Sohail Rana


Sohail Rana is a Pakistani music composer for films and television. He was introduced by actor Waheed Murad in Pakistan film industry and gained popularity when singer Ahmed Rushdi sang his compositions in such films as Armaan and Doraha. He is now based in Canada.

Early life and career

Sohail Rana was born in Agra, British India, in the home of Urdu poets Mr.& Mrs.Rana Akbarabadi. The family moved to Pakistan soon after the independence of Pakistan in 1947. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Karachi through D.J. Science College initially. Later he received his final B.A. degree from National College, Karachi.
Sohail Rana learned music from various ustads and familiarised himself with the Eastern classical music and the Western music, which added to his experience. Sohail Rana was also musically inspired by veteran Indian film music director Naushad Ali. For 25 years, they wrote letters to each other. Naushad Ali also used to advise him on film music in those letters. Pakistani music director Feroze Nizami's film music also inspired him.

Notable films

The film Jab Se Dekha Hai Tumhain was Waheed Murad's second film as a producer and the musical debut of Sohail Rana.
Some other popular songs of his are Ko Ko Korina, Bay taab ho udhar tum, Jab pyar mein do dil miltay hain, Oont pay baitha mera munna, which were recorded by Ahmed Rushdi.
Sohail Rana composed the hit songs for the golden jubilee film, Heera Aur Pathar , released on 11 December 1964. The film completed 68 houseful weeks. The film became a musical hit, and Sohail Rana became a well-known name in the Pakistani film industry. The composition of Mujhay tum say mohabbat hai . It is an epic tale of broken hearts and broken dreams. The evergreen song Akele na jaana, with sixty five musicians then, the biggest orchestra ever gathered until then in Pakistani cinema. Further, Sohail Rana won the prestigious Nigar Award and Graduate awards for the best composer for the film Armaan.
By the mid-1960s, Sohail Rana had become a successful film composer. He contributed compositions for the film Ehsaan , released on 30 June 1967. The film attained Silver Jubilee with such favourite songs as Ik naye maur pay, Aye meri zindigi aye meray hum safar, Do akhian, ye do sakhian. The songs of the film Doraha were composed by him, and he was also the producer of the film. The famous tracks are Mujhay tum nazar say gira to rahay ho, Bhooli huwee hoon dastaan, Tumhain kaisay bata doon tum meri manzil ho.
Over the years, he composed for the nazms, Qasm us waqt ki, Jab zindigi karwat badalti hai also became a popular film song. Sohail Rana produced lilting music for Nigar Pictures Meray hum safar, released in 1972, three of its popular numbers are Wada karo milo gey and Tujh jaisa dagha baaz. Similarly, Tujhay apnay dil say mein kaisay bhula doon is one of the greatest hits from the film Shehnai.
From 1974 to 1976, Sohail Rana was appointed as the general manager National Orchestra, for Pakistan Television Corporation, based at Karachi center. His musical masterpieces are Sohni Dharti have become part and parcel of Pakistani culture. Likewise, Jeeway Pakistan and Mein Bhi Pakistan Hoon achieved tremendous success. Furthermore, he composed music for 2 MGD's held in 1975 and 1976 in Islamabad. Also in Islamabad in 1989 he composed music for SAF games games with 100 singers, 150 piece brass band and 35 piece orchestra.
Additionally, he devoted his time to compose over 2000 songs for children. His program for children were telecast from PTV for 19 years from 1968 to 1987, from Kaliyoan Ki Mala, to Sang Sang Chaltay Rehna.
Given below are the names of some of Sohail Rana's well-known students who attained fame for themselves in Pakistani media. Muhammad Ali Shahki, Amjad Hussain, Alamgir, Mona sisters, Benjamin Sisters, Adnan Sami, Wasim Baig, Nazia Hasan, Zohaib Hassan, Nazneen, Fatima Jaffrey, Anwar Ibrahim and Mehnaz. Sohail Rana released two cassettes of Na'at by Anwar Ibrahim Jaan-e-Madina vol. 1 and 2. Both of these cassettes contained the Naats and Humds by Sohail Rana's poet father Rana Akbarabadi.
The film Badal Aur Bijli was also a huge success, essentially due to his Bansi bajanay walay, Dheeray dheeray zara paoon utha, Aaj janay ki zid na karo. The Farida Khanum version has been used in an Indian film Monsoon Wedding. Besides RPG recording company also released an album in which two of his compositions "Aaj jaane ki zid na karo" and "Mujhey tum nazar se gira tau rahe ho" were also released.
