KARACHI, Jan 25: Well-known actor Rizwan Wasti passed away after a prolonged illness on Monday in Karachi. He was 73 years old.

He is survived by his wife Tahira Wasti, herself an actress of repute, two sons and a daughter, Laila Wasti, also a known showbiz personality.

Rizwan Wasti was born in Lahore and belonged to a highly educated family. He lent his baritone voice to a variety of radio programmes and acted in several plays on PTV in the '60s, '70s and '80s, but it was his performance in the drama serial Shama (adapted from an A.R. Khatoon novel by Fatima Surrayya Bajia) that catapulted him to fame.

Apart from many long plays and drama series, his acting skills in Aagahi, Uroosa and Abgeene were received with critical acclaim.

Rizwan Wasti was one of those actors who used the cadence of his voice to remarkable success, an art that he mastered while working for Radio Pakistan. He was also a banker. Dawn

His death has left the acting fraternity of the country sad. Talking to actor Talat Hussain said, “He was a distinguished name in the broadcasting world, a man who had his own distinct style. He was also a straightforward and honest individual.”

Actor Behroz Sabzwari said: “He had a great personality and was a learned person. He was a cultured and classy human being, something that's a rarity in today's world. My colleagues and I learnt a lot from him.”

Noted director and producer Kazim Pasha said, “He was an extremely devoted artist. He would keep learning the script on the sets and never sit idle. He'd remain in character even after the shooting would end. He was part of some of the most memorable plays in the history of Pakistani television.”

Opinion

Editorial

Ultimate price
Updated 02 Nov, 2024

Ultimate price

To dismantle culture of impunity for crimes against journalists, state must ensure that perpetrators do not go unpunished.
Mastung bombing
02 Nov, 2024

Mastung bombing

INSTABILITY continues to haunt Balochistan, as Friday morning’s bombing in Mastung has shown. At least nine...
Plane speak
02 Nov, 2024

Plane speak

DESPITE all its efforts to facilitate PIA’s privatisation, it seems the government only ended up being taken for a...
Seeking investment
Updated 01 Nov, 2024

Seeking investment

Foreign visits will be fruitless unless crucial structural, policy reforms directly affecting investors are focused.
State-backed terror
01 Nov, 2024

State-backed terror

OVER the past year or so, India’s reportedly malign activities in foreign countries have increasingly come under the radar, with
Shared crisis
01 Nov, 2024

Shared crisis

WITH Lahore experiencing unprecedented levels of smog, the Punjab government has announced a series of “green...