Umer excelled in the role of the fortune-teller and, despite being only 14 at the time, he managed to win a motorbike, a year’s supply of fuel and 5,000 rupees in cash in recognition of his performance. His talent landed him at the Adamjee Hall for a stage play where he was given the role of a Gujarati fortune-teller at the eleventh hour, after the original actor had to leave due to a family emergency. By the time he was in his teens, Umer was visiting theatres to watch stage shows and had started to mimic everyone in his neighbourhood - from passing beggars to neighbourhood goons and bullies, he spared absolutely no one.įor Umer Sharif, who passed away on October 2, spontaneity and ready wit were his best assets and he used them to change not only Urdu theatre and films, but also how comedy was consumed in the Subcontinent Being the youngest of his siblings, there were no restrictions on the young Umer, which helped cultivate his brilliant sense of humour and sharp wit. A comedy entertainer of Umer’s calibre was a rarity until then.īelonging to a lower-middle class family, Umer lost his father at the age of four. Born Muhammad Umer in Karachi eight years after Partition, he spent his formative years in Liaquatabad aka Lalukhet, the very locality that produced a number of national legends, including international hockey players, literatteurs and qawwals. The then unknown youngster went on to become Umer Sharif, the ‘King of Comedy’. ” As laughter and clapping filled the auditorium, the host was left quite speechless. ![]() The host asked the lad, “Aap drama writer hain, actor hain, director hain, producer hain, poet bhi hain, aakhir aap cheez kya hain ?” Pat came the reply, “Main tau nacheez hoon, cheez tu aap hain. Usually nervous, newcomers responded only briefly to Mehtab’s questions, who was young, dynamic and very attractive. The producer, Arfeen, introduced a lad in his early 20s to the show that brought fresh talent to the fore. Awarded with a Tamgha-e-Imtiaz for his cultural services, the comedian also won national prestige for direction and acting in 1992 via his film Mr 420.It was 1977 and Pakistan Television was recording an episode of the weekly show Farozan, hosted by Mehtab Channa (now Rashdi). His audio cassette recordings becoming available for the first time in 1980, with Sharif finding success later in 2009 through the popular late-night talk show The Shareef Show. ![]() Sharif’s stage plays such as Bakra Qistoon Pe and Buddha Ghar Pe Hai found immense success and catapulted Sharif into the comedy big leagues. ![]() The comedian, who had been undergoing treatment in Germany for heart and kidney ailments, succumbed to his illness at the age of 66 despite being flown abroad on priority by the government following a video request by Sharif. Credited with spreading laughter within Pakistan, as well as beyond its borders, Sharif’s loss is one that has sent reverberations across the entertainment industry. Veteran comedian Umer Sharif, with a career spanning over five decades and an influence to match, passed away on Saturday after a prolonged illness.
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