King of comedy Amanullah Khan passes away in Lahore

LAHORE: Veteran king of comedy Amanullah Khan passed away in a private hospital in Lahore on Friday.

Earlier this month, he was hospitalised after his health deteriorated. He had been shifted to the hospital for the fourth time as his condition remained unstable. He was suffering from multiple medical complexities such as lungs, kidneys and breathing issues.

While appealing for prayers, Amanullah’s family earlier said he was admitted in the hospital and was on the ventilator.

A versatile stage, TV and film actor, Amanullah had entertained at least three generations with his particular style of spontaneous comedy. His performances in various stage dramas and films had accumulated audience appreciation for his unique style.

Amanullah was born in Gujranwala in 1950. He came to Lahore at an early age where he used to sell toffees in buses and at Data Darbar shrine to make ends meet. Fond of singing, his earliest performances were at the Data Darbar. His first stage performance was “One Man Comedy Show” at a Lahore theatre in which he performed mimicry of famous celebrities.

His first television play “Sixer” with producer Iqbal Effendi was a huge hit. Some of his famous stage plays include “Basheera in Trouble” and “Landa Bazaar.” Amanullah performed in over 2000 stage plays in a career spanning some 40 years and worked with all the big producers of the time. He was married thrice and leaves behind 14 children and a sister.

Prime Minister Imran Khan expressed “deep sadness” at Amanullah’s death. In a tweet shared by Pakistan Tehrik-e-insaf (PTI) official, the prime minister said: “Late Amanullah was a valuable asset of stage, comedy and drama industry.” Pakistan Muslim League-nawaz (PML-N) chief and leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif also condoled the actor’s death.

He termed it a “big loss for the worlds of stage, comedy and acting” and said that his fans would “never be able to forget his acting abilities and his services in the acting profession.” “He kept earning good deeds by bringing smiles on the faces of people,” Shahbaz added. Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser also expressed deep sorrow over the actor’s passing.