The artiste community suffered serious losses when two of renowned theatre persons of the subcontinent passed away in the month of May. Known theatre artiste Uzra Butt breathed her last on May 31 at a local hospital in Lahore at the age of 93. A couple of years back Uzra, who's the sister of respected Indian theatre and film actress Zohra Sehgal, had received some injuries and hadn't fully recovered from them. Born in Rampur in 1917, it was in 1937 that she first worked for a theatre group, the Uday Shankar Theatre Company, and blossomed into a fine actress eventually making a name for herself in the '40s and '50s while working for the celebrated Pirthvi Theatre. She also joined the ideologically-driven Indian People's Theatre Association in 1944. Her performances in productions Shakuntala (leading lady), Kisan and Ghaddar (with her sister) were hailed by audiences and critics alike. In 1964 Uzra migrated to Pakistan and established a dance troupe in Rawalpindi. And it was in 1985 that she assumed the position of the principal performer for Ajoka Theatre and took part in hugely successful plays like Aik Thi Nani (accompanied by her sister on stage after four decades) Chak Chakkar and Dil Darya.
TV and theatre actor Sania Saeed also suffered a personal loss when on May 24 her father Mansoor Saeed died in Karachi. Mansoor sahib was himself a renowned theatre person who had formed a theatre group Dastak along with Aslam Azhar in the '70s, producing quality and meaningful plays. A staunch Marxist, his idea of entertainment carried the essential trait of giving socially relevant messages to the public. One of his productions, Galileo, which he did in 1986 in Karachi, is still fondly remembered by theatre-goers. He also translated quite a few literary and philosophical works into the Urdu language. Mansoor Saeed will always be remembered for his stand on social issues and remarkable works that he did for the world of stage.
