| Ishq-e-Laila | |
| Director: | Munshi Dil |
| Producer: | J.C. Anand |
| Screenplay: | Munshi Dil |
| Music: | Safdar Hussain |
| Distributor: | Eveready Pictures |
| Country: | Pakistan |
| Language: | Urdu |
Ishq-e-Laila is a 1957 Pakistani Urdu language fantasy romance film directed by Munshi Dil and produced by J.C. Anand. The film is primarily known for its blockbuster music by Safdar Hussain and lyrics by Qateel Shifai. It stars Sabiha Khanum, Santosh Kumar and Allaudin in the lead. In 2017, Lok Virsa Museum screened the film as part of special showcase of the feature films in the country.[1]
It talks about Layla and Majnun, a tragic love story by Nizami Ganjavi.[2] The film consists of twelve to fourteen songs, leading it to become the first and the only film of the Pakistani film industry with maximum number of songs recorded till century.[3] [4] The filmmakers are argued to have introduced central character in an informal manner, leading it to create a discrepancy between the film story and the poem. During the filming process, the protagonist actor appeared well dressed with a good physical appearance, contradict to the two lovers of the poem who appears in a poor health condition due to distress events experienced during their relationship span.[5]