Remembering actor Kamal Ahmed Rizvi
LAHORE: The 3rd death anniversary of legendary TV and stage actor, Syed Kamal Ahmed Rizvi was observed on Monday.
Born in 1930 in Bihar’s ancient city of Gaya, Rizvi opted for moving to Pakistan following Partition and settled in Karachi when he was 19.
Like most other thinkers of his age, Rizvi was influenced by communism. Running out of funds he brought with himself, he approached the Communist Party of Pakistan, which pivoted him towards the Progressive Writers Association.
It was here that his fascinating journey began. Saddar’s Cafe George soon became his Pak Tea House, where he used to spend countless hours in the company of renowned writers, such as Ibrahim Jalees and Shaukat Siddiqui.
He rubbed shoulders with many literary luminaries, including writer Sadat Hasan Manto. Rizvi translated several English books into Urdu and wrote for magazines, including a children’s magazine. In the late 1950s, he tried his hand in theater and started writing plays, both original and adaptations. Some of his popular stage and TV plays are Badshahat Ka Khatma, Julius Caesar, Hum Sub Pagal Hain and Balaqi Badzaat. In 1965, when Lahore’s television station became operational, he wrote and starred in the satirical drama series Alif Noon.
The drama assumed iconic significance as it by virtue of humorous and meaningful situations, exposed hypocrisies and double standards that existed in society.
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