News Desk |
Qazi Wajid, a veteran actor of Pakistan’s entertainment industry passed away at the age of 87, after succumbing to cardiac illness in a hospital in Karachi on Sunday, February 11th, 2018.
The actor suffered cardiac unrest and was shifted to the hospital on Saturday night and later passed away in the afternoon the following day. The actor has left a wife, daughter, and grandchildren behind him.
A huge number of people from different walks of the life attended the actor’s funeral including actors like Qavi Khan, Jawed Sheikh, Adnan Siddiqui, Behroz Sabzwari, Ayaz Khan and Shahzad Raza.
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Qazi Wajid was a revered name of Pakistan’s entertainment industry. Wajid was among the few names that served the industry for more than five decades. He began his career at the age of 13, as a child artist in radio programs, back in the 1950’s.
He was then part of numerous popular radio shows like ‘Qazi Jee’, ‘Hamid Mian Kay Haan’, and the super popular ‘Naunehal’. Qazi Wajid, then worked extensively to establish the newly-evolved entertainment industry after the inception of PTV in the country.
He worked in several theatre plays that were aired on PTV including ‘Mirza Ghalib Bandar Road Par’ and ‘Taleem-i-Baalighan’ in the late 1960’s. Qazi Wajid became an indispensable name in the cast for all the popular drama serials that were produced on PTV.
Qazi Wajid exhibited his finest skills in contrasting characters. He performed in the following plays. ‘Khuda Ki Basti’, ‘Dhoop Kinaray’, ‘Ankahi’, ‘Hawwa Ki Beti’, ‘Aangan Terha’. His performances were such that he slowly became an unforgettable actor.
Except for his role in ‘Hawa Ki Beti’ as an antagonist father, he usually played a modest father in plays like ‘Dhoop Kinaray’ and ‘Ankahi’.
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Renowned film star Javed Sheikh was grieved on the death of a magnificent actor. He said that Qazi Wajid had been his mentor since his early days in the industry.
“Qazi Wajid was a great personality, a dedicated actor, and a lovable human being. I can’t express how sophisticated a personality he had, and I don’t think someone like him is going to be born in this country again.”
Behroz Sabzwari was speechless on coming to know of Wajid’s death. “Our association goes back about 50 years. He had a big role in my achievements, my character, and growth. He taught me how to talk and how to say the dialogues,” he said.
“He had been my teacher, my friend, my elder brother, and even like my father. It’s a big loss and I was shocked to hear about his passing,” said Sabzwari
Famous writer Anwar Maqsood titled him the ‘finest human being’.
He said, “As far as his work is concerned, he had a great voice which aided him in radio and later on in TV plays. He had been a part of my international shows for the last 35 years. He even inspired a lot of new actors working today in the industry and would always correct their dialogue delivery, mentor them and help them improve.”
Reminiscing about his old friend, Maqsood said, “He would always say we were the same age and now after his death, I got to know that he was born in 1930 and I was 10 years younger than him.” He said whenever they went to the US, Wajid always thought wearing a night suit was a must “because it looked classy.”
Karachi’s Art Council President Ahmed Shah remembered him as a humble actor, and said: “normally, showbiz personalities are said to have an attitude, but he was totally different.”
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“For several decades, he lived in the same flat and there were thousands of people at his funeral and everyone shared same sentiments. He had good relations with everyone and people remembered him for that”, he added further.
Qazi Wajid’s talent and his beautiful personality will live long in the memory of all Pakistanis.
What a sad day! Qazi Uncle you’ll be missed! #RIP #QaziWajid pic.twitter.com/gAVChecETw
— Muniba Mazari (@muniba_mazari) February 11, 2018