Moin Akhtar was a magician who knew how to light up a room with laughter. He was an artist who had the power to instill emotion into his work and showed Pakistan that talent knew no boundaries. He was the magnificent chameleon who proved that he could pull off the role of any character that he wished; making us laugh, leaving us emotional and often times offering us food for thought. Here’s a reminder of some moments of the laughing/emotional moments he shared with his nation.

1. Rozi: The time he dolled up and acted to give Pakistani women a run for their money. 

Moin Akhtar adopted the role of a female, Rozy, in an all time famous PTV drama. This resulted in the entire nation erupting in endless laughter and applause for his brilliant performance. To this date he is remembered for his versatility and surprisingly good feminine looks with makeup on!

2. 1996 World Cup: The time when Moin Akhtar sang a cheer up song.

Being the multi-talented man that he was, Moin Akhtar sang a song after the 1996 world cup loss to let the people and our team know that it was okay for us to smile; it was an act of encouragement.

3. Multilingual: The time when he would keep switching between languages to make us laugh.

Mr. Akhtar was known for his ability to speak many languages of both local and foreign origin; such as English, Bengali, Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi, Memoni, Pashto, Gujarati and Urdu. It was because of this that audiences around the world would laugh and thoroughly enjoy his every performance as he switched from role to role.

4. A Moment to Remember: The time he entertained us by hosting the Moin Akhtar Show.

He was the host of a show where esteemed personalities were invited from abroad and from within the country. Regardless of who the guest was, Moin Akhtar used his wit and humor to show the lighter side of life and that personality as well, making everyone laugh in the process. Popular personalities that were guests include King Hussein of Jordan, Dilip Kumar, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto just to name a few.

5. Pakistani Idol: The time we discovered that he could not only act, but also sing.

Pakistanis at this point required a new set of teeth with which they could add another smile to their pre-existing one, upon discovering that Moin Akhtar could sing as well. His very first album was a tribute to the great Ahmed Rushdi and rest assured it added another dynamic dimension to his career.

6. Loose Talk: The time when he was a kama kamal Chameleon.

I mean, one feels there is a limit to laughter, but not with this legend. There were more than 400 episodes, each episode had the dynamic duo of Moin Akhtar and Anwar Maqsood, the former appearing as a new character in every episode and the latter interviewing him.  His talent knew no boundaries, because of which he adopted any role, making sure that the audience would find it hard to catch their breath. 400 different roles: now that’s a super power, I’d say!

7. Setting An Example: The time we realized that he was a happy family guy. 

The father of two proud sons and a daughter, Moin Akhtar proved to all Pakistani men and women that regardless of his fame and fortune, he prioritized his family to an extent that he managed to raise his children very well. For all the men out there, you’re officially done with your excuse book. Indeed, it was heartwarming to see such a man amidst us.

8. Aman Ki Asha: The time when he performed with legends like Dilip Kumar and others.

Back then, hearts were pure and fame had not driven men and women against each other. It was less of a competition and more about influencing the lives of as many as possible. Moin Akhtar, yet again, brought a smile of pride to our faces when he performed with stars from India such as Dilip Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and Govinda, among many others.

9. Bewitching Beyond Borders: The time he performed in India as well.

Moin Akhtar and his unique talent could not be contained within the boundaries of Pakistan, and so he performed on several occasions, with Umer Sharif, in India. His popular performances there include stage shows like Bakra Qiston Pe and Buddha Ghar Pe Hai.

10. Bum Mushaira: The time he made the nation laugh with his witty mushairas.

As time was changing, the need for ‘mushaira’, poetry and stage acting increased so as to make the upcoming youth aware of all the meaningful talent that their country possessed. His ‘mushairas’ were with Behroz Sabzwari, Anwar Maqsood, Umer Sharif and others.

11. Ingenious Impersonator: The times that he would impersonate almost anyone without notice.

He was the charismatic magician who knew how to impersonate almost any personality, without having practiced at all. However, his impersonations served as two purposes; the first being to make everyone laugh, and the second being to make everyone wonder about the actual character and, whose role he would adopt, where they came from.

No words can do justice to his personality and nor can one sum up of all the times that he’s triggered endless emotions within us. He always will remain the King of Comedy!