Shafi Muhammad Shah


Shafi Muhammad Shah PP was a Pakistani film and television actor. Popularly known as Shah-jee, he was born in Kandiaro, Naushahro Feroze District, Sindh.

Career

Shafi began his career as a radio presenter from the Hyderabad radio station; he honed his acting skills by taking part in plays broadcast from the radio in 1960s. Meanwhile, he obtained a postgraduate degree from the University of Sindh, Jamshoro. He later moved to Karachi and began his career as an actor.
Shah was introduced by PTV producer late 'Shahzad Khalil' in his Urdu-drama serial "Teesra Kinara" from where he joined the elite club of the leading TV stars.
PTV's play Urta Asman, directed by Shahzad Khalil, was his debut performance. Teesra Kinara was his first popular television play: Shafi became a household name. He earned accolades for his acting in many plays, especially Chand Girahan, Dairey, Aanch, Bund Gulab and Mohabbat Khawab Ki Surat. Shafi acted in all mediums of entertainment, from radio, theatre to films and television. During his 30-year career, He performed in over 50 drama serials and over 100 television plays in the Urdu and Sindhi languages on different television channels.

Notable television plays

  1. Muhib Sheedi
  2. Ilzam
  3. Muskarahat
  4. Salakhain

    Political life

Shafi Muhammad Shah was an active member of the Pakistan Peoples Party and contested the general elections in October 2002 from NA-253, Karachi but lost. He was on his party's cultural committee and worked to promote arts and culture.

Personal life

Shafi Muhammad and his wife, Batool had four daughters: Alina, Arsalna, Zainab and Sheherbano; and a son, Ali. He goes by Ali Asghar, is a graduate of Karachi Grammar School and works for the highly reputable Pakistani publication Herald.
Shafi Muhammad Shah died peacefully while asleep at his Clifton home on 17 November 2007. His funeral prayers were held at Imambargah Yasreb in the Defence Housing Authority. He was buried in the Defence graveyard. The cause of death was liver failure.

Social activity

On 12 March 2004 Shafi Mohammad Shah joined Pakistan based UNICEF and WHO to help alarm the parents of minor children about taking vaccinations against Polio

Tribute and honour

In 1985 he received best actor award from Pakistan Television. In 2007, the participants at Karachi Press Club paid tribute to actor Shafi Mohammad Shah at the Karachi Press Club. This meeting was organised by the KPC's cultural committee, in which several artists paid tribute to Shah, including Anwar Solangi, Manzoor Qureshi and Mumtaz Kanwal.
On 16 November 2008, the first death-anniversary of Shafi Mohammad Shah, a book titled "Wo aadmi tha ya moti dana " authored by Nagina Hisbani on the life and artistic performance of Shah. This launching ceremony had been organised by the Sindh Fankaar Welfare Trust, at the Mumtaz Mirza Auditorium.
Shafi Shah won Best Actor Drama Series in The 1st Indus Drama Awards 2005 for Maa Aur Mamta. He was also recipient of 'Pride of Performance Award' from the President of Pakistan.