Anjuman (actor) - Comeback in Films

Comeback in Films

Anjuman returned to acting in 1999 in the title role in the film Chaudrani. The adoring masses welcomed their beloved Queen home and lifted Chaudrani to considerable success upon its release but soon the golden touch began to fade. Anjuman, however, perceived Chaudrani's success as vindication of everything she had planned. She refused any further character roles, opting only for solo heroine projects and required a lofty salary of Rs. 300,000. She felt that she was in a position to be calling all the shots, but in any film industry you are only as good as your last hit and she was soon to taste the vagaries of stardom. Her next release was Jag mahi, opposite similarly dinosauric Ghulam Mohiuddin, in 2000. It had a tepid response and barely lasted a few weeks playing to largely empty halls. Anjuman's next release was a litmus test of sorts and this she failed disastrously. The film Peengan opposite Saud was met with derision.

Audiences started shouting slogans of Maan puttar (Mother and Son) and Buddhee ghori laal lagaam during the film. Yet, she refused to change her stance on character roles, as well as the size of her pay check. Suddenly, the industry began to mutter about Anjuman being a kiss of death if she was in the romantic lead.

There was much depression in her household as news spread through the industry that distributors had announced they would not be handling any film starring Anjuman for fear of financial loss. The producers with whom she had already signed suffered enormous losses. A few films which had been partly completed were recalled by the producers and shorn of any Anjuman involvement.

She was abruptly dropped from the film Badmaash, for which she had already canned two songs and numerous scenes, and replaced by upcoming starlet Noor. The producer felt they would be better off cutting Anjuman, and their costs, rather than going ahead with Anjuman as the leading lady.

Further news arrived that Anjuman's scenes in the film Badmaash tey Qanoon had also been dropped and edited out of the film, and that she had been replaced by Nargis. This was the final straw for Anjuman, the humiliation proving too much to take. She announced her immediate retirement, that she was just hanging around to complete her on hand assignments, and that she would shortly be leaving Pakistan altogether for a life of anonymity in the UK where her former husband Mobin Malik owned a flat in knightsbridge london, and they had a house there. Her final two movies were Jatti da vair in 2000 and Ik dhee punjab di (Daughter of Punjab), they were a huge hit.