Veteran actor, comedian Ismail Tara passes away

KARACHI: Veteran actor and comedian Ismail Tara passed away on Thursday at the age of 73.

He was known for his work in the classic Fifty Fifty aired on the PTV during the 1980s.

The family of Tara said he was admitted to a private hospital in Karachi for the last three days and was being treated for kidney disease. Both of Tara’s kidneys had failed. They added he was put on a ventilator on Thursday morning.

Tara had been associated with the field of acting in various capacities on stage, film and TV since 1963.

Ismail Tara ended up writing some scripts of the popular TV show Fifty Fifty along with fellow TV comedian Majid Jehangir, when the original scriptwriter Anwar Maqsood had a fallout with the popular show’s director and actors in 1981.

Tara was honored five times with Nigar Awards for the best comedian in Haathi Mere Saathi (1993), Aakhri Mujra (1994), Munda Bigra Jaye (1995), Chief Sahib (1996) and Deewarein (1998).

President Arts Council Pakistan Ahmed Shah said that his relations with Tara were very old. “He won the hearts of the people of Pakistan with his acting,” he said, adding that Tara was unique in the world of comedians.

Ismail Tara’s funeral prayers will be held after the Friday prayers at Pahari Masjid near Shaheed-e-Millat Road, said his son Sheraz.