Famous actor and comedian Lehri passed away after protracted illness in a private hospital of the city on Thursday morning.
Lehri, 83, remained admitted to several hospitals for treatment of chronic diabetes. He was admitted to a private hospital where he was taken off the ventilator, as his condition continually deteriorated. His body will be shifted to his residence in Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
His real name was Safirullah Siddiqui. Lehri is one of Pakistan’s greatest comedians who made his name in Urdu films. His film career started in the 1950s and lasted until the 1980s.
Lehri won the Nigar Award for around a dozen films. The late Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto provided him with a monthly stipend of Rs. 2,500 during her first tenure, which he continues to receive, though there has been no increase in the amount.
Lehri’s first film “Anokhi” was released in 1956, and his last production was Dhanak in 1986. The vast majority of his films have been in Urdu, though he did perform in a few Punjabi productions.
Grieving over the demise of Lehri, Qavi Khan said there is no one like Lehri; he was an institution in his self, adding he was unique in his style, “I have never seen the likes of him anywhere.”
