No story of Lollywood is complete without Shahnoor Studios, founded by the legendary playback singer Noor Jehan (The Malika-e-Taranum, or Queen of Melody) and her director-husband, Shaukat Hussain Rizvi. Following the 1947 partition, the couple migrated from Bombay to Lahore, determined to build a film industry from scratch.
Here is an inside look at the forgotten lore, the bustling golden years, and the shifting tides of Lollywood’s studio culture. The Golden Backlots of Evernew and Shahnoor lollywood studio stories
, it was the first studio to be "restored" in 1948 after being abandoned during Partition. Shahnoor Studios No story of Lollywood is complete without Shahnoor
: Early productions at Kardar's studio were heavily dependent on natural light, meaning filming could only occur during the day. The Golden Backlots of Evernew and Shahnoor ,
At Shahnoor Studios, night shift watchmen consistently reported hearing the faint, isolated sound of a woman practicing her vocal scales ( riyaaz ) coming from the historic recording booths long after the power had been cut for the night. The voice was always described as hauntingly beautiful, mimicking the classical style of the early playback queens. The Changing Room Apparition
Yet, this vanity was balanced by an intense loyalty to the crew. When a film was a hit, top stars like Nadeem or Sultan Rahi were known to quietly pay off the debts of the studio’s spot boys, light operators, and camera assistants, ensuring the studio family was taken care of.