Zia Mohyeddin (; born 20 June 1931) is a British-Pakistani

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...

, producer, director and television broadcaster who has appeared in both

Pakistani cinema Cinema of Pakistan, popularly known as Lollywood ( ur, ), refers to the filmmaking industry in Pakistan. Pakistan is home to several film studios centres, primarily located in its three largest cities – Karachi, Lahore, and Faisalabad. ...

and

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

as well as in British cinema and television throughout his career. Zia Mohyeddin is famous for his blockbuster

Pakistan Television Pakistan Television Corporation ( ur, ; reporting name: PTV) is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster. Pakistan entered the television broadcasting age in 1964, with a pilot television station established at Lahore. Background Historical c ...

talk show named after him ''Zia Mohyeddin Show'' (1969 – 1973). He is also known for originating the role of Dr. Aziz in the stage play of ''

A Passage to India ''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English liter ...

.'' He also appeared in ''

Lawrence of Arabia Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...

''.

Early life and career

Zia Mohyeddin was born in

Lyallpur Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...

, (now called

Faisalabad Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

(now in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

), in a family originally from

Rohtak Rohtak () is a city and the administrative headquarters of the Rohtak district in the Indian state of Haryana. It lies north-west of New Delhi and south of the state capital Chandigarh on NH 9(old NH 10). Rohtak forms a part of the National ...

, East Punjab (now in

Haryana Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ...

. His father, Khadim Mohyeddin, was a mathematician, musicologist, playwright and lyricist associated with various theatre groups. Zia spent his early life in

Kasur Kasur (Urdu and pa, ; also romanized as Qasūr; from pluralized Arabic word ''Qasr'' meaning "palaces" or "forts") is a city to south of Lahore, in the Pakistani province of Punjab. The city serves as the headquarters of Kasur District. Kasu ...

and

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...

. He was trained at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

in London from 1953 to 1956. After stage roles in '' Long Day's Journey into Night'' and ''

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

'', he made his West End debut in ''

'' from 20 April to 3 December 1960 at the Comedy Theatre, running for 302 performances. He made his film debut in ''

'' (1962), playing the role of Tafas (the Arab guide who is shot by

Omar Sharif Omar Sharif ( ar, عمر الشريف ; born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub , 10 April 193210 July 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. He began his career in his native country in the ...

for drinking water from the wrong well). He then made numerous TV and film appearances. As an actor, he worked for nearly 47 years in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. His first wife was Sarwar Zemani with whom he had two sons, Minos Ameer and Risha Ameen.

Return to Pakistan and later career

Mohyeddin returned to

in the late 1960s. Between 1969 and 1973 he hosted the hugely popular television talk show, "The Zia Mohyeddin Show", best remembered for Mohyeddin's rap-style song segment, which he would introduce with his trademark phrase of ''"zara theka lagaiye"''. He was appointed Director of the PIA Arts Academy in 1973, a role he held until 1977. Around this time, he met and subsequently married the renowned

Kathak Kathak ( hi, कथक; ur, کتھک) is one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. It is the classical dance from of Uttar Pradesh. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards in ancient northern Ind ...

dancer Nahid Siddiqui. Together they have a son, the percussionist and music producer, Hassan "Moyo" Mohyeddin. Following differences with the military regime of General

Zia-ul-Haq General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, ( Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial ...

, Mohyeddin returned to the UK in the late 1970s. During the 1980s Zia worked in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

, Great Britain, where he produced Central Television's flagship multicultural programme Here and Now (1986 – 1989), a weekly magazine program. While working in Britain in the 1980s, he was asked in an interview by a Pakistani news reporter whether he missed Pakistan. He replied that he certainly did. That it was his home country. He missed his friends there and the people of Pakistan. He has since travelled the world giving

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Pervez Musharraf General Pervez Musharraf ( ur, , Parvez Muśharraf; born 11 August 1943) is a former Pakistani politician and four-star general of the Pakistan Army who became the tenth president of Pakistan after the successful military takeover of t ...

invited Mohyeddin to form the

National Academy of Performing Arts The National Academy of Performing Arts ( ur, ; 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 a ...

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

, of which he has been President since its inception.

Films

* ''Rahguzar'' (1960) * ''

'' (1962) – Tafas * ''

Sammy Going South ''Sammy Going South'' (retitled ''A Boy Ten Feet Tall'' for its later US release) is a 1963 British adventure film directed by Alexander Mackendrick, photographed by Erwin Hillier and starring Edward G. Robinson, Fergus McClelland and Constanc ...

'' (1963) – The Syrian * '' Behold a Pale Horse'' (1964) – Luis, Guide of Paco * ''

Khartoum Khartoum or Khartum ( ; ar, الخرطوم, Al-Khurṭūm, din, Kaartuɔ̈m) is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 5,274,321, its metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile, flowing n ...

'' (1966) – Zobeir Pasha * ''

Deadlier Than the Male ''Deadlier Than the Male'' is a 1967 British adventure crime mystery film. It is one of the many take-offs of James Bond produced during the 1960s, but is based on an already established detective fiction hero, Bulldog Drummond. Richard Johnso ...

'' (1966) – King Fedra * ''

The Sailor from Gibraltar ''The Sailor from Gibraltar'' is a 1967 British romantic drama film directed by Tony Richardson and starring Jeanne Moreau, Ian Bannen, Vanessa Redgrave, Hugh Griffith and Orson Welles. The screenplay concerns a mysterious woman who wanders the ...

'' (1967) – Noori * ''

They Came from Beyond Space ''They Came from Beyond Space'' is a 1967 British Eastman Color science fiction film produced by Max J. Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky, and directed by Freddie Francis. The screenplay was written by Subotsky, based on the 1941 novel '' The Go ...

