Anjuman (Urdu: انجمن) is a Pakistani film actress. She was one of the most successful Punjabi film heroines of Pakistan during the 1980s and early 90s. Her real name is Anjuman Shaheen and she was born in Bahawalpur [1]

Contents 1 Career 2 Marriage 3 Comeback in films 4 Physical appearance 5 End of career 6 Anjuman in action films 7 Planned comeback 8 Criticism 9 Filmography

[edit] Career

Anjuman came from Multan to Lahore. Her first appearance was, however, in the Urdu film, Waadey ki Zanjeer (1979) [2] She had major roles in Sher Khan and Chan Varyam and played a side-role in Sala Sahib. All three films were diamond jubilee hits and were released on the same day, a unique record, which she shared with her partner hero Sultan Rahi, her playback voice (singer) Melody Queen Madam Noor Jehan, and musician Wajahat Attre[3]. Anjuman was a darling of the relatively less educated class, which went to the cinema frequently. She could dance according to their taste and she had the figure of a traditional Punjabi Mutyaar, which suited viewers at the time. Anjuman appeared in more than 160 films [4].She appeared almost with every hero of her era but couple of Anjuman and Sultan Rahi ruled the Punjabi cinema for more than a decade. She also appeared with Ali Ijaz, Javed Sheikh,Ghulam Mohiuddin, Izahr Qazi and Nadeem. Career span of anjuman is almost 21 years. Her first film Wadey Ki Zanjeer released in 1979 and she gave her last appearance in year 2000 in film Peengan [5]. Though her first four films were in Urdu but later her entire career is based on acting in Punjabi films. She appeared in diverse characters as heroine and performed equally well whether it was a role of a traditional innocent village girl or a very modern sexy bombshell, whether it was a role full of romance and emotions or an action packed role. Her diverse nature of characters, super dialogue delivery, hot and arousing dances and awesome action made her a darling of Punjabi cinema viewers.

[edit] Marriage

Anjuman married an income tax officer by the name of Mubeen Malik, quit films, and moved to the United Kingdom. According to gossip, Malik soon grew fed up with her lifestyle; he was shocked at his wife's "fast" life, and slowly but surely bickering and fighting became the tone of their marriage. During this time, the one man industry Sultan Rahi was brought down by a murder on the National Highway. Lollywood was deprived of its most famous star, and the Punjabi film industry virtually ground to a halt, crushed by the loss of the great Rahi.

Relations between Anjuman and Malik remained always tense though they managed to tolerate each other and they had a couple of children [6] but after long tense martial life Anjuman finally got divorce from her husband in early months of 2009 [7]. She is now once again spending her life in Lahore,Pakistan.

[edit] Comeback in films

Anjuman was back again in year 1999 after a break of almost 6 years and her return vehicle was one with her in the title role in the film Chaudrani The adoring masses welcomed their beloved Queen home and lifted Chaudrani to considerable success upon its releasebut but soon the golden touch began to fade. Anjuman, however, perceived Chaudrani's success as vindication of everything she had planned. She refused any further character roles, opting only for solo heroine projects. Then she jacked up her price to a lofty Rs. 300,000. She felt that she was in a position to be calling all the shots, but in any film industry you are as good as your last hit and she was soon to taste the vagaries of stardom. Her next release was Jag Mahi, opposite similarly dinosauric Ghulam Mohiuddin, in 2000. It had a very tepid response and barely lasted a few weeks playing to largely empty halls. Anjuman's next release was going to prove a litmus test of sorts and this she failed disastrously. The film Peengan opposite Saud was met with derision.

Audiences started shouting slogans of Maa Puttar (Mother and Son) and Buddhee Ghori Laal Lagaam during the film. Yet, she refused to change her stance on character roles, as well as the size of her pay check. Suddenly, the industry began to mutter about Anjuman being like a kiss of death if she was in the romantic lead.

There was much depression in her household as news spread from the industry that distributors had made an announcement that they would not be handling any film starring Anjuman for fear of financial loss. The producers with whom she had already signed suffered enormous losses. A few films which had been partly completed were recalled by the producers and shorn of any Anjuman involvement.

