File photo
Veteran actor, playwright and college lecturer Shoaib Hashmi passed away on Monday after a prolonged illness that had left him bedridden. He was 84 years old.
In a posting on Twitter, state-run PTV—for which Hashmi wrote several serials in the 1970s—confirmed the playwright’s passing. “Very grieved to learn that Pappi chacha, the great Shoaib Hashmi, has left us,” wrote journalist Munizae Jahangir on Twitter. “He was not only a gifted actor and satirist but also a gregarious charming person with a big laugh. My condolences to Salima Hashmi, Yasser Hashmi, Mira Hashmi,” she added.
The husband of artist and educationist Salima Hashmi, Hashmi taught economics at the Government College in Lahore, as well as the Lahore School of Economics. For the general public, however, he is most memorably known for PTV’s Akkar Bakkar, Sach Gupp, Taal Matol and Balila, which he wrote and acted in during the 1970s. Taal Matol was also the title of a column he penned for daily The News.
Throughout his career, Hashmi wrote several stage plays, as well as translating English dramas for local audiences. He also translated A Song for This Day: 52 Poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, compiling the poetry of his father-in-law in English. The book was illustrated by his wife, Faiz’s daughter.
For his contributions to Pakistan, Hashmi was awarded the Pride of Performance in 1995. He was also the recipient of the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz.