Artists across Pakistan pay homage to Master Ghulam Haider

KARACHI: Artists from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and other cities gathered at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) to pay tribute to legendary composer Master Ghulam Haider, whose work is widely regarded as foundational to South Asian film music.

The event was organised by the Mauseeqar-e-Azam Memorial Society and curated by Pervez Haider, the late composer’s son. Islamabad-based singer Gulshan Jahan was among the performers and presented songs associated with the golden era of music. The programme also included live renditions of several classic compositions, with the audience responding warmly to the performances.

Speaking at the event, Gulshan Jahan described performing Master Ghulam Haider’s songs as both a privilege and a demanding task.

"Master Ghulam Haider's songs are very difficult to sing. I am grateful to NAPA and especially to his son, Pervez Haider, for giving me the opportunity to pay tribute to such a great legend"

She also said she had been struck by the amount of material available about the composer when researching him online.

Gulshan Jahan further spoke about appearing in Karachi for the first time and said the experience had left a strong impression on her.

She was also surprised by the audience’s enthusiastic response, particularly to Punjabi songs.

Pervez Haider said the tribute marked the outcome of months of preparation and his long-running effort to preserve his father’s artistic legacy. He told that he had spent nearly three months in Karachi preparing for the event and was satisfied with the way the programme concluded.

"The support of the media and all those who stood by me played a huge role in making this tribute successful"

He also spoke about his continuing work to organise commemorative programmes across Pakistan so younger generations remain aware of Master Ghulam Haider’s contribution. "Master Sahib was a great man. I am simply a worker trying to keep his legacy alive. Whatever I am today is because of my father and the blessings of Allah," he said.

Career and influence

Master Ghulam Haider was born in 1908 in Hyderabad, Sindh, and worked in India before moving to Pakistan after Partition in 1947. He is credited by historians with transforming film music by blending popular raagas with the energy and rhythm of Punjabi music. He is also remembered for helping elevate the standing of film music directors and for supporting the rise of major singers including Noor Jehan, Shamshad Begum and Lata Mangeshkar.

Before his major successes, AR Kardar gave him the opportunity to compose for the 1935 film Swarg Ki Seerhi. His first major breakthrough came with DM Pancholi’s Punjabi film Gul-e-Bakavali in 1939, starring Noor Jehan, followed by Yamla Jat in 1940. His first major hit arrived with Khazanchi in 1941, and the song Sawan Ke Nazare Hain, sung by Shamshad Begum, was described as having caused a revolution in music composition.

In Bombay, he later composed music for Humayun in 1945 and Majboor in 1948, the latter noted as Lata Mangeshkar’s first breakthrough film. After returning to Lahore following Pakistan’s independence, his first Pakistani film was Shahida in 1949. He went on to compose for other Pakistani films including Beqarar in 1950, Akeli in 1951 and Bheegi Palkein in 1952.

His body of work also included films such as Khandan (1942), Poonji (1943) and Shaheed (1948), which helped reshape the musical landscape of the subcontinent. Master Ghulam Haider died of throat cancer on November 9, 1953, at the age of 45, a few days after the release of the Pakistani film Gulnar. He was posthumously awarded the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in 2011 and the Pride of Performance in 2018 by the government of Pakistan.