Ahmed Rushdi (; 24 April 1934 – 11 April 1983) was a versatile Pakistani

playback singer A playback singer, as they are usually known in South Asian cinema, or ghost singer in Western cinema, is a singer whose performance is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and the performers lip-sync the ...

and was "an important contributor to the

golden age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during wh ...

of Pakistani

film music A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

". Regarded as one of the greatest singers in

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

who could sing high

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

notes with ease, he is best known for his versatility and distinctive voice, with complex and dark emotional expressions. Considered the first pop singer of South Asia, he sang South Asia's first

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

song, "

Ko Ko Korina "Ko Ko Korina" (Urdu:) is a song which appeared in the 1966 Urdu-language film '' Armaan'' and is considered the first pop song of Pakistan, and often of all South Asia. Produced during the Golden Age of Pakistani cinema, the song's lyrics wer ...

", in the 1966 film '' Armaan''. Born in

Hyderabad Deccan Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...

, he migrated to

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

following Indian partition. In 1954, he recorded the official

National Anthem of Pakistan The National Anthem of Pakistan, also known by its incipit "The Sacred Land", is the national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and formerly the Dominion of Pakistan. First composed by Ahmad G. Chagla in 1949, lyrics in the highl ...

with several other singers. Rushdi has recorded the highest number of film songs in the history of

Pakistani cinema The film industry of Pakistan, consisting of motion pictures, has had a large effect on culture of Pakistan, Pakistani society and culture since the nation's independence. Pakistani cinema is made up of various sub-industries, including ...

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabis, Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a ...

Bengali Bengali or Bengalee, or Bengalese may refer to: *something of, from, or related to Bengal, a large region in South Asia * Bengalis, an ethnic and linguistic group of the region * Bengali language, the language they speak ** Bengali alphabet, the w ...

, Sindhi, and

Gujarati Gujarati may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India * Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat * Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them * Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub- ...

and found unprecedented success as a playback artist from the mid-1950s to early 1980s. He was also known for his stage performances. He suffered from poor health during the latter part of his life and died of a heart attack at the age of 48, after recording approximately five thousand film songs for 583 released films. Besides popular music, Rushdi also helped popularize the

ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

s of

Naseer Turabi Naseer Turabi (; 15 June 1945 – 10 January 2021) was a Pakistani Urdu language poet. Playback singer Ahmed Rushdi played a significant role in Turabi's success and helped popularize his ''ghazals''. Early life and career Naseer Turabi was b ...

. He was awarded five

Nigar Awards The Nigar Awards () were presented in an annual award show to recognize outstanding achievement in Pakistani cinema, after having been revived in 2017 following a 15-year absence. The honors are awarded by Nigar Magazine founded in 1948. The ...

, the "Best Singer of the

Millennium A millennium () is a period of one thousand years, one hundred decades, or ten centuries, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting ...

" title, "Life Time Achievement Award", "

Legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

Award" and

Lux Style Award The Lux Style Awards is an award ceremony which has been held annually in Pakistan since 2002. The ceremony celebrates "style" in the Pakistani entertainment industry, such as Cinema of Pakistan, cinema, television in Pakistan, television, Pa ...

. In 2003, 20 years after his death, Pakistani president

Pervez Musharraf Pervez Musharraf (11 August 1943 – 5 February 2023) was a Pakistani general and politician who served as the tenth president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. Prior to his career in politics, he was a four-star general and appointed as ...

awarded him the

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and Civil decorations of Pakistan, civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially me ...

, the "star of excellence", for distinguished merit in the field of arts. In a 2016 survey by ''

Asian Woman ''Asian Woman'' is a fashion and lifestyle glossy catering to South-Asian women. The magazine was established in June 2000 and first released in 2001. It was started by Smart Asian Media headed by Sarwar Ahmed and Samina Saeed. Since 2009 the ma ...

'' magazine, Rushdi was declared the fourth best Pakistani male singer of all time. In 2022, his song "Ko Ko Korina" featured in the opening scene of the American television miniseries '' Ms. Marvel'' and won top ratings.

Early life

Ahmed Rushdi was born to a religious, conservative family of Hyderabad Deccan in 1934. His father, Syed Manzoor Mohammad, taught

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

Islamic Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

history and

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

at Aurangabad College,

Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...

Deccan The Deccan is a plateau extending over an area of and occupies the majority of the Indian peninsula. It stretches from the Satpura and Vindhya Ranges in the north to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu in the south. It is bound by the mount ...

