Riaz Shahid

{{Infobox person

| name = Riaz Shahid

| image = Riaz_Shahid.jpeg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = 1927

| birth_place = Quetta, British India

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1972|10|01|1927}}

| death_place = Lahore, Pakistan

| nationality = Pakistani

| occupation = {{Hlist | Film Director | Screenwriter | Journalist}}

| years_active = 1962–1972

| children = Shaan Shahid

| awards = * 12 Nigar Awards
Sitara-i-Imtiaz (2023){{cite web |title=Behroze, Qavi, others conferred with honours |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2407868/pakistan-day-behroze-sabzwari-qavi-khan-others-conferred-with-civil-honours |website=The Express Tribune |access-date=25 January 2025 |language=en |date=24 March 2023}}

}}

Riaz Shahid (1927 – 1 October 1972) was a Pakistani filmmaker, film writer, and a journalist.

Influenced by poet Habib Jalib, who would later become a friend, Shahid frequently engaged with political activists at socialist gatherings in Lahore, and his support for the Pan-Islamic causes of Palestine, Algeria, and Kashmir would be reflected in his filmography.{{cite web |last=Shahid |first=Zulqarnain |date=24 March 2017 |title=How Habib Jalib and Riaz Shahid forged the way for socialist cinema in Pakistan |url=https://images.dawn.com/news/1177311 |access-date=20 June 2025 |website= |publisher=Dawn News}}

Early life and education

Riaz Shahid was born in 1927 in Quetta, British India. He belonged to an ethnic Kashmiri family.{{Cite web |last=Malik |first=Asma |date=24 August 2019 |title=I can sacrifice my life if my country needs it: Shaan Shahid |url=https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/24-Aug-2019/i-can-sacrifice-my-life-if-my-country-needs-it-shaan-shahid |website=Daily Pakistan}} He was the father of a famous Pakistani film star Shaan Shahid. Shaan was only one year old, when his father died.{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2266629/the-magic-and-memories-of-riaz-shahid |title=The magic and memories of Riaz Shahid |date=2 October 2020|newspaper=The Express Tribune|author=Adnan Lodhi and Ather Ahmad|access-date=8 February 2022}} His real name was Sheikh Riaz, but was called by his nickname Shahid. He was educated at Islamia College, Lahore, Pakistan.

Writing career

Riaz lived in Lahore where he started his career as a journalist for the newspaper Chataan and later joined Faiz Ahmed Faiz's Lail-o-Nihar.{{cite web |last=Shuayb |first=Muhammad |date=21 January 2024 |title=A FORGOTTEN GEM |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1807495 |access-date=20 June 2025 |website=Dawn.com |publisher=Dawn News}}

He authored the Urdu novel Hazaar Dastaan (A Thousand Tales) in 1955, a social realist narrative set in post-Partition Lahore, addressing themes of poverty, inequality, and political disillusionment. After reading the novel, Faiz Ahmed Faiz convinced him to work in films. Though largely forgotten for decades, the novel was rediscovered and republished in 2024 by a group of literary scholars and activists, sparking renewed interest in Shahid’s contributions to literature.

Film career

Riaz Shahid was introduced as a story and dialogue writer to the Pakistani film industry by his friend, actor Allauddin, in film Bharosa (1958). In 1962, Riaz started his film career as a director for the film Susraal (1962 film). Collaborating with the noted progressive poet, Habib Jalib, he went on to write or direct several films like Zarqa (1969), Shaheed (1962), Farangi (1964), Khamosh Raho (1964) and Yeh Aman (1971).

Riaz Shahid was married to then famous actress Neelo and had three children. The first child was a daughter and was named Zarqa followed by two sons Shaan, who is now a well-known Pakistani film actor and Sarosh, who also worked in a couple of Pakistani movies.{{cite web|url=http://pakfilms.net/artists/details.php?pid=3181 |title=Profile of Riaz Shahid |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170622134214/http://pakfilms.net/artists/details.php?pid=3181 |date=2 May 2016|archive-date=22 June 2017|website=Pakistan Film Magazine website|access-date=8 February 2022}}

Death and legacy

Riaz Shahid died of leukemia on 1 October 1972 at Lahore, Pakistan.

A noted Pakistani film actress and director Sangeeta is quoted as saying, "Riaz Shahid was a visionary. Whatever is happening in Kashmir today, he showed it well in the 60s. He was the top director of his period and we should be proud that such people were once a part of our industry".

Another film producer Choudhry Ejaz Kamran reportedly said, "Riaz Shahid stood out for not just his craft but his contribution to meaningful cinema. Cinema that was both political and imppressive. Shahid directed super hit films that are now considered guide books for upcoming film-makers. While he dabbed into a variety of genres, he always preferred to do films based on serious and revolutionary ideas".

