On September 6, 1966, a variety show was being held in Karachi in connection with Defence Day. There were numerous artists who performed and presented their items. A skinny young boy in his 20s also stepped up to the stage and began his act.
He began with sound effects, something he was so good at that the audience was left awestruck. Then he went on to daringly copy the voice and gestures of various Pakistani luminaries, including renowned actor Muhammad Ali.
The audience, amid deafening demands of an encore, knew that this was a promising young man, someone who could bewitch his audience and captivate them in an instant. On April 22, 2011, Moin Akhtar, who was that young boy, passed away and left the entire nation saddened and in the grip of a sweet nostalgia.
Today and always, Akhtar will be remembered as a legend, who had decades of comedy productions remembered only by his name. Akhtar had always been highly talented, and his hard work ensured that he was doing very well early in his career. His voice held the power to make people laugh, and he is personally remembered for his singular appearance and his etiquette.
Between 1966 and 1975, Moin performed in hundreds of shows. In the 1970s, he became a face everyone knew. Fans remember Moin’s true legacy: his own brand of comedy that centred on excellent mimicry.
A magnetic stage presence and fans such as Dilip Kumar brought international acclaim to this dynamic comedian of Pakistan.
What more could Akhtar wish for, when the greatest Indian actor, Dilip Kumar, said: “Moin Akhtar’s great artistry is worth copying.” In the early eighties, he achieved tremendous success as the host of a show held in Dubai. There is probably no sphere in Pakistani society that Moin Akhtar has not managed to imitate successfully in his acting and his parody.
From the role of a poor beggar to the character of the highest ranking bureaucrat, Moin has represented every kind of person in his acts. Moin found a perfect unanimity of tone with his colleagues, particularly Shoaib Mansoor and Anwer Maqsood. He also did several shows with Umar Shareef.
From Pilot Yaqoob of “Buddha ghar per hai?” to Seth Manzoor Danawala of “Such Much”, his ability to devote unswerving attention to his task produced gave him a level of success that is every artist’s dream. His parodies in English, Urdu, Sindhi, Bengali, Punjabi, Memon, Pushto, Gujrati and many other languages and dialects distinguish him from all other entertainers. His skill did not stop there, for in a wildly popular drama serial, Akhtar actually portrayed a woman by the name of “Miss Rosy”.
Few could have pulled off such a role with such remarkable success. Akhtar was suffering from a cardiac condition, and finally died of a heart attack yesterday in Karachi. The actor had received Pride of Performance awards and a Sitara-e-Imtiaz for his work. Born on December 24, 1950, Akhtar was also an accomplished playwright, singer, film director and producer.
Ahson Talish, who worked with him in several plays for ARY TV channel, told Pakistan Today that Akhtar was a very cultured, decent and polite person and extremely simple and modest. “I cannot even begin to tell you about Moin, and how wonderful he was… I learned a lot from him in whatever my collaboration with him was.
He was so talented that it was impossible to ever overpower him with you own talent,” said Talish, in a somber voice. “I always found Moin bhai very friendly towards everyone he met, and although he was twice my age, he never let that stop him from being friendly towards me.” Talish said Akhtar had collapsed in the bathroom and died instantly, and the family only took him to a hospital to confirm his death.
“An entire chapter of comedy and mimicry is now over in Pakistan’s entertainment industry,” said Talish. “Moin bhai can never be replaced.” Veteran actress and comedian Bushra Ansari, never known to be a woman of few words, was unusually quiet as she told Pakstan Today that she could not even begin to think of how to express herself. “All I can say is that we have lost a great friend, a very dynamic colleague, and there is simply no scale with which we can even begin to measure our loss,” she said, grief-stricken and weeping slightly as she remembered one of her oldest colleagues in the industry.