. He died when Rushdi was only six years old. From a young age, Rushdi was fond of listening to the musical programs, including songs, which were broadcast from the

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

. He neither inherited music from anyone, nor was anybody in his family ever affiliated with music. Ahmed Rushdi's singing talents impressed a very close friend of his father, whom he called uncle and who loved him dearly. He enrolled in a local music academy in Hyderabad, Deccan. Moreover, two popular composers of the time, M. A. Rauf and Iqbal Qureshi, also taught music in the same school. Thus, Ahmed Rushdi learnt the basics of music from the afore-mentioned teachers. Later, he got some training in classical music from Ustad Nathu Khan. Ahmed Rushdi did not get any sort of formal training of

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

either before or after becoming a successful playback singer, but he had effective command over high and low notes. He sang his first song in the Indian film ''Ibrat'' in 1951 and got recognition. His family moved to Pakistan and settled in Karachi in 1954, where he began participating in variety shows, music programs, and children's programs on radio. In 1954, he recorded his first non-film song, "Bunder Road se Keemari," written by Mehdi Zaheer for the popular

Radio Pakistan The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (); also known as ''Radio Pakistan'', serves as the national public broadcaster for radio in Pakistan. Although some local stations predate its founding, it is the oldest existing broadcasting network in P ...

show ''Bachchon Ki Duniya''; the song was a hit and became the stepping stone for Rushdi's future.

Singing career

1950s and 1960s

After the success of "Bunder Road se Keemari," Rushdi was offered songs as a playback singer for films and quickly gained popularity. He lent his voice to many hit films like ''Bara Admi'' (1956), ''Wah Rey Zamaney'' (1957), ''Raat Ke Rahi'' (1957), ''Yeh Dunya'' (1958), and many more. Rushdi got good recognition for singing "Mari lela ne aisi" in ''Anokhi'' (1956), "Chalak Rahi Hain Mastiyan", and "Chal Na Sakey Gi 420" in '' Raaz'' (1959). In 1961, he sang the popular song "Chand Sa Mukhra Gora Badan" in the film ''Saperan'', for which he received his first

Nigar Award The Nigar Awards () were presented in an annual award show to recognize outstanding achievement in Pakistani cinema, after having been revived in 2017 following a 15-year absence. The honors are awarded by Nigar Magazine founded in 1948. The ...

as Best Male Playback Singer. He further strengthened his status as one of the top male playback singers in '' Mehtaab'' (1962), in which he sang "Gol Gappay Wala Aaya" for actor Alauddin; they would again be teamed in ''Susral''. In 1966, he sang "Ko Ko Korina,"considered the first modern Pakistani pop song. The film ''

Anchal Anchal is an urban town located in the centre of Kollam district in Kerala, India. Etymology There are several legends about the origin of the name Anchal. One legend is that there used to be an "Anchalappis" at the site of the present range ...

'' (1960) was an important film in Rushdi's career. Music director

Khalil Ahmed Khalil Ahmed (3 March 1936 – 22 July 1997) was a Pakistani composer for radio, television, and films. He started his career with film ''Aanchal (1962)'' and remained one of the leading music directors in Pakistan in the 1960s. He compos ...

recorded an extremely sad number, "Kisi chaman mei raho tum", in singer Saleem Raza's voice but wanted Rushdi to re-record the song as he was not satisfied with Saleem Raza's singing. Rushdi did so, and the song recorded in his voice satisfied composer Khalil. Raza's career, as a singer was affected and doomed later on. After that, whenever Khalil composed music for any film, Rushdi remained his first choice. The mid-1960s saw the rise of brilliant singers like

Mehdi Hassan Mehdi Hassan Khan (; 18 July 1927 – 13 June 2012), known as Mehdi Hassan, was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer of great renown. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of ghazal singing, ...

and

Masood Rana Masood Rana (), (6 August 1941 – 4 October 1995) was a Pakistani film playback singer. He began his singing career in 1962 with the film ''Inqalab'', became one of the top male singers in Urdu and Punjabi films for more than three decade ...

, but it did not affect Rushdi's career and he kept on leading the film music. Music experts including

Nisar Bazmi Nisar Bazmi (1 December 1924 – 22 March 2007) was a composer and music director of Indian and Pakistan film industry. Nisar Bazmi was known as one of the accomplished musician of South Asia. He also introduced new singers like Alamgir and Me ...

Sohail Rana Sohail Rana (born 31 March 1938) is a Pakistani music composer for films and television. He was introduced by actor Waheed Murad in Pakistan film industry and gained popularity when singer Ahmed Rushdi sang his compositions in such films as ...

, and M. Ashraf are unanimous that Rushdi's voice was best suited for every

hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

, and even

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

. He lent his voice to

Waheed Murad Waheed Murad (; 2 October 1938 – 23 November 1983), also known as Chocolate Hero, was a Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Famous for his charming expressions, attractive personality, tender voice and unusual talent for acting, ...

