Pakistani film stars once ruled the entertainment landscape. Films used to come out in several languages and people who shined on the silver screen were treated like royalty. We have seen the golden age of cinemas in Pakistan before films were systematically killed. In the late 90s and early 2000s, Pakistani films were breathing their last but we still had stars who were household names. After films died, many of these superstars went missing from active duty.
In addition to Urdu cinema, Punjabi and Pashto films also had a large number of viewers. With time quality of all films started declining, no more new faces were coming in to take the reins in their hands and many of the big stars who were once loved by fans started becoming irrelevant. But there are a huge number of stars who should never have retired or taken a break from constant filming. Here is a list of actors who should never have stopped acting:
Shaan Shahid
Shaan Shahid is the biggest film star of Pakistan. Making his debut with Bulandi, he worked on countless hits in his career. Shaan is among the Pakistani film stars who stuck with the idea of Pakistani films when things were declining everyday. He made a powerful comeback when he appeared as Mansoor in Khuda Ke Liye. His stint as Mujtaba in Waar further cemented his position as the superstar that he was in the current generation. Shaan did a few more films which did not work on the box office but the actor should have not stopped working. He is a force to be reckoned with. He has been working behind the scenes but nothing big has come out yet. As big of a Pakistani film star that Shaan is, he should always be a part of the screens one way or the other.
Reema Khan
Reema Khan is another big name of the old Lollywood. A film star who always worked in quality films. She took a break from acting after she got married to Dr Tariq Shahab and shifted to the USA. She is also a powerful star who could have changed the landscape of Pakistani entertainment if she kept actively working. She has the beauty, spark and grace and she should make a comeback soon either through film or television.
Babra Sharif
Babra Sharif is hands down the most famous film star of Pakistan. She is a star for all generations and everyone knows her. She stopped acting very early on as she did not agree much with the work that was being produced. But a talent like hers leaving the industry affected the whole ecosystem and had a bad effect on how entertainment progressed in Pakistan.
Moammar Rana
Moammar Rana is another big Pakistani film star who was ruling the industry once. He was the king of romance and fans loved his looks and talent. The decline of films hit him as well and he did not reinvent himself with the new era. He sporadically does films now but he should have either taken the TV route or made his own films as he is a talented star despite being n controversies lately.
Meera
Meera was once one of the most successful film stars in Pakistan. She later transitioned to television, which is how her identity should have been defined. Unfortunately, the constant controversies surrounding her English language skills and her marriages overshadowed her career. Meera demonstrated her talent once again in the film “Baaji,” and her body of work should have been more consistent and meaningful, rather than being dominated by controversies that only brought her fleeting attention.
Resham
Resham is another actress whose screen presence cannot be denied. She started her career at PTV and shifted to films later on. She achieved massive success there, and she later on, once again, made a comeback to television and did shows like Man o Salwa. The actress is a force to be reckoned with, and she should have worked consistently. She recently appeared in Gunjal and once again reminded everyone why she was such a big star. Another Pakistani film star who should never have given up on her big stardom.
Ali Zafar
Ali Zafar is the rockstar of Pakistan. He is doing great in music but he has a natural talent in acting. He worked in many Bollywood films and achieved success. He also became the star who made Pakistan’s first non-Eid release hit with Teefa In Trouble. He has since been missing from acting and stardom, which he should have been used to pull the audience to cinemas. The actor Ali Zafar needs to make a comeback in and he should not put this department on the back burner any further.
Fawad Khan
Fawad Khan is, after all, a Pakistani star and he holds the star power like no other. Despite doing only The Legend of Maula Jatt as his big project in more than a decade, he is still relevant. He needs to actually start working in Pakistan. He can at least release his Neelofar with Mahira Khan, as that would be a big surprise for his fans. Stardom like this should be used in the correct frame of time.
Ones Who Got It Right
Stars like Nadeem Baig, Babar Ali, Faisal Rehman, Saima Khan, and Sana Fakhar moved with the times. They evolved, and with either television or modern films, they kept in touch with their audience. They have a much bigger stardom now and they are associated with good projects, as these stars have the power to say no if a project is bad, something that a newcomer cannot do. Their talent is not wasted; watching them work makes their fans happy.
Conclusion
The big Pakistani film stars stopped working, destroying the film industry and creating a monopoly in the drama world. These stars were in a position of power, and if they worked constantly, they could have brought in better evolution in storytelling. They could say no to bad scripts, and that power could have further strengthened the entertainment and broken the power structure of a few production houses. Many of these stars still need to make a comeback and work for the betterment of entertainment if not anything else.
