Rafi Khawar ( Punjabi, ) (4 August 1942 – 2 June 1986), popularly known as Nanha (

Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

: ننھا), was a Pakistani actor and

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

. He started his film career in 1966 and earned several awards including 3

Nigar award The Nigar Awards () were presented in an annual award show to recognize outstanding achievement in Pakistani cinema, after having been revived in 2017 following a 15-year absence. The honors are awarded by Nigar Magazine founded in 1948. The ...

s.Death anniversary of film, TV actor Rafi Khawar (Nanha) today
Samaa TV News website, Published 2 June 2016, Retrieved 1 February 2022

Career

His first

Urdu language Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...

film was ''Watan Ka Sipahi'', released in 1966. Nanha got a breakthrough from film ''Noukar'' in 1976. He played the lead role in film ''Tehka Pehlwan'' in 1979, and in the same year his film ''Dubai Chalo'' was a super hit at the box office. His pairing with fellow comedian Ali Ejaz was popular since film Insaniyat (1967 film). Ali Ejaz and Nanha, as popular pair of comedians, were seen together in more than 50 films. He was regarded as an exceptional comedy talent and for many years was the star of the widely popular

Pakistan Television Corporation Pakistan Television Corporation (; reporting name: PTV); also known as ''Pakistan Television'', is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster founded by the Government of Pakistan, operating under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. I ...

's TV show

Alif Noon ''Alif Noon'' () is a 1965 comedy television series from Pakistan Television, written by Kamal Ahmed Rizvi. The cast consisted of Rafi Khawar, known as Nanha, and Kamal Ahmed Rizvi known as ''Allan''. Plot Each episode follows 'Allan' as a ...

that ran for three television seasons during the early 1980s. He was a familiar face, well-known and loved by all. Nanha acted in ''Alif Noon'' with his fellow comedian Kamal Ahmed Rizvi better known as ''Allan'' in the TV show. A supporting actress and a then popular film dancer named Nazli usually appeared with Nanha as his love interest in those movies. They were also often seen together in public and became romantically involved in real life. Nanha's success in films and celebrity status was at an all-time high. So money was never an issue with Nanha during his love affair with Nazli. He even pressured his film producers to cast Nazli with him in many films and the pair became inseparable in the early 1980s. This was not to last after Nanha's films started to flop and he fell on hard times financially. Then Nazli also started to lose interest in him.

Death

Certain mysterious circumstances reportedly and allegedly drove Nanha to commit suicide by shooting himself with a shotgun on 2 June 1986. His final resting place is in a cemetery located in Karim Block, Allama Iqbal Town,

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

, Pakistan.

Filmography

Awards

References

External links