QAZI ABDUL WAJID ANSARI
A big big name of Radio, Stage & TV.
Born 1942 at Gawalior-India, Qazi’s dad migrated to
Karachi-Pakistan in Sept-1947. He did his matric from
Muslim High School-Jehangir Road…and his craze for
showbiz hurdled when he dithered from College and
got involved in stage an Radio plays regularly…though
his initial appearance on stage was at the age of 10.
At 18, he was cast in a super-hit movie BEDARI
***(which has the superhit song AAO BACHON SEIRR KARAIYEN TUMKO PAKISTAN KI) ***and thereafter Qazi continued with Radio Pakistan at
its Karachi studios from where he retired some five years vack.
At the age 14, Qazi Wajid started his Radio programs and
the most popular and infectious as ever was his
appearance before a live audience (children) in Sunday’s
program NAUNEHAL where Qazi did his QAZIJEE KA QAIDA
the program which was on every lip andd talk of the town.
Qazi being 11 years elder to me..I am myself a witness
to his QJKQ at Radio Pakistan in one of the Sunday programs
where I participated as a student and recited some poem…like
every participant. Who knew then that one day I will be
a close buddy to Qazi and would act with him in TV plays.
Qazi rembers meeting me due to my Dad…for obvious reasons.
Qazi Wajid’s blockbuster stage appearance as a hair cutter
in Khawaja Moinuddin’s TALEEM E BAIGHAANwas a bomb!
His candid style and reality on adopting the character with
scissors in his hand..all the time…was amazing.
He got his break in TV right fifteen days after Karachi Centre
was commisioned in Amir Imam’s play “AIK RAASTA”..
and his second play on TV was incidently mine too..and
we both appeared in Ishrat Ansari’s adoption of Hijab Imtiaz Ali’s
play “TOOFANI DOPAHER” with Masuma and Santosh Russell.
Showbiz being his profession…there was no looking back for
QAZI WAJID who became a brand and landmark for every third
play or serial or series at Karachi Centre…and later
becoming a legend for his glorious performance in
KHUDA KI BASTI as “RAJA” which was so close to the reality
**of the character that people often addressed him as Raja **
thereafter. He was in both the versions (1969 and 1974).
There came aperiod that QAZI caught the eyes of Lollywood
and did some movies…but he couldn’t come to terms with the
idea of buffonary all the time and called it a day at movies
thus concentrating on TV plays which earned him fame…and later..
fortune including the coveted President of Pakistan’s PRIDE OF PERFORMANCE GOLD MEDAL.
As per Qazi, with whom I have worked in over 50 plays and serials,
his outstanding performance after RAJA of KKB was…as the cunning
husband of (late) Ishrat Hashmi in Bajya’s mega-hit serial;
AFSHAN where Qazi clad in white sherwani with red hankie…
outclassed everyone in that serial…mustering hatred from
the TV viewers–which is infact a PRIZE for the ACTOR doing
the role of mean character!
QAZI WAJID, a happily married man and a Nana also,
is, perhaps, the chirpiest and fondest of the cast members
in every serial or play he is performing because lunch or dinner
break…always pours out tearful jokes and adlibs and wisecracks
from him. If he wasn’t around in my two appearances at
Zulfi Shaikh’s serials in Scotland (2005 and 2007), I would
have..in fact all would have been bored riggid with work only!
His precision and complete command on acting..finds less
instructions from the Directors. He creates mannerism and
always makes something unusual that becomes a natural
part of the serial.
Some of the many many classics of QAZI WAJID on TV;
- KHUDA KI BASTI
- AFSHAN
- KIRAN KAHANI
- ZEIRR ZABBR PEISH
- UN KAHI
- TANHAIEYAAN
- ROOMI
- RAJU
- CHANGEZ KHAN
- OFFICE OFFICE
- BINDRA BANDD KI KUNJ GALLEE MEIN
- GHORRA GHAAS KHATAA HAI
- EK TERE AANAY SE
- HUM SE JUDA NA HONA
- MEHENDI
- SUNN LEYNA
- TERE AAJANE SE
AND THE STAGE PLAYS;
- MIRZA GHALIB BUNDER ROAD PE
- LAAL QILLAY SE LALUKHET
- NIZAM SAQQAH
- WADI-e-KASHMIR
- TALEEM E BALIGHA’N
- KHISCO DEEWANE (At Abudhabi)
- BAAZIGAR
ME & QAZI WAJID AT DUNOON ISLAND
SCOTLAND DURING THE SHOOT OF
TERE AJAANE SE (2005)
