The Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi’s Stage Show Committee paid tribute to renowned comedian, actor, and host Hanif Raja at its Auditorium II, said a statement on Monday.
The event was attended by General Manager PTV Amjad Shah, cricketer Moin Khan, Stage Show Committee Chairman Saadat Jafri, Behroze Sabzwari, Ayaz Khan, Shakeel Siddiqui, Rauf Lala, Ali Hasan, Zakir Mastana, Ahmad Raja, singer Imran Javed, Nazar Hussain, Saleem Afridi, Irfan Malik, Yawar Chawla, Aslam Sheikh, singer Saleem Javed and others.
Many prominent personalities from the showbiz industry, along with a large number of people, attended the event. Javed Sheikh, Bushra Ansari, Adnan Siddiqui, and Syed Furqan Akhtar spoke about Hanif Raja’s contributions to the arts via video messages.
Actor Behroze Sabzwari praised President Arts Council of Pakistan Ahmed Shah for elevating the Arts Council to great heights, noting that many artists are alive today because of the Arts Council since theater has almost vanished. He expressed pride in the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, and emphasized the importance of valuing Pakistan as it is like a family to us. He praised Hanif Raja and said he truly deserved commendation.
Shakeel Siddiqui mentioned that many artists have emerged from PTV and it took them 15 years to journey from Nazimabad to PTV Bahadurabad. He shared that an artist sacrifices everything, recalling that he was on stage when his father passed away, and noted that being a successful father in addition to a successful artist is a great achievement.
General Manager PTV Amjad Shah thanked Ahmed Shah for maintaining the council’s vibrancy. He mentioned that Hanif Raja used to perform four different roles at a time and excelled not only as a comedian and artist but also as a dancer. He remarked that an artist is a complete package, and Hanif Raja has never hurt anyone’s feelings.
Cricketer Moin Khan stated that the large turnout at the event was due to the love people have for Hanif Raja, making him a very fortunate person. He expressed happiness at being among the attendees and thanked the Arts Council for the honour it had given.
Hanif Raja remarked that the word “tribute” represents years of hard work and sacrifice. He thanked all those who attended, noting that Amjad Shah has the admirable quality of prioritizing merit. He also thanked Ahmed Shah for honouring him.
Reflecting on his early career, he said Umar Sharif and Moin Akhter were at the peak of their careers when he started, and while he was young at the time he was very enthusiastic. The “Dhannu” item became very popular.
He emphasized that as human beings, we should stay connected with each other, and expressed his deep gratitude to Farid Khan for his support, acknowledging that he would not be where he is today without him.