Nadeem Nadeem/Nadim/Nadiem/Nedim () is an Arabic masculine given name. It means "best friend of the drinker", "companion", "confidant", or "friend". The name is common among many communities, including Christians, Muslims and Jews, in the Greater Middle ...

, Mohammad Ali, Santosh Kumar, Darpan,

Habib Habib (; ; also romanized as Habeeb) is an Arabic masculine given name, occasional surname, and honorific, with the meaning "beloved" or "my love", or "darling". It also forms the famous Arabic word ''"Habibi"'' which is used to refer to a friend ...

, Rehman,

Shahid ''Shahid'' ( , , ) denotes a martyr in Islam. The word is used frequently in the Quran in the generic sense of "witness" but only once in the sense of "martyr" (i.e. one who dies for his faith); the latter sense acq ...

Qavi Khan Muhammad Qavi Khan (; 13 November 1942 – 5 March 2023) was a Pakistani film, radio, theatre and television actor, director and playwright. Khan acted in over 200 films and some 1,000 television plays. Khan is best known for his police drama ...

, Ghulam Mohiuddin, and

Rahat Kazmi Rahat Kazmi () is a Pakistani actor, screenwriter, TV news presenter anchorman, and an academician. He has worked in several TV serials for PTV such as in 1967 with ''Mayaar'', rose to prominence in 1974 with ''Qurbatain aur Faaslay'' (an ad ...

and was tailor-made for every actor of the film industry. Rushdi's voice was even ideally suited to comedians such as

Munawar Zarif Munawar Zarif ( Punjabi, ) (25 December 1940 – 29 April 1976) was a Pakistani film actor and comedian. His fans named him ''Shahenshah-e-Zarafat'' (), meaning ''The Emperor of Humor'' or the ''King of Humor''.(Associated Press of Pakista ...

, Lehri,

Nirala Nirala, real name Syed Muzaffar Husain Zaidi () (8 August 1937 – 9 December 1990) was a Pakistani comedian and film actor. He only appeared in Urdu films made in Pakistan. His first film was ''Aur bhi gham hain'' (1960). His last film wa ...

Nanha Rafi Khawar ( Punjabi, ) (4 August 1942 – 2 June 1986), popularly known as Nanha (Urdu: ننھا), was a Pakistani actor and comedian. He started his film career in 1966 and earned several awards including 3 Nigar awards.

, and Rangeela. Rushdi recorded the ghazal "Shok-e-awargi", written by poet

Habib Jalib Habib Jalib (; 24 March 1928 – 13 March 1993) was a Pakistani revolutionary poet and left-wing political activist who opposed martial law, authoritarianism, military dictatorship and state oppression. He wrote several poems in Punjabi and ...

for actor

Syed Kamal Syed Kamal (; (27 April 1937 – 1 October 2009), often just known as Kamal, was a Pakistani film and TV actor, producer and director. He had worked in 4 Bollywood films before migrating to Pakistan in 1956.Mohammad Ali in the films ''Khamosh Raho'' (1964). Rushdi sang the ghazal "Mei Nahi Manta" for the same film and gained Habib Jalib countrywide fame. He recorded a

qawwali Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in the Indian subcontinent. Originally performed at Sufi shrines throughout the Indian subcontinent, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has ...

, "Madiney waley ko mera salam kehdena", along with ''Munir Husain'' the same year. Actor Nadeem's first film as a leading actor was ''

Chakori ''Chakori'' ( ), is a Pakistani Urdu feature film. This film was released on 22 March 1967 on Eid-ul-Azha Day in Dhaka, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The film was directed by Captain Ehtesham. It was Nadeem's and Shabana's debut film. The ...

'' (1967). Rushdi recorded four songs for this film in the composition of music director

Robin Ghosh Robin Ghosh (, ; 13 September 1939 – 13 February 2016) was a Pakistani-Bangladeshi playback singer and film music composer, best known for singing and composing music for Lollywood films from 1961 to 1986. Robin Ghosh had a notable contributi ...

. "Kabhi toe tum ko yaad ayen gi," "Pyare pyare yar humare", and "Tujhe chahein meri bahein". The same year, the film ''Doraha'' and ''Shehnai'' were released. He recorded all the songs for these films, including "Bhooli hue hoon dastan", "tumhein kaise bta doon", "Han issi mor per" (film ''Doraha'') and "Tujhey apney dil se mei kaise", "Nazaron se haseen hai", and "Dunya mei tumko jeena hai agar" (film ''Shehnai''). In 1968, Rushdi recorded his first ever

Bengal Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...

i song in the film ''Notun Name Dako'' of

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

, titled "Ke Tumi Ele Go", which became a smashing hit in then–

East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...

