Sohail Rana(born 31 March 1938) is aPakistanimusic composerforfilmsandtelevision.He was introduced by actorWaheed MuradinPakistan film industryand gained popularity when singerAhmed Rushdisang his compositions in such films asArmaanandDoraha.[1]He is now based inCanada.[2]
Sohail Rana | |
|---|---|
 Rana (middle) listening toAhmed Rushdiduring a song composition | |
| Born | 31 March 1938 |
| Occupation(s) | Filmandtelevisionmusic composer |
| Years active | 1962–1989 |
| Spouse | Afshan Rana |
| Relatives | Adnan Rana and Sajeel Rana (sons) |
| Awards | Sitara-i-Imtiaz(Star of Excellence) Award in 2012 Pride of PerformanceAward in 1981 Lifetime Achievement Award byPakistan Television Corporation |
Early life and education
editSohail Rana was born inAgra,British India,in the home ofUrdu poetsMr.& Mrs.Rana Akbarabadi.The family moved toPakistansoon after theindependenceofPakistanin 1947. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from theUniversity of Karachithrough D.J. Science College initially. Later he received his final B.A. degree from National College,Karachi.[2]
Sohail Rana learned music from variousustadsand familiarised himself with the Eastern classical music and the Western music, which added to his experience. Sohail Rana was also musically inspired by veteran Indian film music directorNaushad Ali.For 25 years, they wrote letters to each other. Naushad Ali also used to advise him on film music in those letters. Pakistani music director Feroze Nizami's film music also inspired him.[2]
Career
editFilms
editThe filmJab Se Dekha Hai TumhainwasWaheed Murad's second film as a producer and the musical debut of Sohail Rana.[2]
Some other popular songs of his areKo Ko Korina,Bay taab ho udhar tum,Jab pyar mein do dil miltay hain,Oont pay baitha mera munna,which were recorded by Ahmed Rushdi.[2]
Sohail Rana composed the hit songs for the golden jubilee film,Heera Aur Pathar,released on 11 December 1964. The film completed 68 houseful weeks. The film became a musical hit, and Sohail Rana became a well-known name in thePakistani film industry.The composition ofMujhay tum say mohabbat hai(singers: Ahmed Rushdi andNajma Niazi,andJa ja ray chanda ja ray(singer:Malaearned him some fame for the above film.
Pakistan's firstplatinum jubileefilm wasArmaan(1966).[3]It is an epic tale of broken hearts and broken dreams. The evergreen songAkele na jaana(singer: Mala), with sixty five musicians back then, the biggest orchestra ever gathered until then in Pakistani cinema. Further, Sohail Rana won the prestigiousNigar Awardand Graduate awards for the best composer for the filmArmaan(1966 film).[4]
By the mid-1960s, Sohail Rana had become a successful film composer. He contributed compositions for the filmEhsaan,released on 30 June 1967. The film attained Silver Jubilee with such favourite songs asIk naye maur pay,Aye meri zindigi aye meray hum safar,Do akhian, ye do sakhian.The songs of the filmDorahawere composed by him, and he was also the producer of the film. The famous tracks areMujhay tum nazar say gira to rahay ho,Bhooli huwee hoon dastaan,Tumhain kaisay bata doon tum meri manzil ho.[2]
