Written by: Hurmat Majid
Posted on: September 12, 2019 | 
| 中文
Dilawar in Waris
Abid Ali, a name that needs no introduction in the Pakistani drama industry, has been a part of almost every drama-watching household in the country since the 1970s.
A lesser known fact about the actor, born in Quetta in 1952, is that he had first tried his luck at Radio Pakistan. This makes a lot of sense for someone with a voice as deep and resonating as his. Anyone familiar with his work can easily recognize his voice in a television or radio advertisement playback, no matter how old it is.
Moving to Lahore in the 70s, Ali’s first serial was Jokh Siyal in 1973. The drama depicted a love story in a small hamlet. Humera Chaudhry, Ali’s first wife, was also the lead female actor in the drama.
Later in life, Ali not only acted in dramas and films but was also involved in their direction and production. An important feather in his cap will always be Dasht (1993), the first ever private production that he directed. The drama was aired on National Television Marketing (NTM), Pakistan's first private channel, and had episodes longer than PTV’s prescribed 30 minutes. Ali was also the executive producer of Doosra Aasman (1993), Pakistan's the first drama to be shot abroad, in Dubai.
Coming back to the veteran actor's many dramatic achievements, one must mention Waris (1978). It was the serial that made a name for Ali, and created a niche for him in the television industry. Set in a rural feudal setting, the drama follows Dilawar, a jilted man jailed for a crime he did not commit, and simmering in his hatred for the man who killed his elder brother. The drama takes Ali and Dilawar through a series of turbulent events, only for him to see his greatest nemesis become his greatest friend. For a relatively new actor to take on such a role and execute it as beautifully as Ali did, is indeed a feat.
Similarly, Ali's directorial debut, Dasht was a drama shot in the stark terrain of Balochistan. The serial tackles Baloch tribal customs and raises questions about the motivation behind decades-long rivalries between tribes. In the drama, Ali plays the role of Shams Shah, a mystic teacher that guides two young lovers from rival tribes through the various trials and tribulations they faced for the simple crime of falling in love with each other.
Shams Shah in Dasht
The kind of role Ali plays in the drama was not unheard of, but is still quite rare and often misrepresented in mainstream dramas. What sets Dasht apart, other than the exquisite pairing of Ateeka Odho and Noman Aijaz as star-crossed lovers, is the sensitivity it provides to the issue of tribal rivalries. Not many playwrights and drama-creators had ventured towards such a topic before, and nor have they executed it as beautifully.
Doosra Aasman depicts Ali in the role of Hashim Ali, a wealthy businessman who comes from humble beginnings. The drama talks about the losses he incurs in the blind pursuit of material treasures. While Hashim apparently has it all, he is shown to have lost his wife and left his daughter in his mad rush to own it all.
Hashim Ali in Doosra Aasman
In both Mehndi (2003) and Dyar-i-Dil (2015), Ali plays the role of fathers with inflated egos, who go through transformations as the plays proceed, and life knocks them down a couple of notches. In Mehndi, Ali Hassan is the father of four daughters, who prides himself for simultaneously choosing four "right matches" for his four daughters. However, as the drama proceeds and the lives of his daughters progress, Hassan gets to see the mistakes that he made in his choices, and learns that every decision he made came without a cost.
In Dyar-i-Dil, his most recently popular play, Ali plays Agha Jan, a man whose meddling in his sons' lives causes irrevocable loss and despair to his family. However, losing a son to early death shows him the error of his ways, and his character evolves into a loving grandfather, who is attentive to his grandchildren's goals and desires.
Agha Jan in Diyar-e-Dil
Whenever one discusses Ali's work with his fans or even his critics, it is widely observed that he never shied away from any genre or role. Whether it was the role of a modern day witch doctor in a horror serial like Naagin (2017), or the role of an intersex person in Moorat (2004), Ali did it all.
Abid Ali as Reshma in Moorat
His sole focus was on the quality of the character he played, rather than the type of role he had to play. Whether it was a small cameo or a leading role, his versatility and conviction gives him a special place in the Pakistani film and television industry. A testament to his dramatic achievements has been his presidential Pride of Performance award, which he won in 1985.
To say that he would be sorely missed on screen is an understatement. However, the actor's rich portfolio of complex emotions and beloved characters will help him live on forever. Many of the above mentioned dramas are currently available to watch on YouTube.
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