. He sang playback hits in the same year like "Ae mere diwaney dil" (film ''Jahan tum wahan hum''), "Socha tha pyar na karein ge" (film ''Ladla''), "Usey dekha usey chaha usey bhool gaye" (film '' Jahan tum wahan hum''), "Teri aankhon ke bheegey sitarey" (film ''Ma Beta''), and many more. The same year, Rushdi recorded a song "Salam-e-mohabbat" for Mohammad Ali in

Khawaja Khurshid Anwar Khwaja Khurshid Anwar (21 March 1912 − 30 October 1984) was a Pakistani filmmaker, writer, director and music composer who earned recognition in both India and Pakistan. He is credited as being one of the most original and inventive music dir ...

's composition. Rushdi sang for Waheed Murad in the 1969 film '' Naseeb Apna Apna''. The song "Ae abr-e-kaaram aaj itna baras" brought another Nigar Award for him. The song was composed by

Lal Mohammad Iqbal Lal Mohammad Iqbal were a Pakistani composer duo, consisting of Lal Mohammad (1933 – 29 September 2009) and Buland Iqbal (1930 – 25 July 2013). They were among the leading musicians of Pakistan film industry belonging to the golden ...

. He also won different awards for songs like "Dil tumko de diya hai" and "Hum se na bigar aye larki". Around the same year, he sang a duet with Mala in the film ''Baharei phir bhi ayen gi'', "Khush naseebi hai meri", under the music direction of Shamim Nazli. In 1969, the film '' Andaleeb'' was released. Ahmed Rushdi recorded all the songs for Waheed Murad in this film. The song "Kuch log rooth ker bhi" was a hit. Its sad version was sung by Noor Jahan. Although he sang for every film hero in Pakistan, his pairing with Waheed Murad, proved to be the most popular, in such movies as '' Armaan'' (1966); the song "Akele Na Jaana" from that movie in

's composition gained Rushdi another Nigar Award. Well-known hits of Rushdi picturised on Waheed Murad, such as "Lag rahi hai mujhey aaj sari faza ajnabi" or "Kuchh loag rooth kar bi" were composed by

, the legendary composer for Pakistani movies. ''Ahmed Rushdi-Nisar Bazmi'' pair and ''Ahmed Rushdi-Sohail Rana'' combination were two of the most successful singer-music director pairs of Pakistan film music.

1970s and 1980s

The 1970s brought new faces such as Alamgir,

Akhlaq Ahmed Akhlaq Ahmed (; 10 January 1946 – 4 August 1999) was a Pakistani film playback singer and still considered one of the leading voices of the film industry. Early life and career He was born in Delhi in 1946 and started as a stage singer ...

, Ghulam Abbas,

A Nayyar Arthur Nayyar (14 April 1955 11 November 2016), commonly known as A. Nayyar, was a Pakistani film playback singer. He started his career in 1974 with a duet song. Nayyar always claimed famous singer Ahmed Rushdi as an important contributor to ...

, etc. But Rushdi remained a leading singer of the film industry. Films ''

Bandagi ''Bandgi'' is a 1972 Bollywood romance film directed by K. Shankar. The film stars Vinod Mehra and Sandhya Roy in lead roles. Cast * Vinod Mehra as Darpan * Sandhya Roy as Aarti * Pandari Bai as Sita * Madan Puri as Jaswant * Sujit Kumar as Ku ...

'', ''Naag Muni'', and ''Baazi'' were released in 1971. Ahmed Rushdi had a playback in all three films. He also won several awards for songs such as "Aik albeli si naar" (Naag Muni), "Tum bhi ho ajnabi" (Baazi), and "Poocho na hum ne kis liye" (Intezar). Perhaps, the song below never rang as true as it did after Ahmed Rushdi's demise: "Chore chalay hum chore chalay lo sheher tumhara chore chalay", film, '' Phir Chand Nikley Ga'' (1970), music, Sohail Rana. Rushdi sang four solo songs and one duet for Waheed in the film ''Khalish'' (1972). "Honto pe tera naam" (with Mala), "Kal achanak jo sar-e-rah mili thi", "Ghussey mei gulabi gaal", and "Pyar hota hai". M. Ashraf was the music director. Around the same year, he sang for Mohammad Ali in the film ''Mohabbat''. Rushdi recorded three songs in the film, including the sad song "Khudara mohabbat na karna". The music director was Nisar Bazmi. In 1973, he recorded a qawwali "Dil torney waley" for the film ''Mehboob mera mastana''. Ahmed Rushdi also recorded a romantic number "Teri jabeen se chodhwin ka chand jhankta rahey" (film ''Nadan'') for actor Rehman. He recorded a sad song, "Angara mera mann", for the film '' Jaal'', which was released the same year. He was also fond of

acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad range of sk ...

and appeared in thirteen films as an actor, including ''Anokhi'' (1956), ''Kaneez'' (1965), ''Saat Lakh'' (1967), and ''Dekha Jaye Ga'' (1976). He also composed a music album in singer

Mujeeb Aalam Mujeeb Aalam (2 September 1948 – 2 June 2004) was a Pakistani playback singer who had a short film career. His singing style was a mixture of Mehdi Hassan and Ahmad Rushdi's style. He sang dozens of hit songs in late 1960s. However, he lo ...

