Comedy King Lehri remembered on his 9th death anniversary

ISLAMABAD (APP): Legendary comedian-actor Safirullah Siddiqui, also known as Lehri, was remembered on his 9th death anniversary today (September 13) to pay homages for his unforgettable services for the entertainment industry.

Lehri was one of the greatest comedians who made his name through his film career starting from the 1950s and lasted until the 1980s. He won the Nigar Award for around a dozen films.

His first film Anokhi was released in 1956, and his last production was Dhanak in 1986.

The vast majority of his films have been in Urdu, though he did perform in a few Punjabi productions.

After independence, he along with his family migrated to Pakistan and settled in Karachi.

He performed on radio and stage before entering the film industry, PTV news channel reported.

He is still considered one of the most acclaimed comedians of South Asia.

Lehri acted in approximately 225 films and his first film was Anokhi released in 1956, while his last production was Dhanak in 1986.

The vast majority of his films had been in Urdu, though he did perform in a few Punjabi productions.

He won the Nigar Award for the best performance for various films between 1964 and 1986.

Lehri’s forte was the quip and in his monotone, his audience became used to finding a brand of quiet, almost surreptitious humor.

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.

He died on September 13, 2012, in Karachi, aged 83, from lung, kidney diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart issues.

Lehri would be always remembered for his unique style of comedy and the characters which he played.