Moin Akhter

Moin Akhter (also: "معین اختر" Moin Akhtar), (24 December 1950 – 22 April 2011) was a Pakistani television, film and stage artist, humorist, comedian, impersonator, host, writer, singer, director and producer who rose to fame in the era of Radio Pakistan along with his co-actors Anwar Maqsood and Bushra Ansari. He became an icon through his screen persona "Rozi" and is considered to be a one-of-a-kind parodist and the king of Urdu comedy.[3] His career spanned more than 45 years, from childhood in the Radio Pakistan era to work of great renown on television, film and stage until a year before his death in 2011.[4]

Moin Akhter
معین اختر

SI PP
معین اختر
Moin Akhter
Born(1950-12-24)24 December 1950[1]
Karachi, Federal Capital Territory, Pakistan
Died22 April 2011(2011-04-22) (aged 60)
Karachi, Pakistan
NationalityPakistani
OccupationTv host • writer • singer • film director • film producer • comedian
Years active1966–2011
AwardsPride of Performance (1996)[1]
Sitara-e-Imtiaz (2011)[2]
Pride of Performance Award Recipient
Date14 August 1996
CountryPakistan
Presented byPrime Minister Nawaz Sharif

Early life

Akhter was born in Karachi, Pakistan.

His father Muhammad Ibrahim Mehboob, who died at the age of 92, a few months following Akhter's death, was born in Muradabad, in the modern-day state of Uttar Pradesh in India, and, after the 1947 partition, settled in Karachi, where he "passed his life in his own printing press and as a contractor in the garments business."[5]

Akhter was fluent in several languages, including English, Bengali, Sindhi, Punjabi, Memoni, Pashto, Gujarati and Urdu.[6]

Career

Early career

Akhter started his acting career as child actor at the age of 13. He played the character of Shylock in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice in theatre.[6]

Akhter's sense of humour was highly dynamic and versatile. He made his television debut on 6 September 1966, in a variety show on Pakistan Television (PTV) to celebrate the first Defence Day of Pakistan.[6] He started as a comedian in 1966 by impersonating the Hollywood actor Anthony Quinn and mimicked one of the former USA's president John F Kennedy’s speeches. He has performed several roles in television stage shows, later teamed with Anwar Maqsood and Bushra Ansari.[2]

Rozi

Akhter rose to the national spotlight and gathered critical acclaim for his performance in the drama Rozi (1990) in which he played the role of a female TV artist. Rozi was an Urdu adaptation of the Hollywood movie Tootsie starring Dustin Hoffman. He called it one of his favourite on-screen characters that he had played.[1] Rozi was written by Imran Saleem and directed by Saira Kazmi.

Talk shows

In the talk-show Loose Talk, which began in 2002 on ARY Digital, he appeared as a different character in each episode with a total of over 400 episodes interviewed by the TV host Anwar Maqsood, who was also the writer of the programme. Akhter also briefly hosted the game show Kya Aap Banaingay Crorepati?, the Pakistani version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He hosted shows involving major personalities and performed on stage alongside Indian legends including Dilip Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and Madhuri Dixit.[2]

Television drama serials

Akhter acted in several films, sitcoms and dramas, and hosted many TV talk shows, including:[6]

Television Title Genre
PTV Rozi[1] TV serial
PTV Eid Train Theatrical film
PTV Studio Dhai Sketches
PTV Studio Pony Teen Sketches
NTM Studio Char Bees Sketches
PTV Show Time TV drama
PTV Show Sha TV drama
PTV Yes Sir No Sir Talk show
PTV Apka Anwer Maqsood Stage show
PTV Moin Akhter Show Talk show
PTV Such Much Sitcom
ARY Digital Loose Talk Talk show
PTV Half Plate TV show
PTV Family-93 TV show
PTV Fifty Fifty Sketch comedy
TV One Mirza Aur Hameeda TV drama
PTV Hello Hello TV show
PTV Intezar Farmaye TV show
PTV Dollar Man TV show
PTV Makan No 47 TV drama
PTV Bandar Road Sey Kemari TV drama
PTV Aangan Terha Sitcom
PTV Baby TV drama
PTV Rafta Rafta TV drama
PTV Guum TV drama
TV One Hariyale Banney TV drama
Geo Tv Kuch Kuch Such Much Sitcom
Geo Tv Such Much Ki Eid Sitcom telefilm
Geo Tv Such Much Ka Election Sitcom telefilm
ARY Digital Kya Aap Banaingay Crorepati? Game Show
NTM Nokar Key Agey Chaaker TV drama
PTV Choun Chan Ahoo TV drama
PTV Kia Bane Baat TV drama
PTV Bakra Qiston Pe[6] TV comedy show

Host

He hosted shows with invited dignitaries including King Husain of Jordan, Prime Minister of Gambia Dawoodi Al-Joza, Presidents Zia-ul-Haq, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, General Yahya Khan and Pervez Musharraf (Akhter mimicked the president in his presence), Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and the legendary Indian film actor Dilip Kumar.

Songs and albums
Album – Tera Dil Bhi Yun Hi Tadpe
  • "Chhorr Ke Jaane Wale"
  • "Choat Jigar Pe Khai Hai"
  • "Ro-Ro Ke De Raha Hai"
  • "Tera Dil Bhi Yun Hi Tadpe"
  • "Dard Hi Sirf Dil Ko Mila"
  • "Dil Ro Raha Hai"
  • "Hoten Hai Bewafa"

Death and legacy

Akhter died on 22 April 2011 at about 4:30 pm in Karachi after suffering a heart attack. He was survived by his wife, three daughters and two sons.[1] Funeral prayers for Akhter were offered in Tauheed Masjid near his residence. Thousands of people attended the funeral prayer which was led by Junaid Jamshed.[7] Many Bollywood actors paid tribute to Akhter including Johnny Lever, Javed Akhtar, Javed Jaffrey and Shatrughan Sinha.[8]

The world-famous wax museum Madame Tussauds has expressed a wish to include a waxwork of Moin Akhter in its London museum.[9] If the statue is eventually made, it will be the first of its kind for any Pakistani entertainer.[1]

Awards and nominations

See also

References
  1. "Interesting facts about Moin Akhter on his 5th death anniversary". The News Tribe. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  2. Rafay Mahmood (23 April 2011). "Moin Akhtar: Greatest loss to laughter". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  3. "I'm a huge fan of Moin Akhtar: Aamir Khan". The Express Tribune. 16 May 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  4. "Fourth death anniversary of Moin Akhtar being observed today". Dunya News. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  5. Sohail Khattak (23 December 2011). "Transitions: The late Moin Akhtar's father passes away". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  6. "Moin Akhtar: in our hearts and minds". Dawn News. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
  7. "Moin Akhtar laid to rest in Karachi". Pakwatan.com. Retrieved 4 November 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2016
  8. "Bollywood stars tribute to Moin Akhtar". YouTube.
  9. "Moin Akhtar's family says no to Tussauds?". The Express Tribune. 13 October 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  10. "Moin Akhtar Interview by Shiraz Mithani- Dallas, TX in April 1996". 22 April 2011. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2016 – via YouTube.
  11. "Birthday Anniversary of the Multi-Talented Moin Akhter". Bol News.
  12. "PTV World Awards", PTV (News), archived from the original on 18 January 2022, retrieved 22 February 2022
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