Saleem Shehzad

Shehzad was born in March 1945, in Ajmer, British India. His family migrated to Karachi, Pakistan after the partition in 1947. His father Azeem Prem Raagi was a poet who wanted his son to be a singer. Shehzad got his early music training from Ustaad Baray Ghulam Ali Khan who was residing in Lahore.[1][2]

Shehzad's career as a playback singer started with a song sung for the film, "Savera", released in 1959. In 1962, he won a film competition that was held to select singers for a movie, "Hum Ek Hein" in Lahore. His first song, "Onchay Onchay Mehalon Mein Dekho", was penned by Fayyaz Hashmi and composed by M. Ali Sharif. In 1964, he was offered a job at Radio Pakistan, Lahore, where he served for the next eighteen years and recorded over two thousand songs, ghazals, and Na'ats.[1][2]

In 1964, the composer Sohail Rana picked Shehzad as a playback vocalist for his film, "Heera Aur Pathar". In the film, Shehzad sang a duet, along with Talat Siddiqui, "Mujhay Ik Larky Se Piyar Ho Gaya", that became a hit of the time. His other hit song, "Mohabbat Ke Diye Jala Lo", came from the movie, "Aslam o Alaikum" in 1969. In 1976, he recorded a song, "Piyar Ki Yaad Nigahon Mein Sajaye Rakhna", for the film "Talash", that later became his identity. His last movie as a playback singer was Moeen Akhtar's "Mr. K2", which was released in 1995.[1][2]

Shehzad lives in Karachi and gives music lessons to young singers at his home.[1] In 2021, he almost lost his eye sight due to a mistreated ocular disease.[3][4]

Shehzad sang 23 songs for 19 Urdu film:[5]