Cinema
Zarqa
Riaz Shahid · 1969
Synopsis
Before a group of Palestinians, an old man tells the story of Zarqa, an Arab dancer who joins the struggle for the liberation of Palestine. Major David, a cruel Israeli officer, is hunting the underground leader Shabaan Lutfi; Zarqa, infiltrated among the soldiers in the guise of a dancer, falls into his hands, and he tortures her by burning her with cigarettes. A Fatah fighter, torn between the love he bears her and his duty, leads the resistance on his side.
Context
Released on 17 October 1969, the film transposes the affair of 1965: ordered by the governor of West Pakistan to dance for the visiting Shah, Neelo, who plays the title role here, had refused. Habib Jalib had drawn verses from it, which the film takes up almost word for word, sung by Mehdi Hassan; Rashid Attre died during production and his son Wajahat completed the music. The author offered the distribution in the Near East to Al Fatah.
Who it is for
In Urdu; an openly propagandist film, whose songs, set to verses by Habib Jalib, carry its message.
Prizes and reception
More than a hundred weeks in cinemas, the country's first diamond jubilee; Nigar Award for Best Actress for Neelo.
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