Filmography

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" width=100% !scope="col" \| Year !scope="col" width=25%\| Title !scope="col" \| Director !scope="col" \| Producer !scope="col" \| Screenwriter !width=5%\|{{Abbr\|Ref.\|Reference(s)}}
1958 ! scope="row" \| Bharosa \| \| \| {{ya}} \|
1959 ! scope="row" \| Neend \| \| \| {{ya}} \| {{cite web \| title=فلمی نقاد اعجاز گُل کی منتخب کردہ دس بہترین پاکستانی فلمیں \| publisher=BBC News اردو \| date=2020-09-05 \| url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/entertainment-54011042 \| language=ur \| access-date=2022-05-07}}
rowspan="2" \| 1960 ! scope="row" \| Clerk \| \| \| {{ya}} \|
scope="row" \|Susral \| {{ya}} \| {{Ya}} \| {{ya}} \|{{Cite web\|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/441926-tribute-to-riaz-shahid\|title=Tribute to Riaz Shahid\|date=10 March 2019\|newspaper=The News International\|location=Pakistan\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625211557/https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/441926-tribute-to-riaz-shahid\|archive-date=25 June 2022}}
1962 ! scope="row" \| Shaheed \| \| \| {{ya}} \|
rowspan="2" \| 1964 ! scope="row" \| Khamosh Raho \| \| \| {{ya}} \|
scope="row" \| Farangi \| \| \| {{ya}} \|
rowspan="2" \| 1966 ! scope="row" \| Aag Ka Darya \| \| \| {{ya}} \| {{cite web\|author=Eeshah Omer\|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/217373/remembering-mohammad-ali-the-legend-of-pakistani-films/\|title=Remembering Mohammad Ali – the legend of Pakistani films (includes info on films written by Riaz Shahid)\|work=Daily Times (newspaper)\|date= 21 March 2018\|access-date=8 February 2022}}
scope="row" \| Badnaam \| \| \| {{ya}} \|
1969 ! scope="row" \| Zarqa \| {{ya}} \| {{ya}} \| {{ya}} \| {{cite web\|url=http://pakfilms.net/directors/RiazShahid.php \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505091054/http://pakfilms.net/directors/RiazShahid.php \|date=1 March 2016\|archive-date=5 May 2017\|title=Filmography of Riaz Shahid\|website= Pakistan Film Magazine website\|access-date=8 February 2022}}
rowspan="2" \| 1971 ! scope="row" \| Gharnata \| {{ya}} \| \| \|
scope="row" \| Yeh Aman \| {{ya}} \| \| {{ya}} \|
1974 ! scope="row" \| Bahisht \| \| \| {{ya}} \|
1978 ! scope="row" \| Haider Ali \| \| \| {{ya}} \|

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" width=100%

!scope="col" | Year

!scope="col" width=25%| Title

!scope="col" | Director

!scope="col" | Producer

!scope="col" | Screenwriter

!width=5%|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}

1958

! scope="row" | Bharosa

| {{ya}}

1959

! scope="row" | Neend

| {{ya}}

| {{cite web | title=فلمی نقاد اعجاز گُل کی منتخب کردہ دس بہترین پاکستانی فلمیں | publisher=BBC News اردو | date=2020-09-05 | url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/entertainment-54011042 | language=ur | access-date=2022-05-07}}

rowspan="2" | 1960

! scope="row" | Clerk

| {{ya}}

scope="row" |Susral

| {{ya}}

| {{Ya}}

| {{ya}}

|{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/441926-tribute-to-riaz-shahid|title=Tribute to Riaz Shahid|date=10 March 2019|newspaper=The News International|location=Pakistan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625211557/https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/441926-tribute-to-riaz-shahid|archive-date=25 June 2022}}

1962

! scope="row" | Shaheed

| {{ya}}

rowspan="2" | 1964

! scope="row" | Khamosh Raho

| {{ya}}

scope="row" | Farangi

| {{ya}}

rowspan="2" | 1966

! scope="row" |

Aag Ka Darya

| {{ya}}

| {{cite web|author=Eeshah Omer|url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/217373/remembering-mohammad-ali-the-legend-of-pakistani-films/|title=Remembering Mohammad Ali – the legend of Pakistani films (includes info on films written by Riaz Shahid)|work=Daily Times (newspaper)|date= 21 March 2018|access-date=8 February 2022}}

scope="row" | Badnaam

| {{ya}}

1969

! scope="row" | Zarqa

| {{ya}}

| {{cite web|url=http://pakfilms.net/directors/RiazShahid.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170505091054/http://pakfilms.net/directors/RiazShahid.php |date=1 March 2016|archive-date=5 May 2017|title=Filmography of Riaz Shahid|website= Pakistan Film Magazine website|access-date=8 February 2022}}

rowspan="2" | 1971

! scope="row" | Gharnata

| {{ya}}

scope="row" | Yeh Aman

| {{ya}}

1974

! scope="row" | Bahisht

| {{ya}}

1978

! scope="row" | Haider Ali

| {{ya}}