Remembering the day I saw Moin Akhtar

When I was eight years old, I had the chance to be part of a scene in a show with Moin Akhtar. 

The shooting of the show took place at my father's friends place at night. I remember standing in a corner while my sister got to film next to the legendary actor. Jealous beyond measure, I finally convinced my parents and joined the scene just to sit next to him. My sister and I played guests who had come over to dine with him. He was delivering his dialogues along with his co-actors and I was eating oranges. I remember being amused that the elders were drinking tea from empty cups.

The scene also had Mr Khwaja Akmal and Durdana Butt in it. Mr Moin Akhtar was playing the role of an American returned Pakistani and one of his dialogues which I vividly remember was:

"Oh God! So much blood. I cut the bakra's (goat's) neck and there was blood everywhere."

It was a truly memorable experience. I may have just been eight but this memory is etched in my brain.

Yesterday morning, I woke up to join my family while they were watching TV and realised that a year has passed since the star has passed away. Many channels were showing footage of Mr Moin Akhtar which left me both delighted and dismayed; delighted because this man was truly legendary, and dismayed as I realised he is no longer with us.

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrTnqixw1lY]]

Moin Akhtar was truly a treasure - he changed the Pakistani television industry. Although I never did have the pleasure of interacting with him, I used to watch him from afar completely captivated. I was often mesmerised by his effortless acting. His professionalism stunned me, and I could tell even at a young age that he had the thirst to bring out the best in him.

It was obvious that Moin Akhtar had a good sense of humour, but I would go as far as to say that humour was built into his personality. He had the power, the knack and the seamless ability to make anyone laugh. This is one of the greatest gifts God could bestow on anyone.

This man was truly amazing - it is only after centuries that people like Moin Akhtar are born. He had so much knowledge about Pakistani communities and our culture;  the way he used to impersonate and present this with perfection reflected his talent. He was also quite up to date with the political landscape of Pakistan. His presentation of the problems faced by the people living here and abroad was always accurate.

Moin Akhtar had the innate ability to mould himself according to any situation or any role he was given; this is a feat that many distinguished actors take years and years to master, yet it was second nature to our dear comedian.

Although he starred in countless television shows and serials, my favourites by far were the ones that he did with Anwar Maqsood. They were deep and spoke of a reality we are all familiar with. It seemed as though Moin Akhtar was saying what was in our hearts - things we had been wanting to say all along.

[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbwZy7f7x4s]]

The quality that I admire most about our beloved actor would be that he was not a selfish or pompous man. He has been known to be supportive towards his colleagues, in that he used to promote them. He also tried his best to teach others what he did best. In short, Moin Akhtar is one of the few individuals who actually utilised his talents and intelligence to his fullest.

Today, we miss him dearly; we remember him with a smile on our faces and we pray that God blesses his soul and gives him the highest place in heaven. Ameen.

 

Follow Kinza on Twitter @kinzatahir123