Veteran Pakistani actor and comedian Ismail Tara passes away in Karachi on Thursday night at the age of 73. The actor was ill and was admitted to the hospital three days ago. According to media reports, the actor died due to kidney failure.
His funeral prayer will be offered in Shaheed-e-Millat Karachi’s Memon Jamia Masjid Phari Wali on Friday afternoon. Ismail Tara had a prolific career on stage, in film, and TV. He was born in 1948 in Karachi and joined the stage plays in his teens in 1964. Soon, he got noticed among his peers for his exceptional talent of mimicry which brought him instant recognition. Tara soon grabbed the attention of talent hunters of PTV.
He got his breakthrough when he appeared in the comedy program ‘Fifty Fifty’ inspired by the American show Saturday Night Live. The program soon became a super hit and is counted as one of the most classical productions of PTV. Ismail Tara appeared frequently in the show and won the heard of the TV audience with his flawless performances in different characters.
An era of quality comedy comes to an end. 50/50 will always be remembered as one of the amazing programs made by @PTVNewsOfficial. Ismail Tara you will be missed for sure. May Allah bless your soul. pic.twitter.com/puhgVusJAg
— Muhammad Ahmad Pansota (@Pansota1) November 24, 2022
Still remember this "disco chor" act by Ismail Tara in 50-50, the way he danced on tune of Michael Jackson's “Billie Jean” was a treat. A big loss. Ismail Tara deserved a lot more respect and appreciation than what he got in his life. pic.twitter.com/daDzwuqSg8
— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) November 24, 2022
Ismail Tara and Majid Jehangir soon became the popular comedy duo from PTV’s Fifty Fifty. He also wrote the scripts for the show after writer Anwar Maqsood had a fallout from the show.
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After appearing on TV, he moved to the big screen and became successful too. Tara acted in 11 Bollywood films. He won Nigar Award five times for best comedian in Haathi Mere Saathi, Aakhri Mujra, Munda Bigra Jaye, Chief Sahib, and Deewarein.
Social media is brimmed with messages of condolence. His fans and followers are sharing small video clips of his performances. His popular performance of ‘Disco Chor’ on the tune of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Bean’ is being re-shared on social media by his followers. Notable political figures and celebrities have expressed condolence for his death.