Lehri | |
|---|---|
| لہری | |
 | |
| Born | Safirullah Siddiqui (1929-01-02)2 January 1929 |
| Died | 13 September 2012(2012-09-13) (aged 83) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1956 – 1986 |
| Awards | 12Nigar Awards |
Safirullah Siddiqui[1] (2 January 1929 – 13 September 2012), commonly known by his stage nameLehri, was a Pakistani comedian and an actor in theUrdufilm industry ofPakistan.
He is still considered as one of the most acclaimed comedians ofSouth Asia,[1] and is known as the comedy king in thePakistan film industry.[2]
In a film career spanning 38 years, he acted in 225 movies.[2]
He won 12Nigar Awards for "Best Comedian" from 1963 to 1982.[3][1]
Lehri was born on 2 January 1929 inKanpur, British India.[4] Afterindependence, he along with his family, migrated toPakistan and settled inKarachi. As a teenager he worked as a stenotypist and hosiery salesman.[5] He performed on radio and stage before entering the film industry.[6]
Lehri acted from the late 1950s until the 1980s. He won theNigar Award 12 times for various films between 1963 and 1986; his first film,Anokhi, was released in 1956, and his last production wasDhanak in 1986. The vast majority of his films have been inUrdu, though he did perform in a fewPunjabi productions.[1][3]
Lehri's forte was the quip and in his monotone, his audience became used to finding a brand of quiet, almost surreptitious humour. To critics and to his fans, his restrained style came to personify the 'decency' of times gone by. After the mid-1980s, Lehri was reduced to occasional appearances on television and newspaper columns. By the time private-sector television arrived, though, the film industry was struggling and all that it had once encompassed was looked upon both with a sense of loss and with fondness.[1][7]
Lehri retired in late 1986 after suffering a stroke;[1] after his retirement, his health started deteriorating, then Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto set up a monthly stipend for him ofRs. 2,500, which he continued to receive until his last days; however there was no increase in the amount until his death. He died on 13 September 2012 inKarachi, aged 83, from lung, kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart issues.[1] He had been under treatment and was on a ventilator due to prolonged illness in a private hospital at the time of his death. Lehri’s funeral prayers took place on the same evening atMasjid-e-Baitul-Mukkaram inGulshan-e-Iqbal, and he was buried at theYasinabad Graveyard,Karachi.[6][8][4]
Lehri won 12 Nigar awards, which is considered one of the most prestigious awards in Urdu and Lollywood film industry in Pakistan.[9][4][10]
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Daman[9] | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1964 | Paigham[9] | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1965 | Kaneez[1][9] | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1967 | Mein Wo Nahi | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1968 | Saiqa[9] | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1969 | Nai Laila Naya Majnu[9] | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1970 | Anjuman[9] | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1974 | Dillagi[9] | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1976 | Aaj Aur Kal | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1979 | Naya Andaaz | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1980 | Saima[9] | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1982 | Beewe Ho To Aisee | Nigar Awards | Best Comedian | Won |
| 1996 | Acting | Pride of Performance Award | Arts | Won |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
