KARACHI: The Arts Council of Pakistan held an event to pay tribute to renowned comedian and actor Hanif Raja on Sunday evening.

The programme in the beginning had four video messages for Mr Raja, the first of which was from actor Adnan Siddiqui. He said although the tribute was happening a bit late but it was befitting (der aayad durust aayad). “Mishi Khan, he and I began our careers together. Mr Raja is the one who introduced a prank show 28 years back, something that has now caught on.”

Theatre practitioner Syed Furqan Haider said after Moin Akhtar and Umer Sharif, Mr Raja is a comedian who displayed his talent in different varieties of the art form. He is a multitalented man.

Actress Bushra Ansari said the comedian is an artist who proved his mettle in the presence of Moin Akhtar and Umer Sharif. He never came up with substandard material.

Actor Javed Sheikh said Mr Raja is a very warm and friendly person.

After the video clips, a show-reel of Mr Raja’s life and work was screened.

Actor Behroz Sabzwari was one of the speakers who spoke afterwards. He said Mr Raja’s career spans 35 years. “He has a son and a daughter. His wife died at a young age and despite that he raised his children very well. In order to be a good artist, you have to be a good human being first.”

Hanif Raja thanked the speakers, guest and the council’s president Ahmed Shah for arranging the show. He said God has been kind to him. He also thanked comedian Farid Khan for playing an important role in his career.

Earlier, talking to Dawn, Mr Raja said, “The tributes that are paid to artists who are alive are the best. Encouragement (hosla afzai) or discouragement (hosla shikani) is a word that contains a lot of stories. Encouragement increases the energy of an artist. The tribute series is worthwhile because whatever we’ve done gets endorsed and re-endorsed. You also feel a responsibility to improve yourself.”

On the changing environment of showbiz these days with reference to the advancement of technology, he said, “Only technique has changed. Concepts, thought and intellect are the same because man is essentially the same. It’s the presentation or execution that changed. The downside is that artificial intelligence cannot just be found in apps anymore; it is also in human beings.”

Answering a question on the quality of modern-day humour, Mr Raja said, “There’s audience for every kind of idea. If you watch a 50-year-old film, you’ll say time has changed for the worse. But what era was good? The thing is that time remains the same. In every era good content is appreciated.”

Ayaz Khan, Saadat Jafri, and Mr Raja’s son, among others, also spoke. Noman Khan moderated the event.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2024