Four Iconic Pakistani Comedians

Moin Akhtar

Moin Akthar’s  iconic career spanned over 45 years. He was truly a versatile performer whose wit was unprecedented. He ruled every gig that he did from TV dramas to stand up comedy. As a theater artist his work with Omar Sharif on “Bakra Qistoon Per” was a massive hit and enjoys a strong cult following. His contribution to Pakistani television is immense with “Rozee” being a career highlight for Moin Akthar. In “Rozee” he not only established his mettle as a comedian but also as a dramatic actor who subtly highlighted the struggles of women vis-a-vis sexual harassment at time when not much attention was given to this issue.

One of his key strengths was mimicry  and he did it like no one else did. Towards the end of his career he collaborated with his life long friend and mentor, Anwar Maqsood for a weekly comedy show, “Loose Talk”. Moin Akthar will go down in history as one of South Asia’s finest performers.

Sharifullah Siddiqi / Lehri

Sharifullah Siddiqi (more commonly known as Lehri) was a Pakistani comedian who appeared in Urdu and Punjabi films from 1963 to 1982. Lehri has won 11 best comedian Nigar Awards  – the most to be won by any Pakistani comedian. He acted in over 225 films and was famous for his subtle humor which was a unique attribute in an otherwise slapstick comedy-dominated Pakistani film industry. Lehri was famous for improvising his lines as the camera began rolling and some of his funniest scenes are entirely attributed to his on-the-spot wit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jArdGNWAU4k

Saleem Nasir

To restrict Saleem Nasir to the confines of comedy would be injustice. As a TV artist he played very diverse roles in dramas such as “Jangloos” (where played the role of a cruel brother, which also happened to be his last television play as well). However, as a comedian he would always be remembered for his amazing wit as Akbar in “Angan Tedha” and his portrayal of mamo in “Ankhai”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrIpZGEaNE8

Bushra Ansari

To her credit Bushra ventured in a domain where rarely Pakistani female actresses would i.e. comedy. She is not only an actress, but also a writer, an entertainer, a comedian, an award show host, a rhythmic singer, a compare – she is all of this and more! As a comedian she is most famous for her performance in Anwar Maqsood’s drama serial, “Angan Tehda” and her sarcastic take on power outages in Pakistan through the character of Miss Bijli.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gArqvOEIaxY