Sohail Rana facts for kids

Sohail Rana (born 31 March 1938) is a famous Pakistani music composer for movies and TV shows. He became well-known after actor Waheed Murad introduced him to the Pakistan film industry. His music became very popular when singer Ahmed Rushdi sang his songs in hit films like Armaan and Doraha. Today, Sohail Rana lives in Canada.

Early Life and Musical Journey

Sohail Rana was born in Agra, British India. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rana Akbarabadi, were both Urdu poets. After Pakistan became independent in 1947, his family moved there. He studied at the University of Karachi, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree.

Sohail Rana learned music from many great teachers, called ustads. He studied both Eastern classical music and Western music. This helped him create his unique style. He was also inspired by famous Indian music director Naushad Ali and Pakistani music director Feroze Nizami.

A Career in Music

Film Music Hits

Sohail Rana's first movie as a music composer was Jab Se Dekha Hai Tumhain. This was also actor Waheed Murad's second film as a producer.

Sohail Rana composed many popular songs. Some of these include Ko Ko Korina, Bay taab ho udhar tum, and Jab pyar mein do dil miltay hain. These songs were sung by Ahmed Rushdi.

Masroor Anwar, Sohail Rana, Waheed Murad and Pervez Malik during the composition of song Ko Ko Korina, Karachi, 1965

He created hit songs for the film Heera Aur Pathar in 1964. This movie was a huge success and made Sohail Rana a famous name in the Pakistani film industry. Songs like Mujhay tum say mohabbat hai and Ja ja ray chanda ja ray became very popular.

Armaan (1966) was Pakistan's first "platinum jubilee" film, meaning it was incredibly successful. Sohail Rana composed the famous song Akele na jaana for this movie. It was recorded with 65 musicians, which was the largest orchestra ever used in Pakistani cinema at that time! For his work on Armaan, Sohail Rana won the important Nigar Award for best composer.

By the mid-1960s, Sohail Rana was a very successful film composer. He made music for the film Ehsaan (1967), which also did very well. Its songs like Ik naye maur pay and Aye meri zindigi aye meray hum safar were big hits. He also composed and produced the songs for the film Doraha. Famous songs from this movie include Mujhay tum nazar say gira to rahay ho.

Sohail Rana also composed music for patriotic songs and national anthems. He was the general manager of the National Orchestra for Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) from 1974 to 1976. His musical works like Sohni Dharti and Jeeway Pakistan are now a big part of Pakistani culture.

He also composed music for the film Badal Aur Bijli. Its songs like Bansi bajanay walay and Aaj janay ki zid na karo were very popular. The song Aaj janay ki zid na karo was later used in an Indian film called Monsoon Wedding.

Sohail Rana also worked for Pakistan International Airlines from 1972 to 1974. He composed music for ballets and folk dances. He toured the world with a team of dancers and musicians, performing in famous theaters.

In total, Sohail Rana composed music for about 24 movies. His last movie as a composer was Hesaab in 1986.

Television and Children's Music

Sohail Rana spent a lot of time creating music for children. He composed over 2000 songs for kids! His children's TV shows, like Kaliyoan Ki Mala and Sang Sang Chaltay Rehna, were shown on PTV for 19 years, from 1968 to 1987.

Many of Sohail Rana's students became famous in Pakistani media. Some of them include Muhammad Ali Shahki, Alamgir, Benjamin Sisters, Adnan Sami, Nazia Hasan, and Zohaib Hassan.

He also composed the "Summit Anthem" called Allah-O-Akbar for the first Islamic Summit conference in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1974.

Popular Patriotic Songs

Sohail Rana composed many beloved patriotic songs for Pakistan. Here are some of them:

Life in Canada

In the early 1990s, Sohail Rana moved to Mississauga, Ontario in Canada. There, he opened a school to teach singing and music. In 1997, he composed music for a play called 'Rishtiaan da Kee Rakhiye Naa'. This play was about the sad events of the Partition of India in 1947. Sohail Rana was honored for his music for this play.

Around 2005, he started performing live concerts in Toronto, Canada. He invited artists from Pakistan and India to join him.

In 2009, Sohail Rana was invited back to Pakistan by Geo TV for a special show called Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo. He performed his classic songs with many famous singers like Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, Fariha Pervez, and Sajjad Ali, along with a 37-member orchestra.

Awards and Recognition

Sohail Rana has received many awards for his amazing contributions to music:

• Pride of Performance Award in 1981 from the President of Pakistan.
• Gold Discs from EMI in 1974 for his music album, Khyber Mail.
• Pakistani television (PTV) gave him PTV Awards in 1982 and 1989.
• Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 from Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV).
• Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) Award from the President of Pakistan in 2012.
• Nigar Award as Best Music Director for the film Armaan in 1966.

He also received the United Nations Peace Messenger Award in 1987 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.