In the film Badmaash, for which Anjuman had already canned two songs and numerous scenes, she was abruptly dropped and replaced by upcoming starlet Noor. The producer felt they would be better off cutting Anjuman, and their costs, rather than going ahead with Anjuman as the leading lady.

Further news arrived that Anjuman's scenes from the film Badmaash tey Qanoon had also been dropped and edited out of the film, and that she had been replaced by Nargis. This was the final straw for Anjuman, the humiliation proving too much to take. She announced her immediate retirement, that she was just hanging around to complete her on hand assignments, and that she would shortly be leaving Pakistan altogether for a life of anonymity in UK where her former husband Mubeen Malik owned a flat. Her final two movies were Jatti Da Vair in 2000 and Ek Dhee Punjab Di (Daughter of Punjab), which is a title befitting a final Anjuman effort [8]. Her glittering career ended on a sour note; however, Anjuman will always remain the pride of Multan.

[edit] Physical appearance

Anjuman`s height was about 173 cm (5 feet and 8 inches) and she was taller than any of the other Lollywood heroine of that era. Due to her height and awesome figure she remained a darling of Punjabi cinema viewers. During early 90s she gained a lot of weight and that has damaged her career to a much extent.

[edit] End of career

Her departure may have been a crushing blow to many of her die hard fans, who admired the thumkas (pelvic thrusting dance maneuvers) of Anjuman. In the mid 1980's, the extent of the dominance of Sultan Rahi, Mustafa Qureshi and Anjuman was such that a film was not considered a viable project unless these three elements were present. Film after film after film saw the three stars appear, with different names, but merely repeating their roles from the previous efforts. Nonetheless, the public lapped it up and all three became icons of an era. Other Punjabi film actresses of the era were Neeli, Reema and Saima.

[edit] Anjuman in action films

Action was the essential element of the Punjabi films and Sultan Rahi gained a reputation as an action hero but in many films Anjuman herself played a role of a female action hero. Audience saw her fighting with bad guys and displaying her powers along with her dances simultaneously in those movies. So it was a kind of girl (rather big woman) with gun type of Punjabi version. She was about 6 feet tall and looked physically bigger than her co-star Sultan Rahi.

Some of her action films include Hunter Wali,Dulari, Qatil Haseena, Daku Haseena, Kali Charn, Sultana, Nangi Talwar, Qeemat, Super Girl,Roti,Lutera, Golden Girl, Moula tay Mukho, Jatti da Vair, Jag Mahi and many more. She was seen in action films, riding horses, driving motor bikes and doing some stunts and thus giving a new dimension to female roles in Lollywood movies, which were previously based on a shy and innocent girl. She was very tall and big and in action scenes, it looked that she is completely dominating her opponents. Plots of the Anjuman`s action films were based upon revenge most of the time. Anjuman can also be considered as a first female action hero of the Pakistan film industry.Her viewers not only liked her acting and dances but also her action skills.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

[edit] Planned comeback

Despite being crowned the queen Anjuman however is the icon who just cant sit back, there are news that she is making another comeback in her upcoming movie 'Numbardarni' which is being produced by Actress Nargis. The film should be out in 2009/10. Which could worry Saima and Reema.

[edit] Criticism

Anjuman is often criticized by some people and comedians of being too big and too overweight. Particularly in late '80s and in early '90s she gained a lot of weight. She did not belong to a slim , smart and barbie doll model of heroine and this became a main reason of criticism on her.[16][17]

Anjuman will always be remembered as most successful actress of Pakistani film industry.

[edit] Filmography

• Mufat Bar
• Shan
• Dostana
• Sahib Jee
• Qudrat
• Dehshat Khan
• Lal Toofan
• Sholey
• Dhee Rani
• Qaidi
• Qismat
• Mehndi
• Wadera
• Dulari
• Janbaaz
• Roti
• Mela
• Mazdoor
• Insaniyat key Dushman
• Kali Charn
• Chaudrani
• Mola Sein