Naeem Hashmi (died 27 April 1976) was a Pakistani film, television and stage actor, writer, poet, producer, and director. He was known for his roles as a villain in the late 1940s and 1950s, but he later took character roles in over 100 films.[1][2]
Naeem Hashmi first made his film debut in British India in the film Chandani Chowk (1946). His first movie in Pakistan was Ilzam (1953).[3] His naats, or lyrics and praises said for the Islamic prophet Muhammad, also earned him much fame. The peak of his professional career came when he wrote the Naat Shah-E-Madina, Yasreb Ke Waali sung by Saleem Raza and Zubaida Khanum for the Pakistani film Noor-E-Islam (1957). It became a run-away super-hit song in 1957, and still has cultural relevance to this day.[2][1][3]
Many of his films, such as the banned Inqalab-e-Kashmir, addressed social and national Pakistani issues.[2] Ziddi (1973 film), Sharif Badmash (1975 film), Chitra Tay Shera (1976 film) were some of Naeem Hashmi's most successful films during his career.[2][3]
Naeem Hashmi died of complications arising from his diabetes on 27 April 1976. [1][2]
Naeem Hashmi's eldest son, Khawar Naeem Hashmi, now serves as a Pakistani journalist, working with BOL TV as its bureau chief in Lahore, Pakistan.[1] He served for 35 years in Jang Group of Newspapers, as a news reporter for Geo News channel, and served as Bureau Chief of Geo News in Lahore, Pakistan.[4][5]