Renowned theatre artist Farrukh Shah passes away
Renowned comedian and stage actor Farrukh Shah, who in recent years gained fame for his resemblance to and mimicry of Prime Minister Imran Khan, passed away earlier this week. Buried in Lahore on Wednesday, he expired after suffering a major heart attack.
According to peers and family of the late actor, despite having an illustrious career spanning more than three decades, Farrukh wasn’t doing well financially. His wife Bushra noted that the actor in spite of working hard throughout his life, Shah wasn’t able to build a house of his own with the entire family living in a rented space.
“Farrukh was worried due to the non-availability of work, ever since theatres closed down due to the ongoing pandemic. He was the only source of bread for the entire family. With my two children in intermediate and all of us staying in a rented home, I don’t know how we will survive. I request the Punjab Government to help us if they think my husband contributed to the country,” Bushra told The Express Tribune.
As per reports, Farrukh had taken part in protests alongside many members of the theatre community, urging the government to open halls ahead of Eid ul Adha.
His peers, particularly stage actor and singer Megha and senior artists Shiba Butt, have also asked the provincial government to provide assistance to Farrukh’s family in these testing times. “Farrukh Shah was a down to earth man and a talented actor. His death caught us all by surprise. I request the government of Pakistan to kindly help the family. The artist community should raise its voice for the future of his family,” Megha said.
"Farrukh died in the worse circumstances imaginable. He was participating in every protest and requesting the government to open theatres. We artists spend our whole life putting smiles on people’s faces . But when it comes to our families, no one is there to help. I request PM Imran Khan and CM Punjab Usman Buzdar to issue a financial support to his family,” Shiba added.
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