Veteran Pakistani actor Talat Hussain dies at 83

Karachi: Talat Hussain, one of Pakistan’s most accomplished and celebrated actors, died on Sunday at a private hospital in Karachi following a prolonged illness. He was 83. A radio, TV, theatre and cinema veteran, Hussain was known for serials such as ‘Bandish’, ‘Karwaan’, ‘Hawain’ and ‘Parchaiyan’ as well as movies ‘Chiragh Jalta Raha’, ‘Gumnaam’, ‘Actor in Law’ and Indian film ‘Sauten Ki Beti’.

Arts Council of Pakistan (ACP) Karachi President Ahmed Shah confirmed the news of Hussain’s death, adding that the actor had long been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Karachi. “An acclaimed actor like Talat Hussain is born after centuries,” he said.

Delhi-born Hussain was famous for his baritone voice and unique acting style, which also won him the ‘Pride of Performance’ award, the highest national literary award of Pakistan confers upon its citizens, in 1982 and ‘Sitara-i-Imtiaz’, the third-highest honour and civilian award in the country, in 2021.

Tributes and condolences poured in from President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, provincial chief ministers and other notable personalities who said that a legend of Pakistan’s entertainment industry had passed away.

“His services to Pakistani television, theatre, film and radio will always be remembered. The vacuum left by his death can never be fulfilled,” said premier Sharif.

Actor Adnan Siddiqui said that Hussain’s passing feels like a personal loss. “He was there not as a co-actor but guiding force when I did my first ever play, ‘Khwabon Ki Zanjir’. Another of the greats gone,” he wrote on ‘X’.

“Pakistan’s legendary actor Talat Hussain has passed away in Karachi. Inna lilllahe wa inna ilaehe rajioon. He was an actor par excellence and an institution. You will be missed Talat sahab,” said filmmaker Furqan T Siddiqui on ‘X’.

Hussain, who began working in 1960 on the state-owned ‘PTV’ channel, studied at the famed London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). He also worked for the ‘British Broadcasting Corporation’ (BBC) in London for some time.

In 2006, he received the Amanda Award, also known as the Scandinavian Oscar, for the Norwegian film ‘Import-Eksport’ and Nigar Award in 1986 for best-supporting actor in the film ‘Miss Bangkok’. According to Pakistani media, Hussain is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.