Lollywood queen Shabnam revisits home

Jumbo Editorial Team

Actress Shabnam’s recent visit to Pakistan reminded many of the golden era of the Lollywood. She had ruled the film industry for decades in an era when cinema was considered as the prime source of entertainment for the masses.

Shabnam, who was hailed as the uncrowned queen of the Lollywood in the 1960s and the 1970s, had returned to Dhaka, rather suddenly in the 1980s, and not much was heard of her since then.

She has been warmly welcomed in the country she made proud with an illustrious acting career as she came to Pakistan with her music composer-husband Robin Ghosh.

She has spoken with warmth about Pakistan and still cared so deeply about Lollywood, expressing the hope that it will keep pace with the rest of the world.

“I haven’t been offered yet but yes the revival of Lollywood should take place and I will try my best to contribute something to it,” she replied when asked if she’d ever consider coming back on the silver screen.

Her own visit could be helpful in reviving what was once the essence of Pakistani entertainment. The way the media was chasing her during the trip was a testimony enough to the fact that time has not been able to corrode her popularity in Pakistan.

Shabnam’s tour to Pakistan, sponsored by the state-run television network Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV), came as a pleasant surprise to her fans having lost hopes of watching her again.

On her way to Lahore she also had a stopover in Karachi during which starlet she paid a visit to the ailing comedian Lehri. She drove all the way to the residence of Lehri, located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. She described the meeting as a flashback for her.

 “Lehri’s face reminds me of all the good times we spent together and I thank Allah for fulfilling my wish of meeting him,” she stated.

Shabnam reminisced the good old days that marked the boom of Lollywood and shared how Lehri turned her shooting experiences into memories.

“Lehri Sahib was a very serious person but he still used to crack jokes and bring comedic lightness on to the sets,” she recalled while consoling the frail-looking comedian, who complained about his depreciating health and about his unfavourable state of living.

Shabnam also had a meeting with the Sindh Governor, Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan and while talking to the press within the premises of the Governor House she said, “I feel really happy after talking to the Governor. He expressed his desire to see collaborations between Pakistan and Bangladesh on the grounds of film-making.”