Glowing tribute paid to Zia Mohyeddin on first death anniversary

A glowing tribute was presented to Zia Mohyeddin by his colleagues, friends, and students at the National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) on Tuesday to mark the first death anniversary of the legendary actor, director, and founder of NAPA.

The programme began with a panel discussion with Zia Mohyeddin’s widow Azra, actor and old friend Munawwar Saeed, NAPA chairperson Syed Jawaid Iqbal, NAPA advisor on theater Khalid Ahmed, former senator Javed Jabbar, and poet Ashfaq Hussain being panelists.

NAPA CEO Junaid Zuberi conducted the discussion. He started by saying that it was difficult to speak on the personality of Zia Mohyeddin. Azra Mohyeddin narrated her first meeting with Zia Mohyeddin, where she had corrected Zia Sahib’s Urdu and that, perhaps, made him believe that she was a person of strength.

Munawwar Saeed relived his first meeting with the legendary thespian when Zia Sahib had directed Khwaja Moinuddin’s Lal Qilay Se Lalukhet. He said Zia Sahib was a man of great self-control.

Syed Jawaid Iqbal said the legacy of Zia Mohyeddin was that he took the classical literature out of drawing rooms to the masses through his parhant.

Khalid Ahmed recalled the day Zia Mohyeddin passed away and how, even though NAPA was closed for three days in mourning, students assembled there to remember their great teacher every evening. He urged Zia Sahib’s students to keep his legacy alive through their work.

Former senator Javed Jabbar said Zia Mohyeddin was the embodiment of stage. He made the works of poets come alive. Poet Ashfaq Hussain remembered how Zia Sahib loved playing bridge. He said Zia Mohyeddin was a shy person who preferred to stay away from public view, except for his performances.

Later, a number of Zia Mohyeddin’s students and fans paid him tribute by reciting poetry of N M Rashid, Zehra Nigah, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and reading text from Fasana-e Azad. Two of Zia Mohyeddin’s students also enacted a scene from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Those who presented such tributes included Faisal Talib, Zarqa Naz, Shireen Maqsood Hameedi, Asim Khatak, Asad ullah Khoso, Zubair Baloch, Sheheryar Ahmed, Arshad Ali, Sarfaraz Ali, Faisal Durrani, Baber Khan, and Mohsin Ahmed.

The event was emceed by writer and director Samina Nazir, herself a student of Zia Mohyeddin.