LAHORE: A gathering was held on Tuesday in memory of renowned late actor Mahboob Alam at the Adabi Baithak at Alhamra Art Centre.

Alam was best known for his character Chaudhry Hashmat Khan in Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) drama serial Waris (1979-1982). He also acted in another popular PTV drama Andhera Ujala (1984-1985).

Speakers at the sitting shed light on the actor’s life and career and held his stature in high esteem as an unforgettable actor. Prominent participants were poet Amjad Islam Amjad, Lahore Arts Council Board of Governors Chairman Tauqeer Nasir, Masood Akhtar, Rashid Mehmood, Dr Kanwal Feroz, Javed Rizvi and Riaz Ahmed.

Mr Nasir said that actors of Alam’s stature were born only in centuries. For the new generation of actors, Alam’s personality and work were a guiding force. His character in Waris was still remembered by the ‘80s’ generation.

Actor Rashid Mehmood said that the kind of performances Alam rendered made him eternal. His facial expressions and mature acting earned him a name that could not be removed from PTV’s golden era, he added.

Mr Amjad, the writer of Waris, said Alam was a trendsetting actor who opened new vistas of acting for his followers. He was an institution within himself and had his own unique aura and style of acting.

A documentary on Mahboob Alam was also screened, which was appreciated by the audience.

Published in Dawn, March 27th, 2019