Beginning to Discover Waheed Murad

Legacies should be transferred from one generation to the other in a way that neither their originality nor their impact alters. And to adopt something that comes from the time preceding us, we need to live that time, feel it, evaluate it according to the preceding as well as the current circumstances, and have a look at where it projects, before beginning to like or dislike it.

Waheed Murad is a legendary icon who had to offer a lot not only to the people of his own time, but for many generations to come after him.

Developing an inspiration for him needs us to embark on a journey to his world, which may lead us to ‘a castle of many mirrors’ where we can reflect on ourselves and our surroundings in a much better way.

Let’s begin NOW…
The initiating step on this journey can be the intro as to who Waheed Murad was, and what position he held in our society. Without having adequate knowledge about him the gap can not be bridged, and our goal can never be achieved.

‘Why’ Waheed Murad held a certain social position (i-e being a role-model) is then to be answered in order to move a step forward towards Waheed Murad.

All these are the words a beginner would hear from someone ‘else’ most probably someone not from his own age-group (or generation you may call it). Hence totally relying on someone else for a choice seems little difficult.
Providing easy access to Waheed Murad’s work, especially on forums youngsters are more likely to visit, can be of help so that the discovery is more like one’s own.

Before anyone can discover anything, all doubts pertaining to it should be eradicated. To achieve this, the process of discovery can take a bit-by-bit start, so that the feeling of something being ‘imposed’ is not there, and a beginner can actually ‘enjoy’ being a part of the process.

For example in Waheed Murad’s case we can start with his songs (which I am sure would appeal to most of us because of their eternal melodies and lyrics), moving on to the music videos (which are so light-heartening and full of energetic performances that they become irresistible) giving way to his movies.

Also the general perception about someone not from one’s own time might engender a feeling that the issues s/he touched in their work must be the ones faced not by us but by the earlier generations. This belief need to be uprooted, and a ‘proper’ intro to the work of Waheed Murad can do it all.

Only when a beginner’s mind will try discovering Waheed Murad for herself/himself would s/he be able to relate to his ideologies or work. But this discovery needs a guide, like anyone new to a city needs one. The guide can relate what people at the time of WM liked most about him, how he affected their lives, and what he stood for. Without a guide/companion the search can turn futile.

So this journey basically requires us to be a part of a process in which the psyche and the trends of the young audience should be considered and molded in a way that would benefit all of us.