Umer Shareef

Umer Shareef
Native name عمر شریف
Born April 19, 1955
Liaquatabad, Karachi, Pakistan
Other names Omer Sharif
Mohammed Omer
King of Comedy
Occupation Actor, Director, Producer, Writer, Composer, Author, Poet[1]
Spouse(s) Zareen Ghazal (2005–present)
Awards Tamgha-e-Imtiaz
Website omersharif.com.pk

Umer Shareef, TI, also spelled Omer Sharif, is a Pakistani stand-up comedian and stage, film, and television actor.

Career

Sharif was born in Liaquatabad, Karachi on April 19, 1955 as Mohammad Umer.[2][3] (He changed his name to Omer Sharif when he joined the theater). He started his career in entertainment in 1974, when at age 19 he became a stage performer in Karachi.

Early on, Sharif worked as a background musician with a group of friends, playing at local parties and functions. Sharif became one of the best-known stage performers in Pakistan after his extremely popular 1989 comedy stage plays Bakra Qistoon Pay and Buddha Ghar Pe Hai. In both he starred with Moin Akhter, another well-known Pakistani actor. Sharif was one of the first actors who started to record his shows for video rentals, which played a major part in his success[4]. Yes Sir Eid, No Sir Eid and Bakra Qistoon Pay were the first two-stage shows to come out on video, respectively.

Sharif attained considerable fame and is sometimes called "the King of Comedy" in South Asia. His videos are sold at stores across India.

Sharif was a guest judge for one of the episodes of the Indian comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, alongside Navjot Singh Siddhu and Shekhar Suman. Sharif also hosts The Sharif Show, where he interviews film and television actors, entertainers, musicians, and politicians. He has also served as Master of Ceremonies for local and overseas events.[5]

For the 50-year anniversary of Pakistan's independence, Sharif performed a play called Umer Sharif Haazir Ho. In the play, a representative from every occupation was called into court and asked what they had done for Pakistan in the past 50 years. The Lawyer's Association stated a case against Sharif as a result.[6]

Popularity in South Asia

Umar Sharif is popular in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, where he performs both in Urdu and Punjabi. Sharif was invited to the 2006-2007 finale of the Great Indian Laughter Challenge, where he received accolades from the event's judges: Shekhar Suman and Navjod Singh Sindu. Sidhu praised Sharif as a living legend on earth, while Shekhar called Sharif an institution and mentor for new talent. Many famous comedians like Shakeel, Irfan Malik, Ali Hassan, etc. are his finds and they regard him as their teacher and guru[7]

Influence

During the Prime Ministership of Benazir Bhutto, Sharif wrote and performed a political play called Lotay Aur Laefafay, based on Pakistan's politics. This offended Nawaz Sharif, the three-time former Prime Minister of Pakistan and then a member of the National Assembly. Nawaz Sharif took an action against Umer Sharif as Tehrik-e-Istheka and later called him in the Assembly.[6]

Sharif's play Bakra Qistoon Pay ("Goat on Installments") influenced Pakistan's typical style of stage plays. Before this production, most stage shows in Pakistan used to be dramatic, with poetic dialogue. After Bakra Qistoon Pay, most stage shows became comical, vibrant, and often gritty. The play has also inspired many sequels.

Philanthropy

In 2006, the Omer Sharif Welfare Trust was formed with the stated goal of creating a "state of the art health center that provides services free of cost."[8] The Trust now supports the MAA Hospital, is a charitable health center whose goal is to provide efficient modern health care, especially for Pakistan's artistic community.

Awards

Sharif has received many awards, including:

Sharif was also awarded a Key to the City of Karachi. This was the first time in the history of the Pakistani film industry that the key to any city was presented to an actor.

Stage Dramas

Television shows

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ http://www.internetpk.com/biography/umer-sharif.php
  3. ↑ http://www.pakcelebrities.com/one/umer-shareef-biography-age-height-wiki/
  4. ↑ http://fankaronline.com/artist/umer-shareef/
  5. ↑ "Pashto Cinema". Pashto-cinema.blogspot.com. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  6. 1 2 Biography - Omer Sharif Archived 11 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
  7. ↑ "Umer Sharif cancels India visit". Tellychakkar.com. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
  8. ↑ MAA Hospital - Omer Sharif Welfare Trust

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