Talat Hussain Warsi (18 September 1940 – 26 May 2024) was a Pakistani actor and radio host. The son of Shaista Begum, who was one of the pioneering voices of

Radio Pakistan The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (); also known as ''Radio Pakistan'', serves as the national public broadcaster for radio in Pakistan. Although some local stations predate its founding, it is the oldest existing broadcasting network in P ...

, he was called "the Pakistani

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

" for his versatility and his later role as mentor to other actors.

Early life and education

Talat Hussain was born in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

on 18 September 1940, his parents moving to

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

soon after partition, where his mother Shaista Begum joined Radio Pakistan as a broadcaster. His father was a civil servant. He earned his

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

degree from Islamia College and in 1972 he enrolled in the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts.

Career

1960s-1970s:Early work in radio and cinema

One of his first movies was ''

Chiragh Jalta Raha Chiragh Jalta Raha is a 1962 Pakistani Urdu film produced and directed by ''Fazal Ahmad Karim Fazli''. The film introduced Zeba, Deeba, Muhammad Ali (actor), Muhammad Ali, Talat Hussain (actor), Talat Hussain, and Kemal Irani. Fatima Jinnah, the ...

'' (1962), where he played a supporting role, now considered a classic, and in 1967 he joined Radio Pakistan as a voiceover artist. He then shared the screen with some important names of Pakistan's cinema, such as

Waheed Murad Waheed Murad (; 2 October 1938 – 23 November 1983), also known as Chocolate Hero, was a Pakistani film actor, producer and script writer. Famous for his charming expressions, attractive personality, tender voice and unusual talent for acting, ...

in ''Ishara'' (1969) or Mohammad Ali in ''Insaan Aur Admi'' (1970).

1970s-1980s:Rise to prominence through television

In the 1970s and the 1980s the country witnessed the rise of PTV television serials, Talat Hussain playing lead roles in popular serials such as ''Bandish'' (1976).

1990s-2010s:Mature character roles

In the later part of his career he used to play character roles marked by maturity, like in '' Kashkol'' (1993).

International productions

Talat Hussain worked in several foreign films, television drama serials and long plays, including the Turkish movie ''Malkoçolu Ölüm Fedaileri'' (1971),

Channel Four Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded entirely by its commer ...

's television serials ''

Traffik ''Traffik'' is a 1989 British television serial about an illegal drug trade. Its three stories are interwoven, with arcs told from the perspectives of Afghan and Pakistani growers, dealers and manufacturers, German dealers, and British users. ...

'' (1989) and '' Family Pride'' (1991)''.'' In 2006, Hussain won the

Amanda Award The Amanda Award () is an award given annually at the Norwegian International Film Festival in Haugesund, Norway, to promote and improve Norwegian film. The award originated in 1985, and has since 2005 been exclusively a film award (not telev ...

for the Best Supporting Role in the Norwegian film ''Import-Eksport'' (2005). He also appeared in the Indian film '' Souten Ki Beti'' (1989) and made a guest appearance in '' Jinnah'' (1998).

Other work

Acting teacher

As of 2012, he was a faculty member at the

National Academy of Performing Arts The National Academy of Performing Arts (; abbreviated as NAPA) is a performing arts school located at Hindu Gymkhana in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. NAPA was established in 2005 as an institution to conserve and teach performing arts and music. ...

(NAPA) in Karachi where he taught acting. He was also the director of the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi's theatre department.

Literature

He wrote short stories, including ''Sanduq'' and ''Taza Bastiyan'' that have been theatrically enacted by his students, and was working on novels at the time of his death. He also composed

prose poetry Prose poetry is poetry written in prose form instead of verse form while otherwise deferring to poetic devices to make meaning. Characteristics Prose poetry is written as prose, without the line breaks associated with poetry. However, it make ...

Qur'anic narration

In the 1980s he recorded a narration of a translation of the

Qur'an The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...

in Urdu, which remains popular.

Personal life

Hussain was married to Rakhshanda Hussain, a professor of psychology at the

University of Karachi The University of Karachi (; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (which is ...

