Tamanna Begum: Stairway to heaven

Veteran actor Tamanna Begum passed away on Monday morning at the age of 75.

KARACHI:

After losing a number of irreplaceable entertainers in 2011, one wondered if 2012 would be any better; sadly, the year kick-started with yet another grave loss to the Pakistani entertainment industry. Tamanna Begum, a well-known film and TV actor passed away, after prolonged illness, on Monday morning at the age of 75. She is survived by a daughter and a granddaughter.

Starting off her career from Radio Pakistan, Tamanna Begum later ventured into theatre and films and it was these fields that enabled her to register herself as one of the most sought-after actor. She has popular films like Dekha Jayega to her credit and her comic roles, especially the boisterous performances with legendary Pakistani comedian Lehri, were lauded by all. The actor reached the zenith of her career during the 70s, when the Lollywood industry was at its cinematic best. Her popularity, however, started to decelerate with the decline of the film industry in the 80s and that is when she shifted her focus to TV.

Film critic Nawab Huzoorul Hasan recalls her acting prowess and says, “She was one of those who could play any character with perfection. However, what she was largely known for was her comic characters and her perfect screen timing. Undoubtedly, it is a terrible loss to the film industry.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2012.