As the year comes to
end, let’s not forget to pay tribute to the prominent people that made a
difference with their contributions to the media or fashion industry.
Although they have
passed on, they will always be remembered as the heroes of our country and the
faces that have represented Pakistan all over the world. The Express Tribune
brings you artists that lost their lives in the year 2012.
Mehdi Hassan Khan
(1927-2012) - Ghazal singer/playback singer
The “King of Ghazal”
was his title, as he was awarded by the Indian and Pakistani government for his
songs. He was one of the leading singers in the Pakistani film industry along
with Ahmed Rushdi. Some of his awards include Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance
and Hilal-e-Imtiaz. Khan passed away in a private hospital on June 13, 2012.
Tahira Wasti (1944 —
2012) - Actor
She started her TV
career with the drama Jaib Qatra in 1968, based on a novel by Saadat Manto. She
was best known for her role of Isabella of Castile in the drama Shaheen. Wasti
was married to an actor and English newscaster Rizwan Wasti. At the age of 68,
she died of a natural cause on March 11.
Tamanna Begum (1937–
2012) - Actor
At the age of 75,
Tamanna Begum passed away due to a prolonged illness. After she started her
career in Radio Pakistan, she soon moved on to theatre and films and in later
age to TV dramas. She was a seasoned actor and a very prominent face in the
media industry.
Hajra Masroor (1930 —
2012) - Feminist Urdu writer
Not many people know
she was engaged to Urdu poet Sahir Ludhianvi but he called it off after she
corrected his pronunciation in a literary gathering. She was married to the
editor of daily Dawn and has written famous stories likeChand Ke Doosri Taraf
and Tisri Manzil. She received the Pride of Performance award for best writer
in 1995. Masroord died on September 15.
Faizan Peerzada
(1958-2012) - Producer/director/puppeteer
Peerzada was a devoted
puppeteer and artist, who began his career at his father’s Rafi Theatre
Workshop in 1977. He also introduced Sim Sim Hamara, the Urdu rendition to
Sesame Street in 2011 in collaboration with USAID. Peerzada suffered a heart
attack and died on December 20.
Iqbal Bahu (1947 —
2012) - Sufi singer
Bahu’s most famous for
Baba Bulley Shah’s kalams Alaf Allah Chumbay Dee Booti and Maain Ne Main Kino
Aakhan. He was awarded the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by the government of Pakistan in
2008 for his singing. Bahu passed away at the age of 65 in Lahore due to heart
problems.
Ibrahim Nafees (1956 —
2012) - Actor
Renowned film,
television and theatre actor started his career with Kanwari Bewa and worked in
in over 200 films. He was ill for almost three years and passed away on May 21.
Some of his famous films include Heera aur Pathar, Doraha, and Inteqam Kay
Sholay.
Obaidullah Baig (1936 —
2012) - Eminent scholar/Urdu writer/novelist/columnist/documentary filmmaker
Baig is most famous for his quiz show Kasauti, which he started with Iftikhar Arif in the ‘70s, and Ghazi Salahuddin in the ‘90s. He started his career at Radio Pakistan in 1961 and moved to television in 1964. His award winning documentaries include Game Warden, Lakes of Sindh and Wildlife in Sindh. He was 76-years-old when he passed away in June 22.
Baig is most famous for his quiz show Kasauti, which he started with Iftikhar Arif in the ‘70s, and Ghazi Salahuddin in the ‘90s. He started his career at Radio Pakistan in 1961 and moved to television in 1964. His award winning documentaries include Game Warden, Lakes of Sindh and Wildlife in Sindh. He was 76-years-old when he passed away in June 22.
Samina Raja (1961 —
2012) - Urdu poet/writer/translator
In 1998, Raja joined
the National Book Foundation as a consultant and edited the monthly magazine
until 2005. She was also an editor for Mustaqbil, Aasar, and Khwabgar, in her
last 15 years. She lost her battle to cancer on October 31 in Islamabad.
Safirullah Siddiqui aka
Lehri (1929 -2012) - Actor/comedian
Known as Lehri in the
Pakistani film industry, Siddiqui was everyone’s most adored comedian on
screen. He had his own style of converting script into sarcastic and spontaneous
dialogue. After his retirement, ex Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto set up a
monthly allowance of Rs2,500 which he received until he died on September 13.
Zubair Abbasi (1948 —
2012) - Playwright/journalist
Abbasi started his
professional career as a journalist for various publications and then moved on
to writing plays for television. He has been appreciated for his writings on
social issues. Some of his famous works include Nisf Sadi, Haar Jeet and Meher-e-Neem
Shab. Abbasi was ill for a few years, and died on January 17.
Sikandar Sanam (1960 —
2012) - Stage artist/singer/actor/comedian
Known as the artist who
redefined the art of on-stage mimcry, Sanam became popular internationally in
the last few years. The comedian was fighting liver cancer since September, and
lost his battle on November 5.
Published in The Express Tribune,
January 1st, 2013.
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