Jaidi’s journey

Athar Shah Khan’s Jaidi entertained many, and his entertainment was not confined to comedy alone. In him we have lost an actor, poet, and an accomplished writer. His life journey began in 1943 and ended on May 10, 2020. Of these 77 years, at least 50 years he devoted to his creative pursuits that brought smiles and laughter to millions of listeners and viewers in Pakistan. In comedy, he had his distinct style that combined his humorous lines with a peculiar tone of voice that was amusing in itself. As an actor his most famous character was his own creation – Jaidi, an adult who acted with childlike innocence and delivered lines with utmost ease without a trace of artificialness. He created Jaidi and played him in multiple TV serials such as ‘Intizar Farmaiye’ in the 1970s. With its enviable success, he repeated his act in other subsequent plays across decades on the PTV.

For the generation that grew up in the dark days of General Zia’s military dictatorship, Jaidi was a comic relief from the stressful environment surrounding them. Jaidi became a legend in the history of Pakistan Television so much so that both young and older people frequently imitated him in everyday conversations at home. He entered the creative world after completing his Master’s degree in journalism from the University of Punjab but instead of becoming a pen pusher in the somewhat serious and somber field of editing or reporting, he opted for writing for Radio and TV. His serials elicited viewers’ admiration from the first episode. His writings for Radio Pakistan number in hundreds and his most popular radio programme was ‘Jaidi ke Sung’, which became one of the hit radio serials in the history of Radio Pakistan. His success on TV was no less impressive and memorable.

Starting with the phenomenal popularity of ‘Intizar Farmaiye’, Athar Shah Khan appeared in ‘Hello Hello’, ‘Lakhon Mein Teen’, ‘Ba Adab ba Mulahiza Hoshiyar’, ‘Haye Jaidi’, ‘Burger Family’, ‘Jaidi in Trouble’, ‘Problem House’ and many others. His acting and writing skills flourished with time and he left an indelible mark on all those who admired him. He was equally at ease with writing dialogues and stories for films, many of which became popular such as ‘Baazi’, ‘Maan Bani Dulhan’, ‘Goonj uthi Shehnai’, and ‘Manji Kithey Dhanwan’ in Punjabi. He also tried his hand at column writing for an Urdu newspaper but his short stories were more impressive. In addition to humorous poetry, he also penned serious ghazals and poems which found space in many literary magazines. With him we have lost a remarkable creative personality who will be remembered for long. In today’s world where high-class humour is difficult to come by, we will miss him as someone who embodied an educated and well-read actor, comedian, poet and writer.