'' (1967) – Farge * ''

Work Is a Four-Letter Word ''Work Is a Four-Letter Word'' (also known as ''Work Is a 4-Letter Word'') is a 1968 British satirical comedy film directed by Peter Hall and starring David Warner and Cilla Black, in her only acting role in a cinematic film. The film was not w ...

'' (1968) – Dr. Aly Narayana * ''

Bombay Talkie ''Bombay Talkie'' is a 1970 film by Merchant Ivory Productions, with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and James Ivory. Plot Lucia Lane (Jennifer Kendal) is a British author who is researching the Bollywood film industry. She falls in lov ...

'' (1970) – Hari * ''Mujrim Kaun'' (1971) * '' Ashanti'' (1979) – Djamil * ''

The Assam Garden ''The Assam Garden'' is a 1985 British drama film directed by Mary McMurray and produced by Nigel Stafford-Clark with Peter Jaques as associate producer. Made by Moving Picture Company and distributed by Contemporary Films Ltd., it was written b ...

'' (1985) – Mr. Lal * ''Partition'' (1987) * ''

Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...

'' (1992) – Shehzada * ''Some Lover to Some Beloved'' (documentary) (2017) - (Zia portrays Himself)

Selected TV

* ''

The Adventures of Sir Francis Drake ''Sir Francis Drake'' (aka ''The Adventures of Sir Francis Drake'') is a 1961–1962 British adventure television series starring Terence Morgan as Sir Francis Drake, commander of the sailing ship the ''Golden Hind''. As well as battles at sea a ...

'' (7 January 1962 episode "Visit to Spain"). – King Philip of Spain * ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again b ...

'' (1964-1966) – Dr. Sawari / Sinclair Jones / Mr. Sen / Khan * '' The Avengers'' (1966) – Prince Ali * ''

Adam Adamant Lives! ''Adam Adamant Lives!'' is a British adventure television series that ran from 1966 to 1967 on BBC 1, starring Gerald Harper in the title role. The series was created and produced by several alumni from ''Doctor Who''. Proposing that an adventur ...

'' (1967) – Sheikh Abdul * ''

Jackanory ''Jackanory'' is a BBC children's television series which was originally broadcast between 1965 and 1996. It was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, and the first story was the fair ...

'' (1967) – Storyteller * ''

Man in a Suitcase ''Man in a Suitcase'' is a British television private eye thriller series produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment. It originally aired in the United Kingdom on ITV from 27 September 1967 to 17 April 1968. ABC broadcast episodes of ''Man in ...

'' (1968) – Rafael * ''

The Champions ''The Champions'' is a British espionage thriller/science fiction/occult detective fiction adventure television series. It was produced by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment production company, and consists of 30 episodes broadcast in the UK on IT ...

'' (1969) – Prengo * '' Hadleigh'' (1969) – Major Savvas Stylianos * ''Detective'' (12 October 1969 episode '' Inspector Ghote Hunts the Peacock'') –

Inspector Ghote Inspector Ganesh Ghote (pronounced "GO-tay") is a fictional police officer who is the main character in H. R. F. Keating's detective novels. Ghote is an inspector in the police force of Bombay (a.k.a. Mumbai), India. Overview Ghote first app ...

* ''

Gangsters A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from '' mob'' and the suffix '' -ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and ...

'' (1978) – Iqbal Khan * ''

Z-Cars ''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it deb ...

'' (1978) – Anwar Chowdry * ''

Minder A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something, i.e. a person who " minds". Government-appointed persons to accompany foreign visitors are of ...

'' (1980) – Tajvir * ''

Death of a Princess ''Death of a Princess'' is a British 1980 drama-documentary produced by ATV in cooperation with WGBH in the United States. The drama is based on the true story of Princess Mishaal, a young Saudi Arabian princess and her lover who had been p ...

'' (1980) – Marwan Shaheen * '' The Jewel in the Crown'' (1984) – Mohammad Ali 'Mak' KasimFilmography of Zia Mohyeddin on Complete Index To World Film (CITWF) website
Retrieved 11 February 2018 * '' Bergerac'' (1984) – Adnan Rashid * '' Family Pride'' (1991–92) – BB * ''Dhun Hamari Tumharay Naam Hui '' (1999)

Awards and recognition

Hilal-i-Imtiaz The ''Hilaal-e-Imtiaz'' (; ), also spelled and transliterated as Hilāl-e-Imtiyāz, is the second-highest (in the hierarchy of "Hilal") civilian award and honour given to both civilians and military officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces by the ...

Award, Crescent of Excellence) Awardin 2012 by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the ...

Award, Star of Excellence) Awardin 2003 by the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territorie ...

President to confer civil awards today
Dawn (newspaper), Published 23 March 2003, Retrieved 10 February 2018 *''Lifetime Achievement Award'' on 29 November 2017 presented by the Pakistani community living in

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, wikt:دبي, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the List of cities in the United Arab Emirates#Major cities, most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 ...

& given by the Pakistan Ambassador in

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (Middle East, The Middle East). It is ...

(UAE).

References

External links

* , Filmography of Zia Mohyeddin on IMDb website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mohyeddin, Zia 1931 births Living people Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Pakistani dramatists and playwrights Muhajir people Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Pakistani male television actors Pakistan Television Corporation people Pakistani television talk show hosts Pakistani emigrants to the United Kingdom Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom British male television actors British male film actors British male stage actors British dramatists and playwrights Pakistani male film actors Pakistani male stage actors People from Faisalabad