Mastana was a versatile comedian and worked for more than 30 years on stage.
ISLAMABAD: Yet another artist has died in poverty. This time it was the veteran comic actor Murtaza Hassan — better known as Mastana — who died in Bahawalpur’s Victoria Hospital fighting Hepatitis C. Mastana was a versatile comedian and worked for more than 30 years on stage. During his illness, his family had appealed to the government for help but to no avail.
The reason that this happens is that most actors and artists in a society such as ours, do not earn much during their working life. By the time old age sets in, they have little in savings and almost nothing to fall back upon in terms of a social safety net or comprehensive health insurance provided by the state. Of course, there are some people in showbiz who are rich but that is the exception rather than the norm. At the very least the association of commercial theatre could decide on arranging a special show for the benefit of his bereaved family.
Iftikhar Shaheen Mirza
Published in The Express Tribune, April 13th, 2011.
