M. Saeed AwanIn the '70s, Pakistani cinema was the greatest source of entertainment for the masses, with films with a social or romantic thrust drew huge audiences, and films that were screened belonged to three basic groups.  

There were, of course, Punjabi films, which apart from the male and female leads, mostly featured characters such as chai walas, pan walas and the working class. Munawar Zarif and Rangeela were the primary comic element in movies. The English movies shown were more or less action oriented e.g. the James Bond series or kung fu flicks. Urdu movies usually had the edge though, since the cinema halls showing these movies were quite comfortable and the audience for Urdu cinema was made up of educated, white collar folk.

Muhammad Ali/ Zeba, Waheed Murad/Rani, Shahid/ Babra Sharif and Nadeem/Shabnam were the prime reason that attracted families, which were the backbone of Lollywood's financial returns.  Within Urdu cinema, it was Lehri who was considered the quintessential Urdu comic. His remarks were a mixture of wit, wisdom, and foolery. It is noteworthy that though his characters and dialogues were lighthearted, the remarks had a serious import.

Safirullah 'Lehri' Siddiqui's career began in 1956's Anokhi and lasted for almost three decades. He worked in 225 filmsoverall, with notable titles being  Tehzeeb, Saiqa, Dil Lagi, Devar Bhabi and Aag ka Darya among others. His last film was Dhanak which released in 1986 and he bade Lollywood farewell due to his ill-health. He won several Nigar Awards, the highest accolade for cinema in Pakistan. A special award was also given to him in 1993 for the services he rendered to Pakistan's film industry. His contemporaries included Nirala, Khalid Saleem Mota, and Jamshed Ansari, who though fantastic, could not emulate his popularity.

Lehri did tremendous work for the promotion of Urdu as an art through his comedic work. Even when he was outrageously flamboyant, Lehri made everyone including the most somber families laugh.  Many of his oneliners are unforgettable. For example, in one movie he played the role of a member of actor Mohammad Ali's domestic staff. Ali goes out at one point for a movie and when he returns, asks Lehri's character what he did in his absence.

Lehri too admits to going out to watch a movie, and says: “English film dekhi, wo kuch khas to na thi bus uss main kuch neelay peelay scenes achay lagay”. In another film his brand new bride asks him if he had ever been in love, and when he answers in the affirmative, kicks him out of the room. Lehri returns after a bit and when his wife asks who it is, he says: “Jee main wohi hoon jis ka kuch dair pehlay aap say nikah hua tha. Main ussi silslay main aya hoon.”

Who can forget his brilliant performance in the mega hit Dil Lagi,  where he played the role of a mechanic workshop owner with great love for music and his friend Raja (Nadeem). In one scene, Shabnam's character arrives suddenly at the workshop while Lehri is playing the violin. Nadeem doesn't want Shabnam to know he is a mere poor mechanic, so Lehri helps his friend out by using his violin playing to distract Shabnam while Nadeem hides. I have watched this movie several times, and the audience applauded this and other comic scenes each time. In the same film, Lehri becomes extremely grave as he witnesses Nadeem's character fall ill as his romance fails. To say that Lehri was merely a comedic actor is an injustice; he was a comedic actor, sure, but also so much more than that.

Lehri left this world on September 13 this year after being ill for a long time. While the entire nation is saddened by his loss, his colleagues over the years expressed their sorrow too.

Tariq Aziz (Television Host)

 “I started my film career in Lahore and had the opportunity to work with Lehri in two films. He was a wonderful and funny person. His temperament was such that even if someone hurt him, he never even ground his teeth, just smiled. It would be fair to say that producers had blind faith in Lehri's magic, and even when he improvised upon the script given to him, were grateful for the improvement. Lehri yaaron ka yaar tha. His greatest weapon in any situation was his smile, with which he won hearts left, right and centre. I will miss him terribly.”

Suhail Ahmad: (Stage Artist)

“His death is a great blow to Lollywood. Lehri had an unmatched style of acting and dialogue delivery. He could say the most bitingly funny things with a straight face. I'm a mimic and have copied several popular artists, but always found it tough to imitate Lehri as his diction and style are truly his.  I would like to add that after his departure from Lollywood, Urdu film faced a void that could not be filled.”

B.G (Designer)

“Most actors in our film industry have no fashion sense, and as such do not employ the services of a designer, but I have always heard great things about Lehri.  I used to watch Pakistani movies and was great fan of Munawar Zarif and Lehri. The thing about Lehri was that he never stooped to being foul-mouthed or vulgar to make people laugh. While supporting actors in movies are used to lend shades of comedy, none have had the power to make people laugh as did Lehri. It was when these characters were dropped from our movies that their overall fullness and quality declined.”

Shahzad Rafiq (Producer/Director)

“Lehri gave a new dimension to humour. Whether it is someone as accomplished as Om Puri, or any other Indian comedian, the nuances of Lehri's comedy have never been replicated. I watched several of his films in my college days at the Gulistan and Capri cinemas in Gujranwala. I noticed that his vocabulary and delivery spoke of the fact that he was a man of literature. Such people are rare in Pakistan's film industry. It is true no industry collapses after one person's departure, but there are people like Munawar Zarif, Rangeela, and Lehri who simply cannot be replaced. Had he been working till now, I wouldn't even think twice about casting him my movies.”

Sana (Actress)

“I'm shocked at Lehri Sahab's demise. Though I never met or worked with him, I know that he was a remarkable artist. It is because of people like him that our industry throve before and exists still. I pray for his soul, and for his family.”

Shahzad Gul: (Producer/Studio owner)

“Though most of Lehri's shootings were conducted at the Evernew Studio, I unfortunately never happened to meet him. My friends from showbiz always told me though that he boasted of an excellent nature, was humble, hospitable, and above all, a non-aggressive person. If we talk about his skill, it is beyond a shadow of doubt that he was an artist who never resorted to slapsticky gimmicks to make people laugh. Lehri used language with literary references that made his acts so incredible. He would rehearse twice or thrice, and then add his own flavour to the script, saying that his dialogues were not based on a script but on a situation. No doubt the industry had gigantic stars at that point, such as Nadeem, Shahid, Waheed Murad and Mohammad Ali, but Lehri as an artist was indispensable.”