Daily Times

It was some time before the demise of Kanwar Aftab Ahmad, legendary drama and music producer of PTV when writer/actor Mustansar Hussain Tarrer, late Ravian/singer/cricketer Mushtaq Hashmi and I had gone to his residence to enquire about his health that we also decided to visit Shoaib Hashmi living close by in F Block, Model Town, Lahore.

We went to a palatial house with open doors where we were received by a hefty looking man who was looking after Shoaib, now a patient of paralysis after a strong attack of brain stroke. My colleagues who are a vocal persons tried to converse with Shoaib remembering the good old times spent in GC. It was painful to watch a kind, handsome and a vocal person responding in monosyllables after understanding what we were saying. I recalled the only visit to his house in Safanwalla Chowk on Temple Road escorted by Mushtaq Hashmi where two brothers Shoaib and Humair lived with their mother. Both the brothers were engaged to Saleema and Moneeza, the daughters of famous poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz. All friends used to gather in their house for gup shup in the 1960s. Probably he borrowed this name with a little change as such gup, for his famous humorous series at PTV later on. I remember having witnessed him writing the script as well as directing the actors. After the great success his series namely Akkar Bakkar, Taal Matol and Balila also became popular.

The humour was very subtle in his skits. For example, people still recall a man with hunchback entering a wagon overflowing with passengers and then coming out with straight back. It simply demonstrated the overcrowded wagons when people stood neck to neck. Shoaib’s columns in the Daily News and the Gulf News earned him a good name. It is reported in the media that Shoaib Hashmi also wrote extensively for the theatre and translated a few books.

One of his most notable translations was a song for this day: 52 poems by his father-in-law Faiz Ahmed Faiz. His wife illustrated the book. He also did quite a few translations of English dramas for local theatres owing to the lack of playwrights and drama publications in Urdu.

Salima Hashmi, his wife was also a professor of economics and Shoaib held a Masters in Economics from Government College, Lahore, MSc from the London School of Economics and studied theatre from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He worked hard in his profession and passion. He was a very popular teacher and was surrounded by his students all the time on the college.

On personal front I cannot forget his introduction recorded in EMI Studios at Shahdin Building, The Mall, Lahore to my album Amjad Parvez sings Faiz in 1980s. Shoaib Hashmi also worked as Secretary Alhamra Arts Council and was the recipient of the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz and the coveted President’s Award for Pride of Performance. He is survived by a son and a daughter.

The news of his demise has shocked all the people in the elite and masses. I shall only quote remarks of actor Seemi Raheel who fondly remembered Shoaib as the “Imagineer” and creative genius who stood apart from the rest. She cherished her long association with him, considering it an honour and privilege to be a part of his family. Simi expressed that there would never be anyone like Shoaib Hashmi.