Arsh-e-Munir

Entertainment Showbiz Pakistan , Bollywood & World Entertainment
1

Today I suddenly remembered this wonderful actress of yesteryear the late Arsh-e-Munir. What a natural style she had, and the roles she did were always such fun to watch, I think she died in the 90s or perhaps few years ago. I remember a few dramas of her when from 90s and the rest I’ve watched now and then on re-runs, VHS, DVD.

I am a great fan and feel that she was an amazingly talented lady, one of the pioneers I guess, I think she came from Radio Pakistan and her everyday household woman depictions with freestyle dialogues and tones was mesmerizing to watch. It seems to me she must’ve been a fun jolly person in real life too.

May her soul be blessed.
Right now I dont recall excatly the titles of her dramas, any input most welcome.

2

Re: Arsh-e-Munir

Intezar Framaa'eeya and Hello Hello with Athar Shah Khan Jedi (she was Khala Gulbadan, Jedi called her Aunty Flower Body)

She was also in Shehzori with Nilofer Abbasi

I think she was in Shama (Ghazala Kaifi and Javed Shiekh), pretty much in all of Fatima Suraaya Bajiya's plays

3

Re: Arsh-e-Munir

Thanks TLK! I haven’t watched many of these, “Aunty Flower Body” is hilarious! :hehe:

Was she there in Khala Khairan too? I also remember her in Afshan some of which I watched a while ago, fun role of a flaming bua! :smiley:

4

SUPERB...Haris!! you have really wreaked some of the unforgetible moments we had when ARSHE Baaji was around...

What a powerful actress she was.

Hailing from Delhi at ALL INDIA RADIO, she migrated to Pakistan in 1947 September. Was the most sought after and versatile radio voice at the Radio Pakistan Karachi. Did almost every play on Radio besides making a great mark on PTV as a family BUA or the elderly from the school of old thoughts.. where the MAHA'W'RAAS and wisecracks and typical slapstick hittings heard from our Daddee Amaan aur Nannee Amaan... were best delivered by ARSHE MUNEER (Allah Bakhshay).

I distinctly remember one of the scenes from KHUDA KI BAST (1974 version) where I was present but not in scene.....and ARSHE Baaji clad in SHUTTLE CORK burqa'h comes on street where Shakeel Chughtai, Qazi Wajid think that she is a young girl and Shakil with a certain style slips before her coyly saying ; "HUM BHI TOU PARRAY HEIN RAHOUN MEIN" when Arshe Muneer lifts her facial burqa'h flap and gives him helter skelter..:) So natural and classic was that scene that we all kept laughing for a while after that take:) :) :)

Mehmood Ali, Qazi Wajid, Mohammad Yusuf, Subhani Ba'Yunus, Talat Hussain, Munawwar Saeed...the list goes on....had highest respects for ARSHE MUNEER.... a name very hard to be forgotten from the PTV SHOWBIZ MEDIA and I thank HARIS for bringing this out-of-the-box.

I do have a picture of GAR TU BURA NA MAANAY with ARSHE MUNEER..at my archives and will soon download it on this thread.

Thanks Haris...well done!

5

Very glad you liked the discussion Raju uncle, indeed she was amazing and exactly what you mentioned about her old school of thought family lady with elderly values and household cliches made her so distinct! So natural, it seemed it wasn’t acting for her, she was just being natural.

:hehe: Must have been a great memorable time! Inspite of being very keen and also being recommended by elders I still haven’t been able to watch Khuda ki Basti yet, I once even bought the DVD but never found time to watch and later someone took it, my interest in KKB is rekindled now, hope I find time to watch it soon.

The names you quoted above are the cream among all time TV legends, esp Mehmood Ali, Qazi Wajid and Subhani ba Yunus as I’ve seen their old works a bit more, the same old school simplicity and natural as well as classic goodness reflects in them all. I wish them all the best and hope to keep watching them for ages.

I’d love to see the picture, do pls share soon. And thanks a lot Raju uncle for appreciating the thread! :slight_smile:

6

Re: Arsh-e-Munir

Haris, Shehzori is available on Youtube .. all episodes .. if you have not watch that drama, do that .. you will enjoy the superb acting talent of Nilofer Aleem (now Neelofer Abbasi), Shakeel, Mehmood Ali, Arsh-e-Munir and my favorite, Khalid Nizami.

