Comedy is a theater or other artistic form whose primary goal is to entertain in accordance with contemporary ideas. It is compared with burlesqueand other fun entertainment on the one hand and tragedy on the other.(1)
This article includes the best comedians born in Pakistan and some of the most well-known comedians who came to Pakistan and provides brief biographies and pictures of each. This list is an excellent resource for learning about well-known Pakistani comedy actors. Famous comedians from Pakistan are profiled here, along with relevant biographical details.
Comic legends like Kader Khan and newer stars like Zaid Ali may be found on this well-known Pakistani comedy actors list. You may use this list of prominent comedians from Pakistan to learn more about their accomplishments and identities. These famous Pakistani comedians may or may not still be alive, but they are all known for being among the best in their field.
1. Irfan Khoosat
Irfan Khoosat was one of the best Pakistani comedy actors. Famed comedian, actor, and producer Irfan Khoosat hails from Pakistan. He became well-known for his comedic portrayal of the bumbling and blabbermouth Hawaldar Karamdad, a low-ranking police officer, on the T.V. series Andhera Ujala. In addition, he has a reputation as a successful stand-up comic. For his comedic performance in Hum se hai zaman (1985), he also received a Nigar Award.(2)
2. Kader Khan
The Indian-Canadian actor, screenwriter, comedian, and director Kader Khan passed away on December 31, 2018. After making his acting debut alongside Rajesh Khanna in the 1973 film Daag, where he played a prosecution attorney, he featured in more than 300 films. He also worked as a screenwriter for Bollywood movies from the 1970s until the late ’90s, contributing dialogue to over 200 different films.
Khan received his degree from Bombay University-affiliated Ismail Yusuf College. After spending time as a professor of Civil Engineering at Mumbai’s M. H. Saboo Siddik College of Engineering in the early 1970s, he transitioned to the film business.
3. Afzal Khan
Afzal Khan, or “John Rambo” as he is known in Pakistan, is an actor and comedian. He became well-known because of his role as a janitor on PTV’s hit comedy show Guest House, where he was dubbed “John Rambo” (1991). The pseudonym he adopted was John Rambo, after the fictional character played by Sylvester Stallone. People on the T.V. set had dubbed him “John Rambo” after realizing how much he resembled the famous Hollywood star.
4. Lehri
The late Safirullah Siddiqui, better known by his stage name Lehri, was a comedian and actor in Pakistan’s Urdu cinema industry. He passed away on September 13, 2012. He has maintained his status as one of South Asia’s most celebrated comedians. In Pakistan, Lehri has the title of “comedy king.” In Lollywood, he was honored with 11 Nigar Awards.(3)
5. Akhter Moin
Pakistani actor, comedian, impersonator, presenter, writer, singer, director, and producer Moin Akhter (also spelled “Moin Akhtar”) first gained notoriety during the heyday of Radio Pakistan alongside other performers Anwer Maqsood and Bushra Ansari. He is regarded as one of the most consequential personalities in the subcontinent’s film industry for his work as “Rosy,” the character he created onscreen. Beginning when he was a youngster during the Radio Pakistan period of contemporary filmmaking and ending with a year to spare before his death in 2011, his career spanned more than 45 years.
6. Munawar Zarif
Munawar Zarif was also one of the best Pakistani Comedy Actors. Pakistan had its great comic and film actor, the late Munawar Zarif. He is well-known for his roles in Pakistani films of the 1970s, in which he played both dramatic and comic roles. Zarif, who has starred in more than 300 films, is one of South Asia’s most well-known comedians.
7. Lala Rauf
He was born in Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan, in 1970, but Rauf Lala (Urdu: ) has become a household name for his comedian, actor, writer, and producer work. He’s been performing on stage and in the media in Pakistan for almost 30 years, and his comedy skills are legendary. Lala has also been active in India, where she won the second season of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.(4)
8. Saad Haroon
Pakistani comedy actor and author Saad Haroon. He was the first Pakistani stand-up comedian to perform in English in cities across Pakistan on his tour “Saad Haroon: Very Live,” He also founded the first Pakistani improvisational comedy ensemble, BlackFish. The Real News, which Haroon produced and presented, was the first comedy show in Pakistani television history to be broadcast in English. 59,213 people thought he was funny in October 2014, making him the runner-up in a Laugh Factory poll.
9. Ahmed Sohail
Ahmed Sohail (born May 1, 1963) is a famous Pakistani comedian and actor. He is well-known for his comedic Lahore-set stage and T.V. plays. He also had a recurrent role in the hit T.V. program Hasb-e-Haal.