's voice. In 1974, the film '' Anhoni'' was released. Waheed Murad and Aliya were in leading roles. Music director

recorded two songs in Rushdi's voice: "Hai kahan who kali" and a sad number, "Mei tujhey Nazar kia doon". In the same year, he sang for actor

in the film ''

Dharkan ''Dharkan'' is a 1972 Indian film directed by Devendra Goel. The movie stars Sanjay Khan, Mumtaz, Rajendra Nath, Helen, Alankar Joshi, Roopesh Kumar and Bindu (in a cameo role). It was produced and directed by Devendra Goyal, and the music w ...

''. He recorded a romantic number "Rangat gulabi chehra kitabi" for Shahid. In 1975, Ahmed Rushdi recorded "Dil ko jalana hum ne chor diya" for '' Mohabbat Zindagi Hai''. This song was picturised on Waheed Murad and gained countrywide popularity. He sang another song, "Mashriqi rang ko chor ke", for the same film. He recorded many songs for Pakistani television, including "Dil mei tu hai", "Han issi mor pe", and "Bheegey hue mousam mei". ''Sharmeeli'' (1978) was his last film with actor Nadeem as a playback singer. It was a successful musical film whose songs gained popularity among the masses. Rushdi recorded two songs for Nadeem, "Tu samney hai mere" and "Bheegey hue mousam mei". The same year he recorded the popular song for Mohammad Ali "Aagey aagey mohtarma peechey peechey mohtram" (for the film ''Apka Khadim''). He sang a classical number "Tere naina barey chit chor" for the film ''Jab Jab Phool Khiley'' the following year. He also sang in films like ''Accident'', ''Achey Mian'', ''Bohut Khoob'', ''Baarat'' and ''Aag Aur Zindagi''. The year 1980 proved to be a nightmare for Pakistan film industry. The number of

films decreased rapidly and the era of

films started. In those films there was very little room for male playback singers as those movies were completely dominated by the songs in mostly female voices. Immediately following the military installation of

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (12 August 192417 August 1988) was a Pakistani military officer and statesman who served as the sixth president of Pakistan from 1978 until Death of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, his death in an airplane crash in 1988. He also se ...

as president, measures were put in place to limit the distribution of music and the only source of entertainment was the government-owned

television network A television broadcaster or television network is a telecommunications network for the distribution of television show, television content, where a central operation provides programming to many television stations, pay television providers or ...

Pakistan Television Corporation Pakistan Television Corporation (; reporting name: PTV); also known as ''Pakistan Television'', is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster founded by the Government of Pakistan, operating under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. I ...

(PTV). While

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

s were banned in the country. Rushdi sang in films such as '' Farzana'', ''Hanstey Aansoo'', ''Haseena Maan Jaye Gi'' etc. but his glorious singing career was almost coming to an end. Rushdi was not only singing for films, but was also an equally busy figure for radio and television. He remained a leading singer between 1954 and 1983. He sang for all the famous actors of the Pakistani film industry. Rushdi recorded his last song "Ban ke misra ghazal ka" in 1983 for the film ''

Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...

'', which was picturised on Waheed Murad and the song was a hit. He recorded a large number of duets in many languages with

Noor Jahan Noor Jahan may refer to: People * Nur Jahan (1577–1645), Mughal empress * Noor Jehan (1926–2000), Pakistani singer and actress * Nurjahan Begum (1925–2016), Bangladeshi journalist * Nurjahan Begum (banker), Bangladeshi interim government ad ...

Zubaida Khanum Zubaida Khanum (1935 – 19 October 2013) was a Pakistani playback singer who recorded over 250 film songs during the Golden Age of Pakistani film music of the 1950s and 1960s. She was considered Pakistani equivalent to Marni Nixon of Holly ...

Runa Laila Runa Laila (born 17 November 1952) is a Bangladeshi playback singer and composer. She started her career in the Pakistani film industry in the late 1960s. Her style of singing is inspired by Pakistani playback singer Ahmed Rushdi and also f ...

, Mala,

Naheed Niazi Naheed Niazi (born 26 February 1941) is a former Pakistani playback singer who performed in the Lollywood movies during the era of 1960s. She was married to musician Muslehuddin; her sister is the singer Najma Niazi. She is known for her playba ...

