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wit, the delightful puns, the socio-politicallycharged repartee and the unforced acting with which they took many a
person (or situation) to the cleaners was unprecedented in the context
of Pakistan`s showbiz history.
Anwar Maqsood was so hurt and heartbroken by the loss of his dear friend
and colleague that he was not in a position to talk to the media about
the tragedy on Friday. All he could say was, “I was grief-stricken when
Pakistan was cut in half in 1971. I`m again in mourning in 2011 when
I`ve been cut in half.”
Moin Akhtar was not a highly educated man. He was not an uninformed or
ignorant individual either. He was aware of the sanctity of words.
That`s why one of his favourite comedians was film star Lehri.
He loved the way Lehri, without resorting to slapstick or risqué,
cracked jokes and witty one-liners. He didn`t emulate Lehri`s style;
what he did learn from him and inculcate in his art was decency and the
consciousness that he shouldn`t hurt anyone`s feelings on the pretext of
being funny.
Moin Akhtar himself had a long list of followers and disciples. Noted
comedian Umar Sharif was more of a colleague and admirer than follower.
On Akhtar`s death he said: “I had a good relationship with him.
I wrote a play for him in 1976 and ever since we became friends. I wrote
for him till 1990, and one of our plays Bakra Qiston Per was a huge hit.
We travelled together and had a great time.
He guided me a lot and was like a mentor to me. Whatever he taught me
helped me, and is still helping me, a great deal in my career. He was a
legend. His work will be seen, and learnt from, for as long as this
world exists.
“You see, he was a great human being, because only great human beings do
what he was meant to do. He was like a sheltering tree under which many
artistes grew. His contribution to showbiz is enormous. When he started
doing theatre, the stage business was all but dead. He revived it.”
Another aspect of Moin Akhtar`s life was that his art and personal
traits were appreciated in equal measure.
Actress Atiqa Odho said, “He was a wonderful person. He encouraged
juniors like me and treated them with affection. He maintained a
professional relationship with them. He`s left us a bit too soon; I
don`t expect to see another Moin Akhtar in our lifetime. He had
God-gifted talents which cannot be replicated.”
Actor Khaled Anam said, “It`s a great loss. It`s an untimely death. He
had a lot more to offer. He was still very young. I`m no-one to comment
on his art, but the best thing I liked about him was that he was as a
great human being.
I`d known him for a long time. He used to spend a lot of time with us
when we did plays for Gripps Theatre. He was always in the process of
learning.
Another important thing that people don`t realise is that he did a lot
for the welfare of other artistes. He did many shows for Lehri sahib and
Munir Husain and some others without damaging their self-esteem.”
Actress Ayesha Alam said, “I never had the good fortune to work with him
but I`d met him on some occasions. He was an extremely polite and
warm-hearted person. He`ll be hard to replace.”
Moin Akhtar contributed to the lives of millions of people by making
them smile and laugh. His body may have left this mortal world. His soul
will survive like the rich body of his work.
Moin Akhtar at His Best
More on Moin Akhtar
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