''Uncle Urfi'' was a

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 ...

serial drama In television and radio programming, a serial is a show that has a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode-by-episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the complete run of t ...

which first aired in 1972. It had such a powerful appeal for viewers of all age groups that it turned into an instant hit. The 26-episode (each with a run-time of 30 minutes) serial was telecast once a week by

.Uncle Urfi TV drama serial on Dawn (newspaper)
Published 24 November 2014, Retrieved 15 January 2020 Written by

Hasina Moin Haseena Moin () (20 November 1941 – 26 March 2021) was a Pakistani dramatist, playwright and scriptwriter. She wrote several plays for stage, radio programming, radio, and television programming, television. She was the recipient of the Pride ...

and directed by ''Mohsin Ali'' and Shirin Vaqar Azim. The lead role was played by

Shakeel Yousuf Kamal (; 29 May 1945 – 29 June 2023), known professionally as Shakeel Yousuf (), was a Pakistani actor best known for his roles in the PTV drama series '' Uncle Urfi'' (1975), as Mehboob Ahmed in PTV's '' Aangan Terha'' (1984), and a ...

as Uncle Urfi — a Pakistani expatriate in Canada who returns to Pakistan — and the character of Beena, the heroine, was performed by Shahla Ahmad. The supporting character of Hasnat, played by Jamshed Ansari, with his penknife, soon was the talk of the town and echoes of which could be heard even today. In fact, the whole serial was supported by a strong talented cast. All in all, good acting, powerful script and skilled direction helped accomplish one of the most celebrated productions of PTV.Uncle Urfi: A PTV Blockbuster (Detailed profile) on pakistaniat.com website
Published 15 January 2011, Retrieved 15 January 2020

Synopsis

As the story goes, Shakeel, who is smartly dubbed as Uncle Urfi, takes interest in Beena. In reality, Uncle Urfi wishes to make Beena happy. Logically, Urfi should have taken Beena into confidence before doing her a favor. Instead, he kept her in the dark. The final moments of the last episode are fraught with pain and pathos. Urfi tells Beena with certitude, ''hamari shadi hogi to sara zamana deikhey ga''. To which poor Beena replies, ''kuchh shadiyaan dil kay weerano mein bhi to ho jaati hain, sirif khuda gawah hota hai''. The emotionally charged conclusion of Uncle Urfi, was so unexpected that literally nobody was prepared for it. Indeed, Haseena Moin had instilled so much despair in its dialogues that thirty-two years later in 2004, it still stands as a classic in its bittersweet illustration of the unbreakable bond of family.

Cast

as Irfanuddin Ahmed also known as Uncle Urfi (Guardian of Afsheen) * Shahla Ahmad as Beena, Uncle Urfi's love interest * Nahid Rafique as Afsheen (Uncle Urfi's friend's daughter) *

Azra Sherwani Azra Sherwani (1940–2005) was a Pakistani Television (PTV) actress with a career spanning over 35 years who played a variety of roles. Amongst her most memorable roles are Ghazi Apa in '' Uncle Urfi'', Saliha Begum in '' Aangan Terha'', Apa ...

as Ghazi Aapa, sister of Uncle Urfi *

Khursheed Shahid Begum Khursheed Shahid (1 January 1926 – 27 June 2021) was a Pakistani actress and singer. She was also the mother of actor Salman Shahid. Early life Khursheed Shahid was born in 1926 in Delhi, where her father was a government official a ...

as Flight attendant *

Qurban Jillani ''Qurbān'' () or ''uḍḥiyah'' () as referred to in Islamic law, is a ritual animal sacrifice of a livestock animal during Eid al-Adha. The concept and definition of the word is derived from the Qur'an, the sacred scripture of Muslims, and i ...

as Manzoor Uncle/Shaheed Bhai, brother-in-law of Uncle Urfi * Jamshed Ansari as Hasnat Ahmed, cousin of Afsheen *

Begum Khurshid Mirza Begum Khurshid Mirza (4 March 19188 February 1989), also known by her screen name as Renuka Devi, was a Pakistani television and film actress, who had been active from the pre-partition era to the 1980s. Early life, family and education Begu ...

as Amma Bi, the mother of Manzoor Uncle *

Akbar Subhani Akbar Subhani is a veteran Pakistani actor of film and television. Known for his supporting roles, he is best recognized in PTV's most acclaimed serials such as '' Sitara Aur Mehrunissa'' and '' Uncle Urfi'' and has worked in critically acclaim ...

as Mansoor, the son of Ghazi Apa and Shaheed Bhai * Rehana Parveen as Azra, the daughter of Ghazi Apa and Shaheed Bhai * Ishrat Hashmi as Afsheen's aunt * Subhani ba Yunus as Afsheen's uncle * Imtiaz Ahmed as Beena's father, Abrar *

Qaiser Naqvi Qaiser Naqvi () is a Pakistani actress. She is known for her roles in dramas '' Main Chand Si'', ''Humsafar'', ''Shikwa'' and '' Ek Tamanna Lahasil Si''. Early life Qaiser was born in 1958 on 8 December in Karachi, Pakistan. She completed her ...

as Beena's mother * Khalid Nizami as head of Uncle Urfi's household * Syed Zahid Ali as Uncle Urfi's secretary * Raju Jamil (Zulqarnain Jamil Aali son of

Jamiluddin Aali Nawabzada Mirza Jamiluddin Ahmed Khan PP, HI (20 January 1925 – 23 November 2015; ), also known as Jamiluddin Aali or Aaliji, was a Pakistani poet, critic, playwright, essayist, columnist, and scholar. Early life and career Nawabzada ...

in real life) as Police Inspector in episode 2 and as Zafar in episode 5/6 * Mushtaq Ahmed as Zuby's Daddy * Salma Aziz as Zuby *

Zafar Masood Zafar Masood, also spelled as Zafar Masud may refer to: * Zafar Masood (actor), Pakistani actor * Zafar Masud (air commodore) Muhammad Zafar Masud ( ; 17 October 1927 – 7 October 2003) also known as Mitty Masud, was a one star air office ...

as Javed * S. M. Saleem as Baray Mian * Khurshid Talat as Ambreen * Khurshed Ahmad as Jimmy * Ghazala Malik as Air Hostess 1 * Naseem Aziz as Air Hostess 2 * Rafat Jamil as Flight Steward * Tayyab Ali as Doctor * Rafiq Ahmad as officer * Sikandar Hayat as the mulaazim * Shehnaz Ismail as Fazeelat/Fuzzy (who Uncle Urfi referred to as "khatoon" * Mehboob as Dada Jaan

References

External links

Uncle Urfi (PTV drama - episode 1) on YouTube
{{DEFAULTSORT:Uncle Urfi 1970s Pakistani television series 1972 Pakistani television series debuts Pakistan Television Corporation original programming Pakistani drama television series