Mushtaq Gazdar

Mushtaq Gazdar (Urdu: مشتاق گزدر‎) was a Pakistani cinematographer, who during his lifetime scripted, directed and produced around 190 short feature films, documentaries and newsreels on subjects like poor women, specially those abused, bought and sold in open flesh markets, for helpless children.

Mr. Gazdar was born and brought up in Karachi. He did his MSc in physics from the Karachi University. He held diplomas in film technique from London and Tokyo, and founded his own production house in Karachi. He won many national and international awards. He was also associated with international film productions, including the Emmy Award winner Traffik.

He was a founding member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. He also wrote articles on social issues for newspapers. He had also to his credit a voluminous book Pakistani Cinema: 1947-1997, a historical and critical study of Pakistan's film industry, published in 1997 to commemorate Pakistan's 50th anniversary. He was elected the honorary secretary of the Pakistan Arts Council, Karachi.

Mr. Gazdar was married to Saeeda Gazdar, a short story writer and poet, and had a son and daughter. [1]