Cinemaazi remembers W Z Ahmed on his death anniversary

Remembering W Z Ahmed, one of the prominent filmmakers of the subcontinent, on the occasion of his death anniversary today. Born in Gujarat in 1916, he started off penning dialogues for Kumkum The Dancer (1940) and Raj Nartaki (1941). He went on to produce and direct Ek Raat (1942), Man Ki Jeet (1944), Prem Sangeet (1943), Prithviraj Samyukta (1946), and Meera Bai (1947). Owner of Pune’s Shalimar Pictures, as well as another studio in Madras, Ahmed was known to employ famous poets and writers of the Progressive Writers Association, such as Josh Malihabadi and Ramanand Sagar. Settling in Pakistan post Partition, he made two films, Roohi (1954) and Wada (1957); his third film Wafa Ki Ada remained incomplete. Interestingly, Roohi was the first film to be banned in Pakistan on the grounds that it promoted class hatred; the ban was later revoked in 1954. Wada won him the Nigar Award for Best Director. He remained a prominent cultural figure in Pakistan until his death on 15 April, 2007.