Part IV - My Adolescence Memoirs - Larkana in 1970s

Part IV

In early 1970s, there were three cinema houses namely Royal, Empire and Nigar (Al-Manzar was the forth cinema that started operating in 1974). Royal cinema used to show Urdu family films portraying love stories, social and non-violent subjects. These films featured famous actors like Mohammad Ali, Waheed Murad, Nadeem, and Shahid, etc. And the renowned actresses were Shabnam, Babra Sharif, Deeba, Zeba and Shamim Ara, etc. The Empire Cinema was designated for showing big budget & box office hit movies, including English films during morning (at 11 am) show on Sundays. Whereas Nigar Cinema was exclusively showing hit, full of violence Punjabi films featuring famous actors namely Akmal, Asad Bukhari, Sudheer, Ilyas Kashmiri, Iqbal Hassan, Mazhar Khan, Yousuf Khan, etc. The famous actresses were: Firdaus, Naghma, Asiya, Aliya etc. The legend Punjabi hero Sultan Rahi came to instantaneous fame after the release of “Basheera” perhaps in 1972. Being a movie-worm, especially action films, I used to hover around Empire and Nigar cinemas and stayed away from Royal cinema which showed romantic movies.

Watching movies was our craze even at that tender age. New releases always came to Larkana cinemas about one to two weeks later than Lahore, Karachi and other big cities. This was unacceptable to us. Once I along with Munir traveled to Sukkur on railcar train with the sole purpose to watching some new hits. After reaching Sukkur in the afternoon and securing a room in the hotel on Ghanta Ghar we immediately went to enjoying two consecutive shows in two different cinema houses. Next day we returned home feeling jubilant that we had seen those movies that were still to be released in Larkana.

Our mother was also fond of films. She would spend whole day in house chores but would love to visit a cinema at least in a week for the last show starting at 9 pm till 12 midnight. Usually I or Munir accompany her. Father avoided going late to cinema and preferred sleeping earlier. Sometimes she would go alone too. We would just help her get a Tonga on hire.

I and Munir had established criteria for a best movie; it must contain at least six fighting sequences. Less than six fights, the film would be termed as skunk. If the movie had plenty of fights especially with swords, it got our highest ranking. Watching a film poster in the street or newspaper that would depict a fighting scene we both would get excited and utter a simultaneous sound: Dhainnnnn. It’s an expression equating a similar background music of any fighting sequence.

My classmate and best friend Aijaz Jamali and I would often go and watch matinee shows preferably Hollywood action movies at 3.30 pm in Al-Manzar Cinema, especially during hot summers because of long days. Watching matinee show suited Jamali to reach his village before sunset. But before we headed on for a movie, sharing his bicycle to cinema, we would make detour to drop a utensil at a buffalo barn from where I used to buy fresh milk for our family every afternoon. While on way back from cinema I would collect/buy 2 liter fresh milk and take it to my home.  

It was also a golden but short-lived period for Sindhi film industry as many local language films were released and enjoyed by masses. Some of the successful Sindhi films were Chandoki, Shahru Feroze, Sorath, etc. but Sindhi film industry based in Karachi could not survive and compete with the big and powerful Urdu and Punjabi film industry of Lahore, hence, it slowly vanished from the scene.

Larkana had a big, beautiful and clean Civil Hospital serving middleclass, poor and the needy. Later, upon opening of Chandka Medical College the Civil Hospital was attached to it and went through much extensions and renovation. But till that time, the city had also some famous private practitioner doctors who used to do thronging business (or serving the people!). Some notables were: Dr. Allah Bukhsh (in our street), Dr. Haque, Dr. Tufail Siddiqui and Dr. Roshan Shaikh. Our favorite family doctor was Tufail Siddiqui. He could be called anytime at home to attend the patient in case of any medical emergency. The doctor would merely charge a few Rupees for his visit.

As mentioned above, Dr. Allah Bukhsh ran a GP (General Practitioner) clinic adjacent to our house. He was a recognized MBBS doctor. After mid 70s two more doctors also opened their clinics opposite our house. They were Dr. Fateh Muhammad, a quack (he was compounder with Dr. Haque. When Dr. Haque left Larkana after ethnic violence between indigenous Sindhis and Urdu speaking immigrants from India), and a Homeopathic doctor (forgot his name). My father had nicknamed all of three: Allah Bukhsh as “Saah Peevna” (Blood sucker), Fateh M as “Hun Khun” (Take the prescribed medicine, breathe your last) and Homeopathic as “Choorh Ghut” (Strangulator). Continued .....