Sultan Rahi facts for kids

Sultan Rahi (Urdu: ﺳﻠﻄﺎﻥ ﺭﺍﮨﯽ; born June 24, 1938 – died January 9, 1996) was a famous Pakistani actor, producer, and screenwriter. He became one of the most successful actors in Pakistani and Punjabi cinema. Many people called him Pakistan's "Clint Eastwood" because of his tough-guy roles.

During his 40-year career, Sultan Rahi acted in over 700 Punjabi films and 100 Urdu films. He won around 160 awards for his amazing work. He earned two Nigar Awards for his roles in the films Babul (1971) and Basheera (1972). In 1975, he played the popular character Maula Jatt in Wehshi Jatt, which won him his third Nigar Award. He played this character again in the very famous movie Maula Jatt. Some of his other well-known films include Sher Khan, Chan Veryam, Kaley Chore, The Godfather, Sharif Badmash, and Wehshi Gujjar.

Life and Career

Sultan Rahi was born in Rawalpindi, which was part of British India at the time, in 1938. His family belonged to the Arain community. His father, Subedar Major Abdul Majeed, was a retired officer from the British Indian Army.

Sultan Rahi started his film career in 1959 with a small role in the movie Baghi. He became very famous after the film Wehshi Jatt was released in 1975. This movie was like a first part to the even more popular film Maula Jatt, which came out on February 11, 1979. Maula Jatt became his biggest hit in Pakistan. Other important films he starred in include Behram Daku (1980), Sher Khan (1981), Sala Sahib, and Ghulami (1985). Sultan Rahi played main roles in more than 535 films.

Family

Sultan Rahi had five children. One of his children, Haider Sultan, has also become an actor, following in his father's footsteps.

His Passing

On January 9, 1996, Sultan Rahi was traveling with his friend Ahsan, a film director. They were on the main highway in Pakistan, called Grand Trunk Road, going from Islamabad to Lahore. Their car got a flat tire near Aimanabad Chungi, close to Gujranwala.

While they were changing the tire, some thieves came up to their vehicle and tried to rob them. Both Sultan Rahi and his friend were shot during the incident. Sadly, Sultan Rahi passed away from his injuries.

His Impact on Cinema

Sultan Rahi worked in the Punjabi film industry for over four decades. He was the highest-paid Pakistani actor during his time. He was even listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the actor who had appeared in the most films.

Director Altaf Hussain said that actors like Sultan Rahi are very rare. He mentioned that Sultan Rahi was a "trendsetter" and that his films were copied by others, but no one could perform like him. Actress Bahar Begum remembered Sultan Rahi saying that the film industry would miss him when he was gone. She said that there was only one Sultan Rahi in Lollywood, and no one could ever replace him.

Mustafa Qureshi, who often acted with Sultan Rahi, said their on-screen partnership was unique and very popular. He agreed that there would never be another Sultan Rahi. Qureshi added that Sultan Rahi earned everything through his hard work and talent. Film director Pervaiz Rana also said that even though new actors have come and gone, the "golden era" of Sultan Rahi would never return. He noted that Sultan Rahi's famous movie lines are still remembered, and his pictures are still seen in shops and on buses, showing how much people loved him.

Awards and Recognition

Sultan Rahi received several Nigar Awards for his acting.

Won

• Nigar Awards 1971 - Special Award for Babul
• Nigar Awards 1972 - Best Actor for Basheera
• Nigar Awards 1975 - Best Actor for Wehshi Jatt

Filmography

See Also

In Spanish: Sultán Rahi para niños

• List of Pakistani Punjabi-language films
• List of Lollywood actors