April 3, Anwar Solangi passed away after spending a bright career spanning over 54 years and acting in some 1,200 radio, television and stage plays, and a few films including one in Urdu.
lt was a chilly night typical of Hyderabad and I had just arrived at Holmstead Hall to deliver a talk. It was the place where a temporary station of Radio Pakistan, Hyderabad, had been set up and here, for the very first time, I came across a stocky man who went by the name of Anwar Solangi. He was to perform in a Sindhi drama to be aired live because at that time Radio Pakistan was still in infancy.
The producer was M.B. Ansari, himself an accomplished drama producer. He gave the artiste some last moment instructions and at the receiving end Anwar Solangi appeared quite confident. Later, he later told me that he began acting with stage plays.
On April 3, Anwar Solangi passed away after spending a bright career spanning over 54 years and acting in some 1,200 radio, television and stage plays, and a few films including one in Urdu.
Anwar belonged to those in the field of the performing arts who established themselves within a short time and without any shortcuts. Anwar Solangi the actor came from nowhere and in a brief period made his presence felt in all fields of drama — radio, stage, television and film.
Hailing from the small town of Shadadpur in Sanghar district, Anwar was born to a poor family in 1944. He had a strong liking for acting from childhood and started on stage when he was hardly 10. A decade later at the studios of Radio Pakistan, Hyderabad, and in association with Mohammad Bakhsh Ansari, he rose to fame. At that time television had yet to launch its telecast. During this period he played many roles in radio plays, besides acting on stage.
At Radio, Abdul Karim Baloch, Abdul Haq Abro, Mushtaq Mughal, Nasim Mughal, Syed Saleh Mohammad Shah, Mustafa Qureshi, M.B. Ansari were the drama voices who left deep marks on Sindhi and Urdu plays. Anwar Solangi did not compete with them but in their company sharpened his talents to an extent that he himself became a style-setter in acting.
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Technically, Anwar was a naturally gifted actor. He had flair of his own. He performed all kinds of roles and won laurels. To achieve this, he used to discuss the character and spirit of the story with his producers and playwrights. He would create a real image out of the script.
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In 1974 he was drawn towards Pakistan Television, which also drew most of its artistes and producers from Radio Pakistan. At that time Sindhi programmes were being extended in all respects. In fact, it was during the Bhutto era that Aslam Azhar was brought in to bring programming at par with modern times and introduce modern techniques. Plays got top priority and it was at PTV’s Karachi centre where Sindhi drama was encouraged. Here Anwar Solangi appeared as a lead in the play Inquiry Officer which was adapted by the then drama producer Abdul Karim Baloch. It was a great hit and established Anwar’s talent.
At the TV he came across more senior artistes such as Mehmood Siddiqui, Qurban Jilani and Noor Mohammad Lashari. However, he did not leave Radio Pakistan where he worked in various positions. He was summarily dismissed from service when he put sad songs on air on the occasion of Z.A. Bhutto’s hanging. He was never reinstated.
Inquiry Officer was followed by Rani Ji Kahani written by Abdul Qadir Junejo. This was a superb play and seeing its popularity, the play was translated in Urdu with the title Deewarein which took Anwar to the height of popularity.
Since he began his career from stage, it was not difficult for him when it came to act in a short serial, Chhoti Si Duniya, by Abdul Qadir Junejo. The serial became so popular that it was later adapted into a stage play. His other plays were Jungle, Marvi, Aatish, Polaar, Hawaaien and Koonj. He also worked in Sindhi films Paroo and Dushman, and one Urdu film, Khwahish. In all, he acted in over 500 radio plays as drama voice, an equal number of Urdu and Sindhi television plays, serials and stage plays. For his work on television he was twice awarded PTV’s best actor award.
Technically, Anwar was a naturally gifted actor. He had a flair of his own. He could perform all kinds of roles and won laurels. To achieve this he used to discuss the character and spirit of the story with producers and playwrights. He would create a real image out of the script.
A hardworking actor who acted his whole life, paradoxically he could not get out of financial constraints throughout his life. With the meager income from his acting, he could hardly make ends meet especially during his last years. He suffered from health complications but he continued to act.
Anwar was bedridden when he could not afford the high cost of medical care any longer. He was under treatment at Civil Hospital, Karachi, when he lost the battle for life.