Irene Parveen Irene Perveen also spelled as Irene Parveen is a Pakistani playback singer from the 1960s, who mainly sang for Pakistani films. She gained popularity for her film song, "''Tumhi ho mehboob mere''" for movie ''Aaina'' (1966). Career In the beg ...

Naseem Begum Naseem Begum (), (24 February 1936 – 29 September 1971) was a famous Pakistani film playback singer. She was known as ''The Tradegy Queen'' for singing sorrowful and downhearted songs in films. She rose to prominence in the late 1950s, a ...

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and

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in his 33-year singing career.

Honorific title of Magician of Voice

Ahmed Rushdi is credited with the honorific nickname of "Magician of Voice" because of his ability of singing in different

genres Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other form ...

including happy, comedy, tragedy, qawwali, lullaby, patriotic, pop, revolutionary and folk. He was not only the first South Asian vocalist to go pop but also inspired generations with his clear delivery, timely expressions and rendition of songs. He had the unique quality of giving expressions during singing along with producing sounds of different birds and objects. He recorded a song "Burhapey mein dill na lagana" in the film ''

Jub Jub Phool Khile Jub Jub Phool Khiley (transl. Whenever the blossoms bloom) was a Pakistani Urdu language, Urdu-language film, released on 21 November 1975. It starred Zeba, Mumtaz (Pakistani actress), Mumtaz, Waheed Murad, Mohammad Ali (actor), Mohammad Ali an ...

'' for actors Waheed Murad and Nadeem in both young and old voices in a single go which attracted huge admiration from music critics.

First regular pop singer of South Asia

Ahmed Rushdi is considered to be the first regular

singer of

as he introduced

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

and other modern genres in

South Asian music South Asian music comprises a range of prominent musical genres and styles that are unique to the countries in and around the Indian subcontinent. This subregion of Asia includes countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, ...

and has since then been adopted in

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

, India and lately

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

as a pioneering influence in their respective pop cultures. Following Rushdi's success,

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

bands specialising in

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

started performing at various night clubs and hotel lobbies in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

and

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

. They would usually sing either famous American jazz hits or cover Rushdi's songs. Rushdi sang playback hits along with

until the

Bangladesh Liberation War The Bangladesh Liberation War (, ), also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, was an War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Bengali nationalism, Bengali nationalist and self-determination movement in East Pakistan, which res ...

when East Pakistan was declared an independent state. Because of Ahmed Rushdi, Pakistani music industry has steadily spread throughout

and today is the most popular genre in Pakistan and the neighbouring South Asian countries. Pop icons like Alamgir and

Mohammed Ali Shehki Mohammed Ali Shehki (born 9 July 1957) is a Persian Pakistani pop singer. Shehki entered the music scene in the 1970s with his originally composed and written songs, with a touch of Persian music. He later earned a name for himself in Pakistani p ...

later on followed Rushdi's landmarks in playback singing.

Personal life

Marriage

Ahmed Rushdi married Humera on 30 November 1963. His wife died in 1992, nine years after Rushdi. He belonged to a

Sayed ''Sayyid'' is an honorific title of Hasanid and Husaynid lineage, recognized as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and Ali's sons Hasan and Husayn. The title may also refer to the descendants of the fami ...

family (a sacred caste in

muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

) and was a religious person. Despite his popularity and fame, Rushdi never had any scandal in his entire career. He had three daughters. His younger daughter, Rana Rushdi used to sing her father's songs in his presence which always pleased Rushdi a lot. He was against allowing his daughters to adopt singing as a profession. Ahmed Rushdi and

were the highest-paid singers in their time but Rushdi did not charge those producers and music directors a single rupee, who could not afford him. The music director

made his entry into the Pakistan film industry, because Rushdi introduced him to different producers, which he disclosed after Rushdi's death. Likewise, the poet Masroor Anwer got his first film as Rushdi insisted the music director Manzoor-Ashraf give Masroor a chance.

Last years

In the early 1980s, Rushdi shifted to

as he was not feeling well and wanted to have a proper heart treatment. He was also singing less for films and film music itself was facing a decline. The 1980s saw a nose-dive in the progress of cinema in Pakistan. The number of cinemas decreased rapidly and people preferred watching television over going to a cinema. Playback singing that once was popular now struggled to exist and the singers needed a new medium to start afresh. Even then, Rushdi's demand and popularity was still there with the music directors. He opened a music academy in order to teach music and playback singing to youngsters. Ahmed Rushdi never faced downfall as far as his singing career was concerned. Until the 1970s, Rushdi was one of the leading voices in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

. He recorded fewer songs in his last years on the advice of doctors.

