Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
Posted on: April 08, 2021 | 
| 中文
Mohammed Ali Shehki Receiving his Pride of Performance Award
Mohammed Ali Shehki, one of the pioneers of pop music on TV, finally received his much-awaited Pride of Performance Award this year for his contributions. This comes after nearly a five-decade career as a successful singer, though not-so-lucky in production and acting. However, it is worth delving into the life and work of a prolific artist who helped mold the direction of popular music in film and television during some of the most difficult years of Pakistan’s history.
Shehki was one of the two stalwarts who revolutionized music on TV, along with the singer Alamgir. Born in 1957, Shehki lived most of his life in Karachi, although his family is of Irani heritage. While studying at St. Patrick’s School in Karachi he was part of a high-school band called ‘Bugs’ that covered songs by the Beatles and Elvis Presley. This was a time when the music industry was flourishing both in India and Pakistan, moving towards a more ‘popular’ sound. At the time, Ahmed Rushdi was the only singer who could dance and twist, but his career was on the decline. While Akhlaq Ahmed and A.Nayyar replaced Rushdi in films, the vacuum he left on Pakistan Television (PTV) needed to be filled by younger and more exuberant artists.
It was Sohail Rana, the legendary music composer, who made sure Ahmed Rushdi would be replaced by equally talented singers. Alamgir’s career was already on the rise when he played a guitar in Sohail Rana’s show on television. However, Rana handpicked Shehki from an audition at PTV’s Karachi station, after being impressed by his talents. Shehki made his debut in 1973, but the real song that brought him recognition came the next year, which was Niaz Ahmed’s “Mere Pyar ke Tu Sang Sang Hai” .
(L to R) Mohammed Ali Shehki, Tehseen Javed, Saleem Javed and Alamgir
By 1976, PTV became colour television and Shoaib Mansoor’s “Jharnay” , as well as all its stars, became regular and a popular addition to evening primetime television. In an era of flourishing ‘filmi pop’, long sideburns and bell bottoms, Shehki, who looked and danced like John Travolta from ‘Saturday Night Fever’, emerged as a representative and something of a role model for the youth of Pakistan. It was his hit patriotic single “Main Bhi Pakistan Hoon” , that garnered the love of the public, who was considered an outsider until then. In addition, due to his Irani heritage, he could also perform Allama Iqbal’s poetry in fluent Persian, and performed in most of the Persian programs in the 1970’s.
Shehki made his film debut as a playback singer with “Yeh Saman Pyar Ka” in 1978, a track written by Robin Ghosh for the movie Anmol Muhabbat (1978), which ruled the airwaves for quite some time. However, in Shehki’s words, the travel cost from Karachi to Lahore and the living expenses significantly exceeded the singer’s fee, and he made very little profit from the film.
Mohammed Ali Shehki on PTV in the 1980's
Even though the military dictatorship of Zia-ul-Haq brought policies of censorship and curbed much of the funding to cultural activities, many singers began to lean heavily on television. The 80’s belonged to Alamgir and Shehki, and their rivalry brought the best of Pakistani music to television. Whether it was the folk-inspired “Hai Nazar Nazar Tere Hi Charchay” , the Spanish-inspired “Yeh Raat Milan Ki” or the famous “Jajaja Mere Bewafa” , Shehki’s voice seemed to defy genres. Shehki’s duets became especially popular for their fusion of folk and pop. “Allah Allah Kar Bhayya” not only introduced a new style of music to television, but also made the folk singer Allan Faqir an international star. His collaboration with Sajjad Ali titled “Chalte Chaltay Koi Aisa Humsafar” , still takes listeners back to a peaceful and serene Karachi, while “Mere Bachpan Ke Din”, which he sang with Afshan Ahmed, is still as warm and uplifting as ever.
The Best of Mohammed Ali Shehki
Shehki ventured into acting by late 80’s, when the Pakistan film industry was trying hard to stay afloat financially, and singers could no longer count on playback singing to support their careers. His successful debut in Son of Andaata (1987) came alongside a star-studded cast of Sudhir, Sultan Rahi and Ghulam Mohiuddin. He played the role of a singer in Choron ka Baadshah (1988), with Jahanzaib and Izhar Qazi playing his long lost brothers. Shehki had the face, the moves and style of a film star, but unfortunately for him, the timing was off.
Mohammed Ali Shehki in Son of Andaata
He starred in a total of nine films, and his tenth film Shor with Babra Sharif, was never released. Directed by Ghazanfar Ali, it was shown on Indus TV in 2004, but a feud between distributors and Ghazanfar Ali ruined any future chances of a release. But his duet with Afshan Ahmed for the film titled, “O Dilruba Jaane Tu Hai Kahan” , is still fondly remembered by those who had a chance to listen to it.
In addition, he was the playback singer for Mohsin Khan when the cricketer returned for a role in Iqbal Yousuf’s film, Raaz (1992). “Nazar Tum Se Mila Kar Deewanay Ho Gaye Hum” became a hit in 1992, and people were comparing Shehki’s voice with Kumar Sanu, the upcoming sensation in Bollywood. Shehki ventured into TV production with “Mr. DJ” in the mid-90’s, but unfortunately it did not click with the audience. Shehki is said to have lost quite a huge amount of money during its production.
Mohammed Ali Shekhi Now
Throughout his career Shehki is also credited for re-introducing famous Lollywood film songs to a younger audience. For instance, he popularized Ahmed Rushdi’s “Tumhein Kaisay Bata Doun” , Saleem Raza’s “Jaan-E-Bahar Rashke Chaman” , and “Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye” by Mukesh. These songs, combined with Shekhi’s own songs, are still cherished by those who grew up in the 1980s.
Mohammed Ali Shekhi Singing His Latest Version of 'Allah Allah Kar Bhayya’
Given his longevity and the innovation he brought to the music industry, it comes as a surprise that “The Man with the Golden Voice”, has not received the kind of recognition he deserved. He belonged to an era in which institutions nurtured and gave work to young singers, and saw the cultural landscape change. However, his songs and dance moves are still cherished by audience members who belonged to that era, and wished to emulate his unique style.
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