Munawwar Zareef is a singular name in the history of Pakistani Cinema. Arguably the funniest man to ever grace the Pakistani silver screen, he stood amongst giants like Rangeela, Nanha, Lehri, and Nirala with a wit and humour all his own. Popular among Urdu and Punjabi audiences alike, his physicality and literary powers allowed him to rub shoulders with the most popular and best artists of his age.
Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of his most iconic Punjabi film, “Naukar Wohti Da”. Released in 1974, the film is a comedy of errors. A wealthy woman Razia (played by Aasia) hires Munawwar (played by Munawwar Zarif) to act as her husband so that her grandfather (played by Talish) backs off from trying to get her married. What results is a whirlwind of laughter and cover ups and an eventual emotional ending.
The film went on to become a diamond jubilee at the local box office and won several accolades at the Nigar Awards including ‘Best Punjabi Film’ and ‘Best Punjabi Film Director’ for Haider Chaudhary. It cemented Munawwar Zarif’s status in the film industry as a huge force at the box office as well as an iconic comedian.
The soundtrack of the film also achieved a lot of success to the point of musician Wajahat Attre being awarded the ‘Best Musician’ award at the Nigar Awards. The gem of the soundtrack is the iconic song “Zindagi Tamasha Bani” by Afshan. The song was later used as a central plot point as well as the title for Sarmad Khoosat’s “Zindagi Tamasha”(2022).
“Naukar Wohti Da” also inspired a remake across the border. Indian film legend Dharmendra remade the film in 1983 as “Naukar Biwi Ka” along with Reena Roy, Raj Babbar, Kader Khan, and Pran. The remake also turned out to be a massive hit at the box office.
While sadly, today’s generation doesn’t know much about Munawwar Zarif’s iconic status, but “Naukar Wohti Da” still stands in collective memory as an iconic film.