. They had three children, two daughters and one son: Tazeen, the eldest daughter, was a television actress before quitting after her wedding, while younger daughter Roohaina, has a few television plays to her credit.

Illness and death

In February 2012, Talat Hussain revealed that he had caught a skin allergy in 2010, which developed complications due to incorrect treatment by a local cosmetologist. He said "I couldn't even talk properly, let alone walk or sit after the treatment." Hussain died in Karachi on 26 May 2024, at the age of 83.

Legacy and tributes

Talat Hussain's career was recorded by the author Huma Mir in the book ''Yeh Hain Talat Hussain''. In 2014, tributes were paid to him at an event at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, by many television personalities, including playwright

Haseena Moin Haseena Moin () (20 November 1941 – 26 March 2021) was a Pakistani dramatist, playwright and scriptwriter. She wrote several plays for stage, radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromag ...

, veteran TV actor/playwright of

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 ...

(1982) fame; Kamal Ahmed Rizvi; journalist Mazhar Abbas; and veteran TV actor Qazi Wajid.

Selected filmography

Television serials

Films

* ''

'' (1962) * ''Ishara'' (1969 - written, produced and directed by

) *''Insan aur Aadmi'' (1970) * ''Malkoçoğlu Ölüm Fedaileri'' (1971, Turkish-Iranian co-production film) * Mohabbat Mar Nahi Sakti (1977) * ''Bandagi'' (1972) * ''Qurbani'' (1981 film) * ''Gumnaam'' (1983) * '' Kamyabi'' (1984) * ''Halchal'' (1985) * ''Ek Say Barh Kar Ek'' (1987) * '' Sautan Ki Beti'' (Indian film) * '' Raja Sahab'' (1996) * '' Zar Gul'' (1997) * ''

Jinnah - The Movie ''Jinnah'' () is a 1998 PakistaniBritish Epic film, epic biographical film which follows the life of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. It was directed by Jamil Dehlavi, and written by Akbar S. Ahmed and Dehlavi. It stars Christopher ...

'' (1998) * Laaj (2003) * ''Import-Eksport'' (2005 Norwegian film) * '' Actor in Law'' (2016) * '' Chupan Chupai'' (2017) * '' Project Ghazi'' (2017)

Stage

* ''

Andhera Ujala Andhera Ujala (, English: ''Darkness, Brightness'') was a popular Pakistani crime investigation television series aired on Pakistan Television ( PTV) during the 1984–85 season, written by Younis Javed and directed by Rashid Dar. It also had ...

'' * ''Raz o Niaz'' * ''Guriya Ghar'' * ''Lao Tau Qatalnama Mera'' * ''Sufaid Khoon'' * ''Khalid Ki Khala'' * ''Jo Chalay To Jaan Sey Guzar Gayey''

Awards and nominations

* Pride of Performance Award (1982). * Best Actor Gumnan, National Film Awards (1985). *

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 ...

in 1986 for Best Supporting Actor in film ''Miss Bangkok'' (1986) *

(2006) Best Supporting Actor in Norwegian film – ''Import Eksport'' (2005). *

The 1st Indus Drama Awards The 1st Indus Drama Awards ceremony, presented by Indus TV Network, sponsored by Dulux, took place on 23 September 2005, at PAF Museum, Karachi. The ceremony was recorded, and was scheduled to be televised in Pakistan and UAE on 1 October 2 ...

(2005) Nominee: Best Actor Drama Series in a Leading Role. *

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and Civil decorations of Pakistan, civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially me ...

(Star of Excellence) Award by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the executive and the supreme commander of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

in 2021.

Lux Style Awards

Source:Lux Style Awards for the year 2004

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hussain, Talat 1940 births 2024 deaths Muhajir people Pakistani male film actors Pakistani male television actors Pakistani male stage actors Recipients of the Pride of Performance Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art Nigar Award winners Male actors from Karachi Pakistani male radio actors Radio personalities from Karachi Hum Award winners Actors from Karachi Male actors from Delhi Pakistani expatriate male actors in India Male actors in Hindi cinema 20th-century Pakistani male actors 21st-century Pakistani male actors