Ahmed.

His Film Career

Masood Rana got his first breakthrough when the renowned film actor Saqi introduced him to producer and director Iqbal Shehzad and musician Deebo. His first film song was in the film Inqalab and the song was Mashriq ki tareek faza mein naya savera phoota hay composed by music director N. K. Rathore but he got his big breakthrough from his second film Banjaran in 1962 which was composed by music director Deebo Bhattacharia. He was proudly introduced as "Pakistani Rafi" and always lived up to his reputation. He specialized in singing difficult songs in very high- pitched voice and was the first choice for music directors for film title and theme songs.

In 1964, the Punjabi song Tange Wala Khair Mangda in the film Daachi was a popular street song composed by veteran music director Ghulam Ahmed Chishti. He then became the most dominating male singer in both Urdu and Punjabi films when his six songs in film Hamarahi (1966) became mega- hits. Masood Rana is still the only male singer in Pakistani films who sang more than 300 songs in each of the two languages - Urdu and Punjabi. He sang in more than 550 films and he worked continuously from his first film in 1962 until his death in 1995. Rana was considered to be the most successful singer after Ahmed Rushdi. He died on October 4, 1995 due to a heart attack during his journey on a train.

His Patriotic Songs

In addition to the film assignments, he has also sung beautiful patriotic songs which became popular and are still played on Pakistan national days. For film Aag Ka Darya (1966), he sang Ae watan hum hain teri shama kay parwanon main, Zindgi hosh main hay josh hay eemanon main. The other song is Sathio, mujahido, jaag utha hay sara watan, sathio, mujahido Masood Rana with Shaukat Ali for film (Mujahid 1965). In honour of the courage and sacrifice of Pakistan's soldiers in the 1965 war with India, he sang "Yaad Karta Hai Zamana Unhi Insaano Ko" in film Hamrahi (1966) composed by music director Tassaduq Hussain, film song lyrics by Muzaffar Warsi.

His Top Urdu Film Songs

1. Tum he ho mehboob meray, main kyun nah tumhen pyar karun (Aina 1966)

2. Karm ki ik nazar hum par Khuda ra, Ya Rasoo Lallah (saw) (Hamrahi 1966)

3. Koi saath day keh nah saath de, yeh safar akailay hi kaat lay (Badnaam 1966)

4. Teri yaad aa gaee, gham khushi mein dhal gaey (Chand aur Chandni 1968)

5. Jhoom ae dil woh mera jan-e-bahar aaey ga (Dil Mera Dharkan Teri 1968)

6. Mera khyayal ho tum meri aarzoo tum ho (Nazneen 1969)

7. Mera mehboob aa gaya, mann mera lehra gaya (Neend Hamari Khawab Tumharay (1971)

8. Tere bina yun gharian beetin, jaisay sadian beet gaeyin (Aansoo 1971)

9. Mere dil ke hay awaz keh bichra yaar mile ga (Baharo Phool Barsao 1972)

10. Aag laga kar chhupney walay sun mera afsanah (Dillagi 1974)

11. Ae dil tujhay ab unsay kaisi yeh shikayat hai, woh samnay baithay hain kaafi yeh inayat hai (Shararat (1963))

Top Punjabi film songs

1. Tange wala khair mangda, tanga Lahore da howe te phanwen Jhangh da (Daachi 1964)

2. Sajna ne buhey aggay chik tann layi (Bharia mela 1966)

3. Yaaran naal baharan sajna [Yaaran Naal Baharan (1967)]

4. Soch ke yaar banawin bandia (Jigri Yaar 1967)

5. Dil dian lagian janay na, mera pyar pachanay na [Baooji (1968)]

6. Tere hath ki bedardey aaya phullan jeya dil tor ke (Sheran Di Jori 1969)

7. Ya apna kise nu kar lay, ya aap kise da ho belia (Dil Dian Laggian 1970)

8. Tere madh bharey nain mil pain, te chandra sharab chhad de (Jeera Blade 1973)

9. Sajno ae nagri daata di aithey aanda kul zamana (Nagri Daata Di 1974)

10. Yaar mangia si Rabba teithun ro ke, kehri main khudai mang leyi (Ishq Nachawy Gali Gali 1984)

Top Urdu Duets

1. Sathio, mujahido, jaag utha hay sara watan (with Shaukat Ali) film (Mujahid 1965)

2. Door veeraney mein ik shama hay roshan kab se (with Mala) film (Naila 1965)

3. De ga na koi sahara, in bedard fazaon mein (with Naseem Begum) (Kon Kisi Ka 1966)

4. Madeenay waley sey mera salaam keh dena (with Ahmed Rushdi) (Bhayya 1966)

5. Ik aur baat mani, ik aur zakham khaya (with Irene Parveen) (Badnaam 1966)

6. Tujhe pyar ki qasm hay, mera pyar ban ke aaja (with Mala) (Chand aur Chandni 1968)

7. O mere shoukh sanam, hua deevana tera jab se tumhe (with Mala) (Sangdil 1968)

8. Haar dena na himmat kahin, ek sa waqt rehta nahin (with Mala) (Pak Daman 1969)

9. Bheegi bheegi thandi hawa (with Runa Laila) (Ehsas 1972)

10. Yeh waada karo ke mohabbat karen ge (with Noor Jehan) (Daman Aur Chingari 1973)

Top Punjabi Duets

1. Sadi ajab kahani ae, bhul ke puraney dukhray (with Mala) (Mera Mahi 1964)

2. Nikke hundian da pyar, wekhin devin na wisar (with Irene Parveen) (Mirza Jatt 1967)

3. We lakh tarley pawen mundia, teinu pyar nein karna (with Noor Jehan) (Dhee Rani 1969)

4. Teri akh da nein jawab, tey bhulian khiria surkh gulab (with Naseem Begum) (Mukhra Chann Warga 1969)

5. Dil de ke te nasiye na, je ro ke wikha dena (with Noor Jehan) (Nikkay Hundian Da Pyar 1969)

6. Lal meri patt rakhio bala Jhooley Lalan Dey (with Sain Akhtar and Munir Hussain) (Varyam 1969)

7. Lang aa ja pattan Chanaan da yaar (with Tasawur Khanum) (Ajj da Mehinwal 1973)

8. Chup ker ke gaddi day wich beh ja, jai bolain gee chapair khaain gee (with Mehnaz) (Warrant 1975)

9. Haey mar gaii, thaan mar gaii (with Naheed Akhtar) (Baadal 1987)

10. Yaad sataey, chain na aay, kalian nein jee sakna (with Noor Jehan) (Aan Milo Sajna 1994)

Masood Rana also appeared as an actor in a few films but he was not successful in this field. He was a lead actor in film Shahi Faqeer (1970) and a side-hero in films Do Mutiaran (1968) and Yaar Badshah (1971). As a guest actor he was seen in films Sangdil (1968), Do Rangeeley (1972), Noukar Wohti Da (1974), Ajj Di Gall (1975), Khushia (1973) and Dostana (1982).