10. M. Umer Shareef
Umer Shreef was also one of the top and standard Pakistani comedy actors. Comedian, actor, director, producer, author, composer, writer, poet, and T.V. personality Umer Sharif is from Pakistan. He’s one of the funniest people in the world and is usually regarded as the funniest person on the subcontinent. The Liaquatabad neighborhood of Karachi is where Umer Sharif entered the world. When he started acting, he changed his name to Omer Sharif.
At the tender age of 14, he began a career in the entertainment industry in Karachi as a degree performer. In 1989, he performed in a comedy show, Bakra Qistoon Pe and Buddha Ghar Pe Hai, which became an instant hit and is still remembered today. A big reason for his popularity is that he began filming degree-related shows rented out to audiences like movies. A few of the earliest game shows released on home video were Yes, Sir Eid, and No Sir Eid.
In the South Asian belt, including Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, and other languages, he is revered as the undisputed King of Comedy. When the Indian variety show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge needed a guest judge for an episode, they called on Umer Sharif, who, along with Navjot Singh Siddhu and Shekhar Suman, accepted the invitation. Additionally, Sharif presented The Shareif Show, where he spoke with celebrities, singers, and politicians from the worlds of film and television. He has also presided over ceremonies at home and abroad as the Master of Ceremonies.(5)
11. Shakeel Siddiqui
Television stand-up comedian Shakeel Siddiqui, or Teeli as he is called in Pakistan, is a popular figure in his home country. After pretending to participate in Comedy Circus, he quickly climbed to fame in Bollywood. Even though he didn’t end up winning, his popularity helped him land a job as a co-host for the show’s second season.
While participating in the reality program Ustaadon Ka Ustaad, he is matched with the famous Urvashi Dholakia (2008). In addition to his guest judging appearance in the Boogie Woogie dance competition, Shakeel Siddiqui was a celebrity guest on Salman Khan’s reality show Dus Ka Dum (2008). Around this time, he joined the Comedy Circus cast as Kaante Ki Takkar, the show’s third and last season.
The performances of Shakeel may now be seen on every significant Pakistani television network. After becoming well-known in India for his appearances on the Humor Circus, where he was hailed as the king of stage comedy, Shakeel went his own way and began appearing on the show Fan’s Choice, at first with Urvashi Dholakia and then with Shruti Seth and Mona Singh. He was held up as an example by his fellow alternative participants, and several of them, including Swapnil, referred to him as the best comedian on stage.
12. Iftikhar Thakur
Iftikhar Ahmed, later known as Iftikhar Thakur, is a famous comedian and actor from Pakistan. He became well-known thanks to his performances in Pothwari language telefilms. He has been featured in various stage productions and television movies, primarily Punjabi, Pothwari/Mirpuri, and Urdu.
He now plays Mian Afzal Nirgoli, a Punjab Police officer, in the comic discussion program Mazaaq Raat. Based on his on-stage persona, Iftikhar Thakur became his stage name. He used to work at an auto body shop replacing flat tires before pursuing acting. As a form of protest against India’s end-fireplace breach on August 28, 2015, Thakur filed a lawsuit with a Pakistani court in September 2015, demanding that all Indian films be removed from theaters in Pakistan.
The court ruled against the petitioner, stating that the Ministry of Culture would be the better venue for such an appeal. A graduate of Commerce College, Karachi, he earned his F.A. After launching himself onto the world’s stages and screens, he traveled to the United States in 1997 to hone his acting and direct chops at New York Film Academy, where he graduated with a diploma after three years and two months of study.
Sources
- Hoy H, C. (2023). “Comedy” Britannica https://www.britannica.com/art/comedy
- Pill, P. “IRFAN KHOOSAT” PeoplePill https://peoplepill.com/people/irfan-khoosat
- IANS (2012). “Legendary Pakistani actor Safirullah Siddiqui dead” IndiaToday https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/legendary-pakistani-actor-safirullah-siddiqui-dead-115964-2012-09-12
- Admin (2022). “RAUF LALA” TheInfoPoints https://theinfopoints.com/entertainment/comedians/rauf-lala/
- JAZEERA, A. (2021). “Pakistan’s ‘king of comedy’ Umer Sharif dies at 66” AlJazeera https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/2/pakistan-comedy-legend-umer-sharif-dies-at-66
- COBUILD, C. (2023). “Burlesque” CollinsDictionary https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/burlesque
- Imdb (2023). “Kader Khan” Imdb https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0434318/