Apart from that, Sohail Rana also composed music for the films, Phir chand niklay ga and Usay deikha Usay chaaha. He also served as Resident composer in PIA Arts Academy sponsored by Pakistan International Airlines from 1972 to 1974, where he conducted Ballet Heer Ranjha, composed and re-arranged music for folk dances and under the directorship of Zia Mohyeddin and with a team of eighty-eight dancers, musicians, singers, he toured the whole world performing in prestigious auditoriums and earned the appreciation of international audience.
Sohail Rana also composed the Summit Anthem Allah-O-Akbar, for Pakistan Television Corporation, in the voice of Mehdi Zaheer and a group of hundred singers, for the first Islamic Summit conference held in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1974.
Sohail Rana also gave music for the following films: Saughat, Dil Dekay Dekho, Dil Diwana, Shehnai and Baazi.In total he has composed music for about twenty-four movies. The film Hesaab which was released in 1986 happened to be the last movie for which Sohail Rana composed music. Three of those movies, Guriya, Pagal and Hulchul could not be released. However, popular numbers from the film Guriya and Hulchul'' are available on cassettes and vinyl Eps.
National Songs Singers
  1. Allah tera Shukr........................Young ambassadors
  2. Sohni Dharti Allah Rakhay Qadam Qadam Abaad Tujhe...........................Shehnaz Begum / Mehdi Hassan
  3. Jeevay Jeevay Pakistan...............…Shehnaz Begum
  4. Tera Pakistan hai yeh mera..............Amjad Hussain
  5. Mere chand sitaro.......................Manzoor Niazi and humnawa.
  6. Ik daali ke phool.......................Sohail Rana and young ambassadors
  7. Diyai jalayai rakhain...................Mona and young ambassadors
  8. Jagta rahiyo meray laal.................Young ambassadors.
  9. Tu hai des mera.........................Mona and young ambassadors
  10. Aye mere des............................Young ambassadors
  11. Yeh des humara hai......................Mona and young ambassadors
  12. Teri waadi waadi ghumoon................Anwar Ibrahim and young ambassadors
  13. Main bhi Pakistan hoon...............…Muhammad Ali Shehki / Wasim Baig
  14. Zameen ki goad..........................Mohammad Ifrahim
  15. Iqbal hamara............................Young ambassadors
  16. Mera dil hai Pakistan...................Mona and young ambassadors
  17. Mera des mera mahiya....................Anwar Ibrahim and young ambassadors
  18. Lehraata rahai parcham..................Mona / Rakhshanda
  19. Sooraj karay salaam.....................Sohail Rana and Mona
  20. Parcham hai chand tara...............…Tahira Syed
  21. Yeh pak sarzameen hai...................Mohammad Ifrahim
  22. Woh tamaam din..........................Nayyara Noor
  23. Aae Nigar-i-Watan tu Salamat rahe.........................Habib Wali Mohammad
  24. Unhain kaisay bhool jaoon...............Humaira Channa
  25. Sohna des humara sohna Pakistan.........Chorus
  26. Pak Cheen dosti.........................Chorus
  27. Dosti ka haath..........................Wasim Baig and chorus.
  28. Jaana likhoon ya jaan likhoon...........Akhlaq Ahmed
  29. Yeh jaan yehi pehchaan..................Nayyara Noor
  30. Meray des rahat rasaan..................Sohail Rana and young ambassadors
  31. Mera Pakistan Hai...........................Mona and young ambassadors

    Life in Canada

Sohail moved to Mississauga, Ontario in Canada in the early 1990s where he has opened a school for singers and musicians. In 1997, Punjabi playwright and director Atamjit Singh visited Canada and also directed his play 'Rishtiaan da Kee Rakhiye Naa' that is based upon Saadat Hasan Manto's well-known story Toba Tek Singh. Sohail Rana composed the music of this play that was sung live in Missisauga. The pain of the independence of Pakistan in 1947 was revisited jointly by the artistes and spectators of the two countries. Later Sohail Rana was honoured for his music. As of 2005, he was starting to perform live with interactive multi-media and gave series of concerts in Toronto, Canada involving artists from Pakistan and India. He made an appearance on the Geo TV special in 2009 Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo Sohail Rana was invited to Pakistan by GEO TV, where he, with the stars like Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, Fariha Pervez, Ahmed Jahanzeb, Ali Haider, Muhammad Ali Shahki, Humaira Channa, Sajjad Ali, along with an orchestra of 37 members presented his popular songs of yester-years.

Awards and recognition

He was also given the United Nations Peace Messenger Award, conferred on him, at the United Nations headquarters in New York in 1987.