Death

Since 1976, Ahmed Rushdi was a heart patient and his doctors advised him to abstain from singing, but Rushdi refused by saying that music was his life. When he had a second heart attack in 1981, he was composing a musical album in the voice of singer

. On the night of 11 April 1983, he had a third heart attack. He was immediately taken to the hospital but was pronounced dead by the doctors. He was 48. Rushdi was buried at

Sakhi Hassan Graveyard Sakhi Hassan Graveyard is a cemetery located in Sakhi Hassan, northern Karachi, Pakistan. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation oversees the management and administration of the graveyard. The tree-covered graveyard stretches from northwest to s ...

, Karachi. His last non-film song was "Aaney walo suno" which was a duet with

Mehnaz Mehnaz Begum (, 1958 – 19 January 2013) was a Pakistani TV, radio, and film singer. She was well known as a film playback singer in the 1970s and 1980s. She was the recipient of several Nigar Awards.Waheed Murad Waheed Murad (; 2 October 1938 – 23 November 1983), also known as Chocolate Hero, was a Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Famous for his charming expressions, attractive personality, tender voice and unusual talent for acting, ...

said, "Today I have lost my voice." Waheed further said in an interview, "Sometimes I think that if I suddenly disappear or am no more for any reason, I would like to be remembered by the song 'Bhooli hui hoon dastaan, guzra hua khayal hoon-Jisko na tum samajh sakay mien aisa aik sawal hoon'." (I'm a tale forgotten, a thought bygone. I'm the question which you couldn't understand) which was also picturised on him in 1967 and sung by Rushdi. After Rushdi's death, Murad as well as other friends and singers had appeared on a show to pay him a tribute; many of those same people appeared on the show six months later, reminiscing about Waheed as he also died.

Popularity and influence

Rushdi changed the sound of

in the Indian subcontinent and his impact has also been felt on the Indian and

i film industries. He is widely regarded as one of the remarkable singers from

and was effective in every genre of singing including

s and

s. Music director

in an interview said, "Ahmed Rushdi and

Mohammad Rafi Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and range of voice ...

are amongst those few singers in the subcontinent, whose voices did not form 'cones', as they rose and touch the higher notes. Their volumes rose up without getting squeaky!" Bazmi also quoted the song "Aisey bhi hain meharban" (from the film ''Jaisey jantey nahin'') to prove that Rushdi was also a master of serious singing. In another interview he said, "I was happy and amazed to find a Chinese group rendering this song on one occasion. People from abroad also sing Rushdi's songs which clearly indicates his popularity and influence." Indian playback singer

Kishore Kumar Kishore Kumar (born Abhas Kumar Ganguly; ; 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer, musician and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of modern India ...

, being an admirer of Ahmed Rushdi, paid him a tribute at

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

London by singing Rushdi's one of the songs "Aik urran khattola aye ga kisi lal pari ko laye ga".

Sonu Nigam Sonu Nigam (born 30 July 1973) is an Indian playback singer, music director, dubbing artist and actor. He is one of the most versatile singers and widest vocal ranges in the history of Indian music. His songs vary from romantic to break-up, cla ...

, Shaan and

Kumar Sanu Kedarnath Bhattacharya (born 20 October 1957), professionally known as Kumar Sanu, is a leading Indian playback singer who primarily sings in Hindi film songs. He is widely regarded as the Melody King of Bollywood. He holds the record for winn ...

, who remained leading playback singers in the

Indian film industry The cinema of India, consisting of Film, motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various #Cinema by language, film indus ...

, also paid their tributes to Rushdi and sang his songs. Actor

in a television interview said, "Ahmed Rushdi had an amazing voice quality and he made my work easier." Many of his contemporaries compared his music with that of classically trained singers, although Rushdi never had any influences from any classical singer. He is famously known as "Magician of Voice" and his popularity also turned traditional classical singers against him but did not affect his fame and his death is termed as an irreparable loss to the industry. Actor

declared Rushdi's song, "Bhooli hui hoon daastan", his favorite song. Music directors like M. Ashraf and Nisar Bazmi also hold century partnerships with Ahmed Rushdi as they composed hundreds of songs for him. According to complete songography, M. Ashraf composed 734 songs in 211 films for Rushdi but available figures indicate a composition of 132 songs in 100 films for him. The first film of this pair was ''Speran'' in 1961 and the last was ''Hero'' in 1983. In 2018, Ahmed Rushdi's impact forced ''

Coke Studio Pakistan ''Coke Studio Pakistan'' () is a Pakistani television programme and a part of the international music franchise, Coke Studio, which features studio-recorded music performances by established and emerging artists. It is the longest-running annua ...

