Saiqa is one of the few films from Lollywood that has been based on a popular local novel. Razia Butt has adapted the screenplay from the novel for the big screen and her efforts proved a resounding success. The producer of the film was Shamim Ara herself, who not only thus grabbed one of the meatiest ever roles (for a woman) but also displayed a canny business sense which was to see her carry on as a producer director after her days as a screen siren were over.

Shot in black and white, the story of Saiqa is very much a Cinderella tale given the local desi treatment. The film is an old fashioned, gharelu (family) drama with the focus of attention being the family home and its inhabitants. In the beginning we are introduced to wealthy Nawab Sahib (Talish) and his extended family who lord it up in their summer home somewhere up in the hilly regions near what looks like Murree. The family is thrown into turmoil when it is discovered that one of the elder sons is set on marrying a simple village girl Naji (Shamim Ara) rather than his cousin Fawzia, the girl who the family had chosen as his bride. The Nawab has a fit of rage and excommunicates the son (Darpan) who then goes and gets married to Naji in defiance of his family's wishes.

Later the Nawab falls terribly ill and Darpan is sent for but told by his mother specifically not to bring his village wife along to the family home. Again Darpan refuses to accept the condition and Naji is brought along to a house where she is loathed by everyone except for one benign Aunt who had lost her husband to some tragedy and is the picture of benevolence. Naji is treated in the most ghastly manner by all and sundry and threatened with a pistol by the evil Fawzia who claims that she will murder Darpan unless Naji run away - Fawzia being the one who Darpan jilted. Naji's life is made intolerable and she attempts to commit suicide by plunging into a river from a cliff top……..upon hearing of her death, Darpan follows her to her grave completing the tragedy. Yet, this all happens after Naji had delivered a baby daughter……..the day poor old Nawab Sahib kicked the bucket and so the poor newly born is dubbed manhoos (bad luck) and is treated even worse than her poor mother had been.

Wherever Saiqa goes she is cold shouldered, excluded from all family events, treated like a leper and always the butt of every vicious and snide remark. Her life is an utter misery and she gets her only sympathy from a shrivelled old ayah who has been employed by her one benefactor, her kindly aunt Anjum. Even Mohammad Ali, the one person Saiqa (the daughter, again played by Shamim Ara) looks to for sympathy is cold, distant and downright nasty to her whenever she encounters him. Then one day after Mohammad Ali has been particularly vicious to Saiqa for no apparent reason Lehri his sidekick and buddy brings it to his attention just how unforgivably appalling his behaviour towards Saiqa was. Gradually, at Lehri's constant goading, Mohd Ali realizes how horrendous Saiqa's existence has been made at the hands of his entire family, including himself and he decides to pursue her to tell her just how wretched and repentant he feels.

Meanwhile his aunt Fawzia is planning on getting her own daughter Sameera (Zamurud) married to Mohd Ali but as his feelings for Saiqa become deeper he rejects Sameera thus we are back to the same scenario when Darpan rejected Fawzia and married the rejected village belle in defiance. Now we have Mohd Ali rejecting Fawzia's daughter in order to get married to the despised unlucky Saiqa! All hell threatens to break loose as Fawzia and her cohorts plan to destroy Saiqa once and for all….and things build to a thrilling climax………will Fawzia and her schemes hold sway and destroy Saiqa as they did her mother Naji before her or will Mohd Ali be strong enough to face up the elders of his family and make them see that their treatment of Saiqa is wrong. There is a terrific showdown with Mohd Ali delivering one of his wonderfully soul stirring speeches……all passion (and hot air), vigour and martyrdom……..he pleads with his family as he drops to his knees…."Khatm kar do mujhe"…"kill me off" as his body quivers with sheer emotion! Powerful stuff indeed, however the evil aunt Fawzia (brilliantly played by Nabila) still doesn't give up and goes to fetch her trusty pistol, the one she had threatened Naji with all those years ago.

Director Laeeq Akhter keeps an ace up his sleeve and the film has one final fabulous twist in its tail before it ends in thoroughly satisfactory manner. The film was a triumph way back in 1969 when it was released on September 20th all over the country to resounding business. The simple, family oriented story, the refreshing lack of violence, the excellent supporting cast as well as the charming lead pair won the day in a massive landslide of success. The film went on to sweep as many as 9 Nigar Awards (the only major award in those days) and was a phenomenal hit of its era. Shamim Ara's career soared to unprecedented heights even though age was beginning to start catching up on her. Mohammad Ali turns in a typically overwrought performance…..but full of charm and charisma even if the scenes of him during the song Ae Baharo Gawah Rehna are rather hysterical as he is constantly pulling and tugging at his wig to make sure it doesn't fly off in what looks like a fairly stiff breeze. He doesn't appear to use the wig in any of the indoor scenes and thus we have a several moments where Mohd Ali's hairline ebbs and flows a little bit like the tide!

Lehri is excellent in his role as the comic sidekick - wonderfully deadpan as he rattles of his witticisms one after the other. The delightful thing is that his quips and one-liners are indeed witty and bereft of cheap double entendre which is so much the hallmark of local comedy. The film is high melodrama, brimming with typically overwrought and overcooked emotions and tragedy………very much a desi Cinderella story, but it works due several factors. The acting is largely top notch, the songs, especially the above mentioned tune in Ahmed Rushdie and Mala's voice and Mehdi Hassan's Ek Sitam Aur Meri Jaan were hugely popular. The director has managed to keep the film from dragging (a miracle in itself) and his ability to avoid cheapness and vulgarity (much as though we cherish those elements in Lollywood film making) is commendable.

Saiqa retains its place among the finest films ever to have come out of Lollywood - it may not be a masterpiece but it comes across as a breath of fresh air and watching it in 2001 was just as enjoyable as watching it all those years ago when it was nothing short of a craze at local cinemas.