Over the years, he composed for thenazms,Qasm us waqt ki,Jab zindigi karwat badalti hai(Film:Qasam us waqt ki,(singer:Mujeeb Alam) also became a popular film song. Sohail Rana produced lilting music for Nigar PicturesMeray hum safar,released in 1972, three of its popular numbers areWada karo milo gey(Singer: Ahmed Rushdi,Hai bay qarar tamanna(singer: Mujeeb Alam) andTujh jaisa dagha baaz(singer:Runa Laila). Similarly,Tujhay apnay dil say mein kaisay bhula doon(singer Ahmed Rushdi) is one of the greatest hits from the filmShehnai.[5]
From 1974 to 1976, Sohail Rana was appointed as the general manager National Orchestra, forPakistan Television Corporation(PTV), based atKarachicenter. His musical masterpieces areSohni Dharti(singers:Shehnaz Begum,Mehdi Hassan,lyricist: Masroor Anwar) have become part and parcel ofPakistani culture.Likewise,Jeeway Pakistan,Zameen ki goud,andMein Bhi Pakistan Hoonachieved tremendous success. Furthermore, he composed music for 2 MGD's (Mass gymnastic displays) held in 1975 and 1976 in Islamabad. Also in Islamabad in 1989 he composed music for SAF games (South Asian Federation) games with 100 singers, 150 piece brass band and 35 piece orchestra.[2]
The filmBadal Aur Bijli[2]was also a huge success, essentially due to hisBansi bajanay walay(singer:Noor Jehan),Dheeray dheeray zara paoon utha(singers:Masood RanaandMala),Aaj janay ki zid na karo(singer:Habib Wali Mohammadand little later a private recording byFarida Khanum). The Farida Khanum version has been used in anIndian filmMonsoon Wedding(though without Sohail Rana's permission). Besides RPG recording company also released an album (Asha) in which two of his compositions "Aaj jaane ki zid na karo" and "Mujhey tum nazar se gira tau rahe ho" were also released.[2]
Apart from that, Sohail Rana also composed music for the films,Phir chand niklay ga(1970) andUsay deikha Usay chaaha(1974). He also served as Resident composer in PIA Arts Academy sponsored byPakistan International Airlinesfrom 1972 to 1974, where he conducted BalletHeer Ranjha,composed and re-arranged music for folk dances and under the directorship ofZia Mohyeddinand with a team of eighty-eight dancers, musicians, singers, he toured the whole world performing in prestigious auditoriums and earned the appreciation of international audience.
Sohail Rana also gave music for the filmsSaughat, Dil Dekay Dekho, Dil Diwana, ShehnaiandBaazi.In total he has composed music for about twenty-four movies. The filmHesaabwhich was released in 1986 happened to be the last movie for which Sohail Rana composed music. Three of those movies,Guriya,PagalandHulchul,could not be released. However, popular numbers from the filmGuriyaandHulchulare available on cassettes and vinyl EPs.
Television
editAdditionally, he devoted his time to compose over 2000 songs for children. His program for children were telecast fromPTVfor 19 years from 1968 to 1987, fromKaliyoan Ki Mala,toSang Sang Chaltay Rehna.[2]
Given below are the names of some of Sohail Rana's well-known students who attained fame for themselves in Pakistani media.Muhammad Ali Shahki,Amjad Hussain,Alamgir,Mona sisters,Benjamin Sisters,Afshan Ahmed,Adnan Sami,Wasim Baig,Nazia Hasan,Zohaib Hassan,Nazneen, Fatima Jaffrey, Anwar Ibrahim andMehnaz.Sohail Rana released two cassettes ofNa'atby Anwar IbrahimJaan-e-Madinavol. 1 and 2. Both of these cassettes contained the Naats and Humds by Sohail Rana's poet father Rana Akbarabadi.[2]
Sohail Rana also composed the Summit AnthemAllah-O-Akbar,forPakistan Television Corporation,in the voice ofMehdi Zaheerand a group of hundred singers, for the firstIslamic Summit conferenceheld inLahore,Pakistan, in 1974.
