Culture Vulture
The writer and comedian talks to Instep about sharing the stage with veteran humorist Anwar Maqsood and actors Behroze Sabzwari, Qazi Wajid and Hina Dilpazeer.
Having made a memorable debut in Wajahat Rauf’s 2015 film, Karachi Se Lahore and stealing the limelight from his co-stars, the multi-talented artist Yasir Hussain recently shared the stage with veteran scriptwriter and humorist Anwar Maqsood in Saudi Arabia along with Behroze Sabzwari, Qazi Wajid and Hina Dilpazeer.
Talking to Instep, Yasir shared that the Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan invited the group to perform in the embassy for the Pakistani community settled there. “We did two back to back shows in Saudi Arabia,” noted Yasir. “It’s a comic mushaira called ‘Loose Mushaira’ that Anwar Maqsood has been doing for the past 20 years all around the world including Pakistan and big names such as Bushra Ansari and late Moin Akhtar have been associated with it.”
The actor/comedian/host revealed that he has been a part of this troupe for the past four years. “The humorous poetry is written by Anwar Maqsood and we recite it,” Yasir continued. “This time around I performed with the one and only Anwar Maqsood along with Behroze Sabzwari, Qazi Wajid, Hina Dilpazeer and others.”
According to Yasir, it has been seven years since he began doing theatre with Anwar Maqsood. “Some of the plays include Aangan Terha, Half Plate, Pawnay 14 August and Sawa 14 August. In fact, I essayed the character that Moin sahab played in the theatrical adaptation of TV play Half Plate.”
The actor went on to share that at the premiere of one of his films, Anwar Maqsood had stated: “Yasir ke aanay se mujhe Moin ki kami mehsoos nahi hoti,” which was an honour for the actor.
When asked how it felt to share the stage with the legendary Anwar Maqsood, Yasir noted, “Even though I have been performing with Anwar sahab for such a long time, it is always a pleasure to share the stage with him – and this is exactly why I am a part of this group. Last year we took the mushaira to England as well.”
About the response they received, Yasir said that the audience loved them. “The last show that Anwar sahab did in KSA was almost 11 years ago. The crowd was amazing and we got great response mainly because such activities are a rare thing especially in a country like Saudi Arabia.”
With a few films and plays to his credit, Yasir’s star will continue to rise. He will soon be seen hosting a talk show.
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