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asmin Tahir, who passed away last week, was a consummate professional. She dedicated the better part of her life to broadcasting, where she was part of numerous programmes, including Saat Rung.
She was among the few women who ventured into show business during the 1950s and early 1960s, a time when female participation in the arts was still rare. Pioneers like Promila Thomas, Nusrat Altaf, Khursheed Shahid, Safia Dean, Mehnaz, Zakia Hasan, Meena Daud, Ishrat Ghani, Ruqia Hasan and Salima Faiz were part of this brave cohort.
In addition to radio, a quasi-amateur stage scene was also beginning to take shape in the post-Partition era. This was before the advent of television. The creative outlets available were largely confined to radio and college-based stage productions. These platforms nurtured a generation of talent that television would later seek out and popularise.
Yasmin Tahir was born into a household steeped in literature and the performing arts. Her father, Imtiaz Ali Taj, was a leading playwright, screenwriter and prose writer of considerable calibre. Alongside Patras Bokhari, he helped establish the nascent Government College Dramatic Club and later played a key role in shaping All India Radio in the subcontinent.
Radio created waves of social turbulence in its early years. Like many new inventions, it was initially met with suspicion and resistance. It was criticised for violating the sanctity of the home, bringing the outside world into private, domestic spaces and was often perceived as a threat to traditional values.
Yet its popularity and acceptance were inevitable. Before long, broadcasters and radio voices became household names, widely recognised and celebrated as public figures.
Her pronunciation was impeccable, a throwback to a time when such precision was deeply valued.
In Lahore, people like Imtiaz Ali Taj, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Safdar Mir and Ali Ahmed laid the foundations of the performing arts. Many of the plays they staged were adaptations of Western works, often drawing-room comedies reimagined for local, educated audiences. These productions acted as a magnet, attracting new talent to join this burgeoning creative circle.
At the time, women were particularly wary of entering this space. The social pressure was immense and very few could withstand or defy it. Many talented women chose marriage over a career, especially one in show business or the performing arts. Only a few, supported by their families, were able to pursue this path and can now be regarded as pioneers in the field.
Yasmin Taj, later known as Yasmin Tahir, was one such pioneer. Her mother, Hijab Imtiaz Ali, was a novelist and short story writer, a trailblazer among women writers of her time. Yasmin’s grandfather, Mumtaz Ali, published influential magazines such as Tehreek-i-Niswan and Phool, aimed at women and children, which caused quite a stir in society. Her grandmother, Muhammadi Begum, was also deeply engaged in writing and publishing.
In an interview, Yasmin Tahir recalled how Mumtaz Ali once shared his vision of raising awareness among women with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, only to be met with concern. Sir Syed feared that the fierce opposition he already faced in advocating for men’s education would only intensify if women’s education became part of the agenda. Yet, in retrospect, Mumtaz Ali’s initiative played a pivotal role in breaking social barriers and fostering gender awareness.
Like most great broadcasters, Yasmin Tahir’s voice was her greatest asset, bright, clear and rich with emotional nuance when needed. Her pronunciation was impeccable, a throwback to a time when such precision was deeply valued. Her mentor was Mohni Hameed, the beloved voice that listeners across the country came to adore.
The writer is a Lahore-based culture writer.