Popular patriotic songs
edit| National Songs | Singers | Lyrics | Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allah tera Shukr | Young ambassadors | ||
| Sohni Dharti Allah Rakhay Qadam Qadam Abaad Tujhe[2][1] | Shehnaz Begum /Habib Wali Mohammad | Masroor Anwar | APTVproduction |
| Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan[2] | Shehnaz Begum | Jamiluddin Aali | A PTV production |
| Tera Pakistan hai yeh mera Pakistan Hai[2] | Amjad Hussain | ||
| Mere chand sitaro | Manzoor Niazi and humnawa. | ||
| Ik daali ke phool | Sohail Rana and young ambassadors | ||
| Diyai jalayai rakhain | Mona and young ambassadors | ||
| Jagta rahiyo meray laal | Young ambassadors. | ||
| Tu hai des mera | Mona and young ambassadors | ||
| Aye mere des | Young ambassadors | ||
| Yeh des humara hai[2] | Mona and young ambassadors | ||
| Teri waadi waadi ghumoon | Anwar Ibrahim and young ambassadors | ||
| Main bhi Pakistan hoon, Tu bhi Pakistan hai[2] | Muhammad Ali Shehki/ Wasim Baig | Sehba Akhtar | A PTV production |
| Zameen ki goad | Muhammad Ifrahim | ||
| Iqbal hamara[2] | Young ambassadors | ||
| Mera dil hai Pakistan | Mona and young ambassadors | ||
| Mera des mera mahiya | Anwar Ibrahim and young ambassadors | ||
| Lehraata rahai parcham | Mona / Rakhshanda | ||
| Sooraj karay salaam | Sohail Rana and Mona | ||
| Parcham hai chand tara | Tahira Syed | ||
| Yeh pak sarzameen hai | Mohammad Ifrahim | Jamiluddin Aali | A PTV production |
| Woh tamaam din | Nayyara Noor | ||
| Aae Nigar-i-Watan tu Salamat rahe[2] | Habib Wali Mohammad | Sehba Akhtar | A PTV production |
| Unhain kaisay bhool jaoon | Humaira Channa | ||
| Sohna des humara sohna Pakistan | Chorus | ||
| Pak Cheen dosti | Chorus | ||
| Dosti ka haath | Wasim Baig and chorus. | ||
| Jaana likhoon ya jaan likhoon | Akhlaq Ahmed | ||
| Yeh jaan yehi pehchaan | Nayyara Noor | ||
| Meray des rahat rasaan | Sohail Rana and young ambassadors | ||
| Shawa Bhae Shawa | Naveed Ahmed Khan | PTV Program "Rung Barangi Dunya" | |
| Mera Pakistan Hai[2] | Mona and young ambassadors |
Life in Canada
editSohail moved toMississauga, Ontarioin Canada in the early 1990s where he has opened a school for singers and musicians.[2][1]In 1997, Punjabi playwright and directorAtamjit Singhvisited Canada and also directed his play 'Rishtiaan da Kee Rakhiye Naa' that is based uponSaadat Hasan Manto's well-known storyToba Tek Singh.Sohail Rana composed the music of this play that was sung live inMississauga.The pain of theindependenceofPakistanin 1947 was revisited jointly by the artistes and spectators of the two countries. Later Sohail Rana was honoured for his music. As of 2005, he was starting to perform live with interactive multi-media and gave series of concerts inToronto,Canada involving artists from Pakistan andIndia.[1]
He made an appearance onGeo TVspecial in 2009Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo(THE TRIBUTE). Sohail Rana was invited to Pakistan by GEO TV, where he, with the stars likeShafqat Amanat Ali Khan,Fariha Pervez,Ahmed Jahanzeb,Ali Haider,Muhammad Ali Shahki,Humaira Channa,Sajjad Ali,along with an orchestra of 37 members presented his popular songs of yester-years.
Awards and recognition
edit- Pride of Performancein (1981) by thePresident of Pakistan[2]
- Gold DiscsfromEMIin (1974) for his vinyl album,Khyber Mail[2]
- Pakistani television(PTV) awarded him with PTV Awards in 1982 and 1989
- Lifetime Achievement Awardin 2007 fromPakistan Television Corporation(PTV)
- Sitara-i-Imtiaz(Star of Excellence) Award by thePresident of Pakistanin 2012[6]
- Nigar Awardas Best Music Director forArmaan(1966 film)[4][3]
He was also given the United NationsPeace Messenger Award,conferred on him, at the United Nations headquarters in New York in 1987.[2]
References
edit- ^abcd#ThrowbackThursday: Music virtuoso Sohail Rana, Ahmed RushdiThe Express Tribune (newspaper), Published 24 September 2014, Retrieved 27 December 2021
- ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwShades of glory: Sohail RanaDawn(newspaper), Published 19 April 2009, Retrieved 28 December 2021
- ^ab"Chocolate hero's Armaan has big plans for small screen - Film review of Armaan (1966)".The Express Tribune (newspaper).8 March 2013.Retrieved29 December2021.
- ^ab"The Nigar Awards (1957 - 1971)".The Hot Spot Online website.17 June 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 24 July 2008.Retrieved28 December2021.
- ^Sohail Rana Filmography on IMDb websiteRetrieved 17 June 2019
- ^Rafay Mahmood and Saadia Qamar (15 August 2011)."Civil awards: Pride of the nation".The Express Tribune (newspaper).Retrieved27 March2021.