7

SPEAKING OF YOUTUBE
HERE’S SOMETHING EXCITING
YOU ALL MAY LIKE TO WATCH
AND SEE WHO ARSHE BAAJI WAS…

Here she is seen in AFSHAN
with Begum Khursheed Mirza..
in her typical & most loved style;

Enjoy;

8

Wow! what a good thread!

Something about aka bua as well Arjay bhai and Haris!

9

BEGUM KHURSHEED MIRZA...we addressed her as Aunty KM back during the good old days of our nitty grittys (all a dream and a sweet one..now) *** hailed from India..having migrated in 1950 to Pakistan. She was introduced to the PTV by Marhooma Shirin Khan and Hasina Moin.. when UNCLE URFI was produced. She became famous as AKKA BUA from that serial.***

Aunty KM had a distinct grace of Terpischore. She had this invisible magnetism which was clearly visible in her motherly instincts for all who worked with her.

Unfortunately.. there was no scene in UNCLE URFI that I could interact with her.. but otherwise I was her darling boy then.. and at every SUNDAY shoot of UU I was around where the PURI-TARKARI Naashtaa and Halwa was often the item at lunch....I use to grab from nearby Bahadurabad market.

Her acting was so natural that viewers waited for her appearance. In AFSHAN (you may see her in the link I have placed above) she played a magnificent role of Hadi Bhai's wife... as family head.

Saira Kazmi cast her in PARCHAIYEN which was another landmark to Aunty KM's glorious performance.

Off screen.. her dressing was none less then any Maharani one may have seen. The white sarree and certain looks with a very different walking style plus the manner she spoke to people both; in English & Urdu.. was spellbinding.

She will indeed be remembered by your likes for a very long time to come. As far as WE are concerned.. my forthcoming book would say it all on people like Aunty KM, Mohni Hameed, Ms. Butt, Ishrat Hashmi, Azra Sherwani...and others !

Find me ONE...I repeat ONE artiste of their calibre TODAY... and I'll eat my hat !

10

Many thanks! She was amazing. I think her last drama was with Izhar Qazi. She said to the dukandar "tumhari milawat wali mircho say mera don man achar kharab ho gaya".

May Allah bless her and Arsh-e-Muneer.

11

Re: Arsh-e-Munir

ZameeN kaah Gaa'ee AsMaan kayse kayse

May Allah Bless them ...

12

Re: Arsh-e-Munir

This thread brought back many memories..

I had listened to so many urdu dramas on Radio Karachi in which Arsh-e-Munir had performed... That voice was so typical of her... Jedi and her voices were the 'embelem' of Radio Pakistan for me in the olden days.

13

Re: Arsh-e-Munir

While searching for Ms. Asrh Muneer I came across this post. People have mentioned what they could remember about her. I would also recall about her from an interview that was published in an urdu newspaper

She was the wife of Shoukat Thanvi, a famous writer and was married before India-Pakistan partition. She had only had a son. However after migrating to pakistan her husband found another love and deserted her and her only son. So she was all alone struggling in her life.

One of her relative who was working at Radio Pakistan at a nice post requested her for the radio program which she accepted very reluctantly. Later on when Pakistan Television was formed she started working for TV plays since most of the actors of that time were called from radio pakistan.

She mentioned that the checks offered for her perfornace were quite small which could barely let her take care of herself and family.

Later on she was awarded "Pride of Performance" for her acting career. She invested the money into an investment agency which were at peak during that time. That agency was fraud and took away her and other's money. I recall she said (translation) :

"Thinking that this time it would be better and I would get a sum every month which would help me I invested the money but alas! they just run away. But i comforted myself thinking that maybe they were more in need of money"

Thats was all that i can remember. I think her son moved to US and took her with him. She was diagnosed with cancer and died of it. She was a symbol of struggle in her life.

We usually think of death being cruel that takes snatches a person we love away from us but sometimes I think it might be a doorway to an everlasting peace and happiness.

May her soul rest in peace !

14

Re: Arsh-e-Munir

Let's offer Fateha for Arsh-e-Munir. Excellent actor and also Late Ishrat Hashmi, May their souls rest in peace, Ameen.

I just yesterday saw her (Arsh-e-Munir) drama , Ba Adab Ba Mulahiza Hoshiyar >>>>>>>> too cool.