In 1966, Moin Akhtar was a comedian on television who played the roles of John F. Kennedy and Anthony Quinn, two well-known actors. His imitation prowess and comedic timing had the audience in stitches. Every time he appeared on the television screens, they were similarly surprised by his seemingly boundless brilliance.
Anwar Maqsood, a prolific humorist, and Bushra Ansari, a superb actress and mimic with equal talent and a perfect opposite, created a team with him. They assisted in Moin Akhtar's rapid rise to fame in Pakistan. Moin Akhtar was a guaranteed hit with audiences, whether he was appearing in television plays, introducing live transmissions, performing comedic skits, or performing stage shows, nearly 45 years after his debut on television.
The performing community and his audience both appreciated and respected Moin Akhtar. This applied not just to Pakistan but to every place where Urdu was spoken and understood. He was the programme hosts' first pick because of the flawless interviews he conducted with dignitaries and other celebrities. He got away with some bold questions and statements because to his mock humour and endearing charisma.
Presidents and prime ministers of Pakistan, notable performers like Dilip Kumar, Mohammad Ali, and Babra Sharif, as well as athletes like Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, and Jahangir Khan were among his guests. Other attendees included the King of Jordan.
Even legendary musicians like Madam Noor Jahan, Mehdi Hassan, Lata Mangeshkar, and Nazia Hassan were interviewed by him. His work on cult programmes including Eid Train, Studio Dhai (2.5), Studio Ponay Teen (2.75), Show Sha, Show Time, Yes Sir No Sir, and Bakra Qiston Pay (Goat on Instalments) left his fans impatiently expecting his next brilliant concept.
In Pakistani television history, his performance in Rosy, a PTV remake of Dustin Hoffman's Tootsie (1982), is regarded as classic. In the role of the title character, he impersonated a female actor to eventually receive his big break. The humorous twist in the events was very comical relief, but Rosy also had a deeper meaning. It revealed an actor's thirst for a significant part and the extent they will go to obtain one.
His performance was so enduring that when Senator Mushahid Hussain ran into the well-known actor Amir Khan during the First Asian Civilizations Dialogue, which was sponsored by Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, China, Amir Khan expressed how much he admired the late Moin Akhter. Amir Khan continued by calling Akhtar an extraordinarily gifted actor and mentioning Loose Talk in particular as a masterpiece.
According to rumors, Moin Akhter's family rejected Madame Tussauds' request to posthumously display a wax replica of him in their London Museum. In a strange way, Akhtar might be characterized as a public personality with a very private off-screen existence.Yet it was his keen sense of observation, his infinite imagination, and his ambition to create the ideal character that made him a man of a thousand faces and the source of a thousand smiles.
0 Comments