'' (in season 11) to produce a remake of Rushdi's first South Asian pop song "Ko Ko Korina" in the voices of

Momina Mustehsan Momina Mustehsan (; born 5 September 1992) is a Pakistani singer. In 2017, BBC named her one of the 100 Women (BBC), 100 most influential women, and the following year, ''Forbes'' featured her among its "30 Under 30" Asia list along with nine o ...

and

Ahad Raza Mir Ahad Raza Mir (; born 29 September 1993) is a Pakistani-Canadian actor who primarily works in Urdu-language television. Mir is the recipient of several awards, including four Hum Awards and a Lux Style Award. The son of actor Asif Raza Mir, Mi ...

, which raised nationwide hue and cry to the extent that Minister for Human Rights in Pakistan

Shireen Mazari Shireen Mehrunnisa Mazari () is a former Pakistani politician who served the Federal Minister for Human Rights, from 20 August 2018 to 10 April 2022. She is the chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Appointment of Chief Election Commis ...

had to come out in media to term the remake as "horrendous" since the classic was widely believed to be destroyed by both singers. Ahmed Rushdi influenced many singers in the music industry including A. Nayyar,

and Bashir Ahmad. He is included among those artists around the world who continue to be popular and enjoy a huge fan base even after their death.

Awards

s * 1961 – Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Chand Sa Mukhra Gora Badan" (چاند سا مکھڑا گورا بدن) in film ''Saperan'' * 1962 – Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Gol Gappey Wala" (گول گپے والا) in film ''Mehtaab'' * 1963 – Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Kisi Chaman Mei Raho" (کسی چمن میں رہو) in film ''

'' * 1966 – Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Akeley Na Jana" (اکیلے نا جانا) in film '' Armaan'' * 1970 – Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Aey Abr-e-Karam" (اے ابر کرم) in film '' Naseeb Apna Apna'' * 2004 – Life Time Achievement Award Graduate Awards * 1965 – Best Male Playback singer for the song "Mohabbat Mei Tere Ser Ki Qasam" in film ''Aisa Bhi Hota Hai'' * 1967 – Best Male Playback singer for the song "Haan Issi Mor par" in film '' Doraha'' * 1968 – Best Male Playback singer for the song "Kabhi Toe Tumko Yaad Ayen Gi" in film ''

'' * 1969 – Best Male Playback singer for the song "Kuch Log Rooth Kar Bhi" in film '' Andaleeb'' * 1970 – Best Male Playback singer for the song "Lag Rahi Hai Mujhey Aaj Sari Fiza" in film '' Anjuman'' Musawwir Awards * 1972 – Best Male Playback singer for the song "Meri Jaan Meri Jaan Yehi Zindagi Hai" in film ''

'' * 1973 – Best Male Playback singer for the song "Hai Kahan Woh Kali" in film '' Anhoni'' * 1975 – Best Male Playback singer for the song "Mashriqi Rang Ko Chor Ke" in film '' Mohabbat Zindagi Hai'' * 1978 – Best Male Playback singer for the song "Tu Saamney Hai Mere" in film ''Sharmeeli'' * 1979 – Best Male Playback singer for the song "Sab Kamron Mein Band Hain" in film '' Zameer'' Other Awards * 1967 – Best Sad Song Award for "Tujhey Apney Dil Se Mei Kaisey Bhuladoon" in the film ''

Shehnai The ''shehnai'' is a type of oboe from the Indian subcontinent. It is made of wood, with a double reed at one end and a metal or wooden flared bell at the other end. It was one of the nine instruments found in the royal court. The shehnai is sim ...

'' * 1968 – Classic Award for the song "Kiya Hai Jo Pyar To Padega Nibhana" in the film '' Dil Mera Dharkan Teri'' * 1970 – Silver Screen Award for the song "Chhor Chaley Hum Chhor Chaley" in the film '' Phir Chand Nikley Ga'' * 1973 – Al-Fankar Award for the song "Mei Tujhey Nazar kya Doon" in the film '' Anhoni'' * 1975 – Screen Light Award for the song "Dil Ko Jalana Hum Ne Chor Diya" in the film '' Mohabbat Zindagi Hai'' * 1983 – Rooman Award for the song "Ban Ke Misra Ghazal Ka Chaley Aaona" in the film ''Hero'' * 2000 – Best Singer of the Millennium Award * 2001 – Legend Award * 2004 –

* 2005 – ''Indus TV'' Indus Music Hall of Fame * 2012 –

Lifetime Achievement Award

References

External links

Ahmed Rushdi Video on Umer Sharif Site

Ahmed Rushdi – Detailed Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rushdi, Ahmed 1934 births 1983 deaths Muhajir people Pakistani playback singers Pakistani baritones Pakistani tenors Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Nigar Award winners 20th-century Pakistani male singers 20th-century Pakistani singers Pakistani people of Hyderabadi descent Singers from Karachi Indian emigrants to Pakistan