Written by: Muhammad Suhayb
Posted on: January 19, 2023 | 
| 中文
Ayaz Khan with Umer Shareef
‘All that glitters is not gold’ was the first thing veteran actor Ayaz Khan said, before I found a seat in his office. He was busy turning the makeshift portion of his famous ‘Image Optiks’ into a comfortable workspace in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area of Karachi, as I arrived five minutes before the scheduled interview.
I got in touch with the comedian, writer, entrepreneur Ayaz Khan, after I was assigned obituaries for actors from the past. In the context of recent deaths of those who were successful on the screen but had the misfortune to die in dire conditions, comments from Ayaz Khan were very relevant. He is amongst the few, who despite being in the field for over four decades, did not lose sight of his reality and remained grounded.
‘How difficult was it to become a household name, without being affected by the glittering world of media’, was my first question to him. ‘I think it has a lot to do with the upbringing, we were nine children in all, but our father was a strict disciplinarian. Being a doctor himself, he had set priorities for us, that is why I ended up studying in NED University. Comedy came to me naturally, and despite achieving fame, had my feet on the ground’, was Ayaz Khan’s smart reply.
Ayaz Khan with Moin Akhter
He got a perfect launch-pad when as a student, he was approached by Moin Akhtar. Until then he had appeared in Pakistan Television’s famous show Roshan Tara, and performed in stage shows. ‘It was the year 1980; Alamgir and Naheed Akhtar were supposed to perform in a show at Karachi University but Naheed was running late; Moin Bhai, aware of my skills, asked me to entertain the audience till she arrived. I picked up Ahmed Rushdi's famous song ‘Ek Uran Khatola Aayega’ and sung it in the voices of Rangeela, Arif Lohar, Habib Wali Muhammad and Tahira Syed. Rushdi sahab, who happened to be on the premises, embraced me as I descended from the stage, but it was my solo act of playing the flute accompanied by ghungroos that attracted Arif Rana, who was the host. Arif sahab was also the Producer of Neelam Ghar and invited me over, where I managed to somehow impress Tariq Aziz’, recalls Ayaz Khan.
Ayaz Khan with Tariq Aziz in Neelam Ghar
After becoming a Civil Engineer, Ayaz joined Karachi Building Control Authority as an Assistant Director in 1982. His performances on television, private gatherings continued after office hours, and he even hosted a radio show, called Hasna Mana hai.
Being a Grade-17 officer in KBCA, he was well-settled. As an upcoming star, he had a bright future, but there was always a sense of insecurity. However, he was lucky to grab the right opportunities at the right time. His life changed in 1990, when he saw a ‘For Sale’ board on a shop on the ground floor of his building.
Inauguration of Eye Optiks’ branch. (L to R) Huma Mir, Qaisar Khan, Fazila Qazi, Junaid Jamshed, Saleem Javed and Tehseen Javed
‘I came to know that my brother-in-law, an optician, was selling his shop. I bought the shop, with all equipment intact and attended some short courses to become an optometrist. It was a new experience but the gamble worked. With the help of fellow actors and other connections, my business got the required publicity, and within a few years, Ayaz Khan’s Image Optiks became a necessity just like Tee Jays, the famous wardrobe brand, for television production’, Ayaz recalled.
Ayaz Khan shaking hands with Pervez Musharraf, the then President of Pakistan
He also managed a company by the name of NTV, New Talent Vision, and was the brain behind a local but famous Bridal Competition, where famous stylists acted as judges. Credited as the one who paved the way for fellow artistes to venture into other fields, Ayaz Khan is not happy with the state of affairs. My advice for newcomers is to get proper education before taking up this profession. I have seen many actors leaving behind only their legacy for families to feed on. Glamour in this field is limited and securing yourself financially should be the prime motive of one’s life. During the 80s, many actors who accompanied us for performances abroad stayed on abroad hoping for a better future there. Without formal education, most of them ended up doing odd jobs and eventually relocated to Pakistan, after wasting precious years. They stayed back to earn a fortune, but were not very lucky, were the wise words from a man who is known for spreading laughter.
Ayaz Khan (L) in popular show Taleem e Balighan
Has he ever been on the verge of tears? Yes, the moment the late compere, Dr. Amir Liaqat, introduced me at his show, I found it difficult to control my tears. A multi-talented celebrity himself, Dr. Amir started crediting me for his own success, and began from the day I picked him for an acting assignment. A 9th Grade student at Ali Ali School, he was not only a brilliant debater, but an impressive actor. I later utilized him as a guest for the Ayaz Khan Show cassettes, which had skits, parodies and jokes on both sides. The other proud moment for me came when the legendary comedian Johnny Lever revealed that he prized two of my four released cassettes,’ Ayaz Khan reminisced about the glorious days.
Ayaz Khan with Indian Comedian Johnny Lever in Bombay
Believing in quality rather than quantity, Ayaz Khan’s portfolio has all the relevant boxes ticked. He has surprisingly played bad guy in television serials, along with an endless list of ‘good’ roles. His role in Khawab Suhane, where he was always portrayed as consulting 'his stars', is still remembered by those who have seen the serial. ‘Aisay nahi kaisay’, ‘Aadha chehra’, ‘Anhoni’ are also his popular plays. He acted as a Pathan poet reading, yeh na thi hamari qismat, ke visaal e yaar hoti….jo visal e yaar hoti, tu bachcha teen chaar days, and got praised as a Bihari Babu and Lucknow’s Nawab. The younger generation know him as Sher Khan, from the famous ongoing television serial, Bulbulay.
Ayaz Khan as Sher Khan in Bulbulay with Hina Dilpazeer (Momo or Mumtaz) and Mehmood Aslam (Mehmood Sahib)
Ayaz Khan will turn 67 soon, but his plans can bring men half his age to shame. He is all set to venture into the world of social media with ‘Ayaz Khan ki baatain’. If things go as planned, he might strike gold, as he did with acting, comedy and business. He has been around for nearly 45 years, and for the stars of the day, he is an inspirational figure.
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