Yawar Mehdi, long-time radio icon

Yawar Mehdi, a longtime radio veteran recently celebrated his 37-year milestone in broadcast media. Unlike many of his equals, some of which built personal brands and went on to world-renowned fame, Yawar Mehdi went a different direction with his life. He introduced and constructed many stars.
‘The News’ recently got a chance to sit down with him to discuss his roots in radio, and his life. At the outset ‘The News’ thanked him for taking some time off his busy schedule for interview and he responded by saying ‘Thank you for having me, I appreciate it.’
Answering a question when he got his start in radio, he said: “I joined Radio Pakistan in 1962 as a producer and worked under the supervision of renowned artist, Sadequain. Later on I got training from Ustad Altaf Ali.”
About his life Yawar Mehdi said: “Books titled ‘Yawar Mehdi’ and 'Hum ka Istara' have been compiled by Owais Adeeb Ansari and Syed Oun Abbas that provide detailed information on my life and role in art and culture. He said that book presents detailed articles and views of a number of literary figures and other scholars, on me, like Mir Hussain Ali, Prof. Karrar Hussain, Hakim Said, Hashim Raza, Syed Muhammad Taqqi, Justice S.A Nusrat, Raushan Ali Bheemji, Dr Manzoor Ahmed, Malika Baltistani SM Ina’am and Muslim Shamim, Dr Alia Imam etc."
Talking about his time at radio he said: “As station director for Radio Karachi, I launched countless programmes like ‘Adabi mahakma’, ‘World Cricket Quiz’, ‘Custom Kay Qavaneen’, ‘Daramdaat Baramdaat’, ‘Abr Kia Cheez Hai Hawa Kia Hai’, ‘Aap Pe Guftgu Karain’, ‘Shab Ko Hai Ganjeenayay Gohar Khola’, ‘Behtareen Kitab’, ‘Autograph Book’, ‘Meri Dairy’, ‘Meri Tehqeeq’, ‘Aqwalay Danish’, ‘Muslman Sayyah’, ‘Mulaqaat’, ‘Lafz Sazi’, ‘Filbadeeh Mushaira’, ‘Marhumeen Ka Mushaira’, ‘Subho Dum Darwazayay Khawar Khula’, ‘Pehchan Pe Hai Naz tu Pehchan Jayeeyay,’ etc.
“I also made contacts with writers, producers, poets, artists, artistes and sportsmen. As a radio producer, I introduced ‘World Service’ and ``used to broadcast a show called ‘Bazm-e-Tuleba’ that lasted for thirteen years In this show I introduced a lot of talented people including Ayub Khawar, Tajdar Adil, Fehmida Nasreen, Khurshbakhat Shujja’at, Haider Imam Rizvi, Qamar Abbas Jafferi, Shafi Naqi Jamaee, Faiza Siddiqui, Dost Muhammad Faizi, Iqbal Latif and Asad Ashraf Malick.
“People benefitting from me also include Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani, senator and broadcaster Khushbakht Shujaat, arts council secretary Prof Ejaz Farooqi and former commissioner Karachi Shafiqur Rehman Paracha among others.”
To a query about his tenure at Arts Council of Pakistan, Yawar Mehdi said: “The members of the Arts Council elected me several times in different capacities as the Treasurer and Secretary. Almost all the committees that became a part of the governing body and the Arts Council were made and introduced by me. These include the literature committee, youths committee, children committee, women’s committee, library committee etc., almost all of which I was made chairman of. It was my idea to set up a large auditorium that worked and culminated in the existing Arts Council’s Auditorium.”
Responding to a question, he observed that during his tenure at the Arts Council, he and his team introduced an important programme for literary people. This show, which was aired from some TV channels as well, was also successful among the citizens and the members of the Arts Council. In these functions dignitaries such as Syed Hashim Raza, Shaukat Siddiqui, Dr Farman Fatehpuri, Dilawar Figgar, and Syed Muhammad Taqqi participated and the people liked them very much.