Raza Mir

Raza Mir (1927 – 15 September 2002) was a Pakistani cinematographer, film producer and director.

Raza Mir
Born	(1927-11-04)4 November 1927 Lahore, Punjab, British India
Died	15 September 2002(2002-09-15) (aged 74) Calgary, Canada
Occupations	Cinematographer director actor producer
Years active	1943 – 2002
Spouse	Meena Shorey ​ ​ (m. 1946; div. 1947)​ [1]
Children	Asif Raza Mir (son)
Relatives	Ahad Raza Mir (grandson)
Awards	Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan (1999)[2]

He was the cinematographer of the Pakistan's first ever film Teri Yaad (1948). He is best known for Lakhon Mein Aik (1967), which was based on Hindu-Muslims relations.^[3] His work as a cinematographer earned him three Nigar Awards.^[4] He was also awarded with the President's Pride of Performance.^[2]

Early life

Mir was born in 1927 at Lahore, Punjab, British India.^[2]

Career

Mir first joined The Pancholi Studio as a cameraman in 1943.^[5] Shehar Se Door (1946) is his only film as an actor, where he played the lead role opposite Meena Shorey.^[2][6] He was the cinematographer of Pakistan's first ever film Teri Yaad (1949) in which Asha Posley and Nasir Khan were the leads. He had a difficult time while filming with the poor technology and cameras due to which the film received poor reviews.^[7][8] His work as a director in Lakhon Mein Aik (1967) was met with mostly positive critical reception.^[9][10]

Personal life

Mir first married the actress Meena Shorey, however they divorced later, before the independence of Pakistan.^[2][11] His son from second marriage, Asif Raza Mir is a famous television and film actor. Acclaimed actor Ahad Raza Mir is his grandson.^[12][13]

Death

Mir died on September 15, 2002, in Calgary, Canada, which became his final resting place.^[2]

Filmography

as an actor

Year	Film	Language	Ref.
1946	Shehar Se Door	Urdu	[2][14]

as a cinematographer

Year	Film	Language	Ref.
1948	Teri Yaad	Urdu
1949	Pheray	Punjabi
1950	Laray	Punjabi
1958	Aakhri Nishan	Urdu	[15]
1959	Neend	Urdu
1960	Rahguzar	Urdu
1963	Seema	Urdu
1966	Aag Ka Darya	Urdu
1967	Zinda Laash	Urdu

as a director

Year	Film	Language	Ref.
1964	Beti	Urdu	[5][16]
1967	Lakhon Mein Aik	Urdu	[16][17]
1969	Aasra	Urdu	[18]
1969	Aneela	Urdu	[19]
1971	Parai Aag	Urdu
1972	Naag Muni	Urdu
1973	Wichhria Sathi	Punjabi
1975	Arzoo	Urdu
1975	Professor	Urdu
1976	Sohni Mehinwal	Punjabi
1978	Dil Kay Daagh	Urdu
1981	Posti	Punjabi
1993	Anhoni	Urdu	[20]

Awards and recognition

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result	Ref(s).
1958	Nigar Awards	Best Cinematographer	Aakhri Nishan	Won	[4][21]
1963			Seema	Won
1966			Aag Ka Darya	Won
1999	Pride of Performance Award	Arts	Contribution to Pakistani cinema	Won	[2]

References

1. Evacuee Cinema Bombay and Lahore in Partition Transit, 1940-1960. Cambridge University Press. p. 149.
2. "Raza Mir profile and award (صدارتی تمغہ برائے حسن کارکردگی۔ رضا میر)". Tareekh-e-Pakistan. 14 August 1998. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
3. "خوبصورت مسحور کُن موسیقی سے آراستہ فلم "لاکھوں میں ایک"". Jang News. 24 March 2023.
4. "Pakistan's "Oscars"; The Nigar Awards". Desi Movies Reviews. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
5. Cinema the World Over, Volumes 1-3. K. S. Hosain. 1975. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
6. Screen World Publication's 75 Glorious Years of Indian Cinema: Complete Filmography of All Films (silent & Hindi) Produced Between 1913-1988. Screen World Publication. 1988.
7. Aqeel Abbas Jafari (7 August 2021). "'تیری یاد': نوے دن میں مکمل ہونے والی پاکستان کی پہلی فلم جو بُری طرح فلاپ ہوئی". BBC Urdu.
8. "Nasir Khan was one of Pakistan's first filmy hero". Daily Times. 12 May 2020.
9. Alamgir Kabir (1969). The Cinema in Pakistan. Sandhani. p. 87.
10. The Statesman. Vol. 12. 1967. p. 10. Director Raza Mir, a leading cinematographer, has acquitted himself well as the director though he could be more subtle in his handling.
11. "مختلف ادبی وفلمی شخصیات کے سکینڈلز۔ ۔ ۔ قسط نمبر 160". Daily Pakistan. 25 July 2017.
12. "The 'Raza Mir' Factor". Express Tribune. 4 March 2018.
13. "Asif Raza Mir working on new HBO series". Daily Times. 17 April 2019. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
14. National Film Development Corporation (Pakistan) (1975). Cinema the World Over. Vol. 1–3. K. S. Hosain.
15. Trishla Goyal (1996). The Marketing of Films. Intertrade Publications (India). Retrieved 18 February 2023.
16. Being & Becoming, the Cinemas of Asia. Macmillan, 2002. 2002. ISBN 0333938208.
17. Gazdar, Mushtaq (1997). Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997. Oxford University Press. p. 109. ISBN 0-19-577817-0.
18. Gazdar, Mushtaq (1997). Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997. Oxford University Press. p. 263. ISBN 0-19-577817-0.
19. "Illustrated Weekly of Pakistan, Volume 21, Issues 40-52". Pakistan Herald Publications, 1969. 1969.
20. Gazdar, Mushtaq (1997). Pakistan Cinema, 1947-1997. Oxford University Press. p. 337. ISBN 0-19-577817-0.
21. "List of Nigar awards from 1957 to 1971". The Hot Spot Online website. 17 June 2002. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 3 February 2022.

External links

• Raza Mir at IMDb