hakeel, born Yousuf Kamal, was a very popular television actor. He ruled the small screen for more than three decades, playing either the lead or major roles in some of the most cherished television serials in the heyday of Pakistan Television from its start to the beginning of the new century.

Television in the earlier phase was mostly loyal to the definitions that had been pasted on it. It gradually encroached upon the space earlier thought to be cinema’s domain, and totally new areas ushered in by the digital media. In a way, TV has been the biggest beneficiary of the digital media revolution. Over the last couple of decades, has it monopolised viewing time and entertainment hours as its outreach has increased, dramatically changing the dynamics of production and financing - especially during the pandemic years.

Shakeel also tried his hand at cinema, the preferred option of all especially in the latter part of the Twentieth Century. However, he was not much of a success in the competition that he landed himself in with Waheed Murad. Probably, the two had a similar disposition and were destined to play similar kind of roles. So, Shakeel was soon overshadowed to be rescued by the growing presence of television in the 1970s. Perhaps, he was more in the mould of Santosh Kumar as the debonair leading man but Waheed Murad’s more flamboyant antics captured the attention of the cine goers 1960s onwards. Despite that, he was cast in a number of films.

But it appeared that his talent was limited by the success that he achieved over the decades. The suave urbane male trying to make sense of a world that was fast changing, his relationship with women forced by the dynamics of their evolving roles. His style of acting was of understating - something television was more responsive. The characters that he played were not overboard but restrained, bringing in the atmosphere of the old world charm and sophistication that was perhaps a thing of the past. He played the breed that we all cherished. However, it was rendered ineffective by the changing realities that characterised modern times. Haseena Moeen became hugely popular as the tame comedies that she penned offended no one and provided harmless entertainment. The undercurrent was provided by women characters that were more assertive, crafting a place not wholly traditional in society and a matrix of relationships at workplace with male colleagues. The nuance of understated romance was what glued everything together.

The characters that he played were not overboard but restrained, bringing in the atmosphere of the old world charm and sophistication that was perhaps a thing of the past. He played a breed that we all cherished.

The role crafted by Anwar Maqsood in Anghan Terha was both idiosyncratic and thoughtful. Actually, the play was about the evolving complexity of relationship in an urban setting. It dealt with great ease a difficult phase in the lives of people once sought after and looked up to.

He also acted on stage but in the later part of his career, his talent for a living performance was highlighted when he did a one-character play Aus Gali Na Jaaween, written by Sarmad Sehbai, without the aid of other actors and an overtly evolving plot. It was a challenging prospect and needed innovation to handle but he did that without breaking the rhythm and making it clear that this aspect of his talent had not been exploited by those in charge. It was about a man losing touch with objective reality and forced to fall back on the subjectivity as the only reality. The character us, thus, isolated and becomes totally inward-looking. It brought forth a great performance by him. Stage is always a different ball game and the live performance clamps down a different set of do’s and don’ts and if it happens to be a one-character play then it is enormous. But it seemed that Shakeel was no novice. He carried the role and the play with a gripping pace. It was apparent that the challenge was there all the time but it did not come to the surface as a formidable hurdle. It stayed in the background and the performance was assessed against its backdrop.

The writer is a culture critic based in Lahore