LAHORE: The 83rd birthday of Punjabi film superstar Sultan Rahi observed today. Peers of the fallen legend praised Rahi for his contribution to the local film industry, describing his time as the Golden Era for Lollywood.
The flag bearer of Punjabi cinema made his debut in 1959 with a supporting role in the film Bhaggi. Since then the actor has delivered hit after hit with films such as Wehshi Gujjar, Kayla Jatt, Ghulami, Moti Shair, Sher Khan, Godfather, Basheera, Kaley Chore, Mola Baksh and Rotti.
He remained the most popular Punjabi film hero during the 1970s and 1980s. Spanning four decades, Rahi has made 700 Punjabi films and over 150 Urdu films.
His name is mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most prolific actor.He has won around 150 awards including the Nigar Awards in 1971 and 1972.
His films were marked with diamond, platinum and silver jubilee awards.
The actor met his demise in 1996 when he was killed in a robbery attempt while travelling with his friend on Grand Trunk Road near Gujranwala.
Rahi is survived by his five children, one of whom is actor Haider Sultan.
