REPORT
In memoriam: Moin Akhtar
the legend lives on
O
n 22nd April 2015 marks the fourth death anniversary of the multifaceted actor and comedian Moin
Akhtar, whose roles still resonate deeply with people.
Born on December 24, 1950 Moin Akhtar entered the
entertainment industry in 1966 when his parody act of
popular actor Muhammad Ali brought him into the limelight.After this there was no stopping Akhtar. His longstanding double act with writer Anwar Maqsood made
him an icon, and when Bushra Ansari joined them the
resulting comedy was matchless.Talking to Boom, actor
and present Napa Programmes Director Arshad Mehmood said of Moin Akhtar:“I knew him since a long time
and this would be enough to say that he was indeed a
huge artist but he was not just a great artist, he was a far
greater human being.”Acclaimed actor Samina Peerzada also shared her memories with the late comedian:“I
have worked with Moin in both theatre and TV and I had
an amazing time with him. He was truly an icon, a legend. There was nobody like him and there will be no one
like him. I truly miss him,” she said."He was an extremely
funny and he would always have a prank up his sleeve.
Ullu bohat banatay thay, and he would pull it in such a
serious way that anyone would fall for it," she added.In
an earlier interview Anwar Maqsood remembered him
as the ‘best star in a night sky’:“I have never seen such
a professional yet such a careless person in my life,”
he said.Reminiscing about him, the writer known for his
powerful satire had said that no actor could have done
what Moin did for him.“There are many good actors in
India and Pakistan. But I couldn’t find an actor like Moin,
neither in Pakistan nor in India.”Veteran actor Qazi Wajid also echoed similar thoughts in the same interview.
For him, Moin Akhtar was an extremely humble man
who never addressed him by taking his name. As for his
skills, Qazi Wajid said: “He was a master performer.”His
adaptability was undoubtedly his greatest strength: from
speaking fluent Urdu to English, Bengali, Hindi, Pashto,
Sindhi or Punjabi, Moin Akhtar could become anyone he
willed: he was a perfect behroopiya, an impersonator.
His acts were not only lauded in Pakistan but he was
admired in India as well by the likes of Dilip Kumar and
Amitabh Bachchan.He is famous for his impeccable performance in shows like 'Rozi', 'Half-Plate', and 'Family
93'. His theatre performance with Omer Sharif in ‘Bakra
Qiston Par’ and ‘Buddha Ghar Pe Hai’ is also remembered as one of the best stage-shows, as the genre has
seen a decline in recent years.He was last seen making
others chuckle in the popular show Loose-Talk which
saw faux interviews of Moin Akhtar by Anwar Maqsood
as he pulled on innumerable roles ranging from a labourer, politician, transvestite and even a dictator. It was
Loose-Talk which made sure that the newer generation
knew the art of being Moin Akhtar.Along with many accolades, he was conferred the Pride of Performance in
2012.Following a cardiac arrest, Moin Akhtar passed
away on April 22 2011 in his hometown, Karachi.
8 | BOOM