Mastana and Babo Baral suffered like me: Actor Ashraf Rahi

Stage veteran battling hepatitis C, diabetes, needs government support

LAHORE: You may question their sense of entitlement but there’s no questioning what becomes of artists in this country when they are in need, especially if they belong to regional entertainment circuits where appreciation seldom translates into a decent living. Examples of performers such as Mastana and Babu Baral leave nothing more to be said about the sad state of affairs.

Veteran stage actor Ashraf Rahi is another such individual who today seems to lose his battle against hepatitis C and diabetes. The 62-year-old has so far acted in over 3,000 stage productions but today he is forced to question every career decision he took in the past five decades.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Rahi said he was never appreciated for his work. “For the last five decades I have been entertaining audiences. But now when I need help, I have no one by my side,” he said. His body may be struggling in protest but to keep the stove burning, Rahi is forced to continue working.





Government apathy disappoints him the most. “In India, things are quite different. Their government gives artists respect and even those who are past their prime are considered as stars,” he said. In Pakistan, nobody really cares. “We hide our life troubles and ensure that when we are on stage, we keep the audiences amused,” he lamented, adding, “I don’t want to give the impression to producers that I am unable to work which is why I am still working. I am not going to knock on their doors [government] and beg them to help me. It’s not like they are blind or deaf.”

Citing examples of popular plays such as Sawa Sair, Ashiqo Gham Na Karna, Bara Maza Aye Ga, Aj Aakhan Waris Shah Noun, Double Sawari and Shartiya Mithay, Rahi said he has contributed a lot to Lahore’s theatre industry. He even ventured into TV plays and considers his roles in Khufiya Jazeera and Ainak Wala Jin amongst his favourite performances. On the silver screen, the thespian was seen in the Punjabi film Mehndi Wale Hath opposite actor Veena Malik.

Of late, he has been making appearances of the Express News show, Khabardar, which is hosted by Aftab Iqbal. While the show has given him a lifeline, Rahi said he is still empty-handed. “I am on very expensive medication. I live in a rented house and I have a wife and four children to feed. I know I am not the first person to see all this. Mastana and Babo Baral suffered like me,” Rahi said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2016.

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