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

Ukraine initiative
Updated 21 Feb, 2025

Ukraine initiative

Whether Trump’s Ukraine peace initiative succeeds or not, it will be difficult for Kyiv, Europe to face Russian military machine without US support.
High cost of SOEs
21 Feb, 2025

High cost of SOEs

THERE are losses and then some. The finance ministry’s latest overview of the federally owned state enterprises...
Poor impression
21 Feb, 2025

Poor impression

RECENT developments in the Senate have provided cause for concern on how parliamentary business is being conducted....
Premature alarm
Updated 20 Feb, 2025

Premature alarm

Improvement in headline inflation gives policymakers chance to fix investment policies, implement structural reforms.
Forsaken province
20 Feb, 2025

Forsaken province

AND the endless cycle of violence continues. The brutal killing on Tuesday night of seven Punjab-bound passengers in...
In poor health
20 Feb, 2025

In poor health

THE absence of decent and affordable healthcare in the country continues to ruin lives. An example of this is ...