Javed Jabbar is a Pakistani writer, filmmaker, and politician.
Early Life and Education
Jabbar’s father, Ahmed Abdul Jabbar, worked for the state of Hyderabad before moving to Pakistan after India annexed the state. His mother, Zain Mahal Khursheed, was an accomplished Sitarist. Jabbar attributes his passion for art and literature to both of them.
Jabbar enrolled in the Humanities section of St Patrick’s High School, Karachi, in 1961; he credited Principal D’Arcy D’Souza with persuading his father to transfer him from the Commerce section, where he had previously been enrolled. Jabbar began his undergraduate studies in International Relations at the University of Karachi in 1963. During his academic years, he was a well-known face of the theatre circuit.
Career
Advertisements, Documentaries, and Films
Jabbar chose to work in advertising rather than journalism because the possibility of making money was greater. He later directed almost 300 advertisements. Mohenjo Daro: The City That Must Not Die was a documentary produced by Jabbar for Pakistan Television (PTV) in 1972. It received a national prize as well as the Silver Prize at the Asian Film Festival in Shiraz, Iran. In addition, he has directed ten additional documentaries.
Beyond the Last Mountain, Pakistan’s first English-language feature film was written and directed by him in 1976. Ramchand Pakistani, an Urdu drama film directed by his daughter, was written and produced by him in 2008. The plot revolves around the experiences of a Pakistani Dalit Hindu who crossed the border into India.
Politics
Under Zia-ul-Haq’s martial rule, Jabbar successfully ran for the four seats reserved for technocrats in the Pakistan Senate in 1985. He was re-elected in 1997 and served as Minister of State for Information in Musharraf’s cabinet before resigning in 2000. In 2003, he attempted to be re-elected but received no proposers.
Books
He wrote a biography of Benazir Bhutto in 2021.
Personal Life
Jabbar is married to Shabnam. They have a son named Kamal and a daughter named Mehreen Jabbar, who is a film producer and director.