Best Theatre Artist of Pakistan 

Written by Rafay Shareef

In the olden days there was a golden period of theatre where people used to witness the original content and the real meaning of art. Theatre was one of the sources for arts and entertainment to flourish and it was considered to be the origin of the entertainment industry.
Theatre culture started in 1850’s during the colonial rule of British Empire. The plays and theatrical performances were not accepted due to some religious reasons by the Muslims. But with the passage of time it became the national heritage in 1990’s. It was the time when Pakistani Urdu theatre was on boom and was competing with English plays and dominated the country’s entertainment industry. In this era, we were lucky enough to have many phenomenal artists who performed and entertained us through their talents. We have gathered here some of the big names from the theatre industry whom this industry will never forget.  

Moin Akhtar: A God gifted actor who started his career at the age of 13 at a theatre play Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Initially, he did several theatre plays and made his name in the industry. After working for so many years in theatre he first appeared in media industry. He rose to prominence for his performance in drama Rosy. He then teamed up with Anwar Maqsood and Bushra Ansari for Loose Talk and Fifty Fifty respectively. He is famous for his versatility in roles as you can see his brilliant acting in Loose Talks. His famous dramas include Fifty Fifty, Loose Talk and his theatrical film Eid Train, Aangan Tera gained him immense success. He is the king the Urdu comedy and many people praise him for his humorous comedy. Akhtar has set a legacy of episodes of comedy show Loose Talk which is still considered to be the best comedy talk show ever made in the history of Pakistan. Akhtar is the pioneer of the comedy shows in Pakistan and one of the most versatile and down to earth personality our industry could ever have. He was awarded with Pride of Performance and Sitara-e-Imtiaz for his work in the industry. 

Aman Ullah: Pakistan has witnessed the best comedians in the history. What keeps Aman Ullah in the league of the best comedians of the sub-continent is his true dedication towards his work. He was not just a comedian but also a teacher, mentor to many across the globe. His plays include Begum Dish Antenna, Disco Deewaney, Muhabbat CNG, UPS and many more. He also holds a record of 860-day night theatre plays. He worked in films, stage shows and as well as reality shows such as KhabarnaakMazaaq Raat, Khabarzar and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. The legendary comedian died on 6th March 2020, and left us all sad. 

Umer Sharif:  A Living Legend, Umar Sharif is a Pakistani comedian, actor, writer, director, producer and was known for his comedy style. He is considered to be the greatest comedian of all time around the sub-continent. He started his career at an early age of 14 as a stage performer. Bakra Qistoon Pe and Buddha Ghar Pe Hai are such plays which became the reason of his success. He has also hosted a show, “The Sharif Show” in which he interviewed famous personalities. His theatre work includes Nayee Ammi Purana Abba, Samad Bond 007, Salam Karachi, Mamu Mazak Mat Karo, Umar Sharif Haazir Hou and many more. He has received many awards including Best Actor and Best Director National Awards. 

Anwar Maqsood: He set the trend of comedy talk shows in the initial era of the entertainment industry. He is renowned for his humorous and satire comedy and is one of the best satirists, humorist and actor of all time. His talk show “Loose Talk” was popular all over the world and people have learnt a lot from his show. In the field of writing, no one even came close to him. His plays and dramas are known for genuine content and always ends up with a message or some satire. His plays like Show Time, Fifty Fifty, Half Plate, Studio DhaaiPauny 14 August, and Siachen are all those plays which received critical acclaim nationally. Anwar Maqsood’s achievements include Pride of Performance by Government of Pakistan, Hilal-e-Imtiaz by President of Pakistan and 2 Lifetime Achievement Awards at Hum TV Awards and Pakistan Media Awards. 

Haseena Moin: A writer and dramatist who gained international recognition through her plays. She is considered to be one of the best playwrights Pakistan has ever witnessed. She penned down some legendary dramas such as AnkahiTanhaaiyaanDhoop KinarayDhund and Parosi. Other outstanding plays include Bandish, Zeir Zabr PeishDhundle Raaste. Her play Gurya even received an award at the Global TV Festival in Tokyo. She was the very first writer of Colour-TV drama of Pakistan, Parchaaiyaan. She was the first writer of Pakistan who was offered to write for a Bollywood film, Henna. She is also a holder of the Pride of Performance Award. 

Pakistan has been blessed with such great artists in the field of theatre. Pakistan’s entertainment industry is indebted for their contribution towards the industry. Pakistan’s future looks bright, however there are still some hurdles to overcome but nothing that can’t be taken care of.