Omer Sharif Biography

Name : Omer Sharif
Date of Birth : April 19, 1960
Place of Birth : Karachi, Pakistan

He started his career in 1974, from Karachi. When he started his career, the Karachi stage was a dead media. Within two, three years he established the Karachi stage, without any Government support and through his plays, he delivered a healthy and thoughtful message to the citizens of Karachi. He wrote and spoke in his plays that love your country and your nation. For the first time on audio cassette in 1980, his message was spread all over the world. At that time, there was no proper stage auditorium in Karachi and then he converted the cinema halls into state auditorium. From the 1980–1985, Karachi stage was made proper in the whole world.

Omer Sharif used the video media in a proper way and he recorded his stage

"Bakra Qistoon Paey" that was the world's first drama in the history of video drama to be recorded on the video cassette. His drama made a record popularity all over the world.

HIS HARD WORK TOWARDS STAGE

He worked a lot to make stage a popular for people's entertainment. He established the Karachi stage with his own efforts. He introduced many artists in this field and now they have become superstars at Karachi stage. He have done many plays which made a record business. And as a result, his efforts bore fruit and made Karachi stage a well known and popular place for entertainment. His plays are so nice that families enjoy watching them and have always encouraged him.

AWARD INFORMATION

He got:

1. Two (2) National Awards in 1992 for Mr. 420
a) Best Director
b) Best Actor

• Ten (10) Nigar Awards. It is a record that in the 40-year's history of Nigar Award, none of the Pakistani Actor got Four (4) Nigar Awards in 1 Year.

• Three (3) Graduate Awards

• Best Drama Writer

• Best Actor

• Best Director

• Four (4) Awami Awards

• Stage Best Actor in 1984

• Stage Best Director in 1988

• Cassette Melody Awards

• Best Award for Hat trick in Audio Cassettes

• One (1) International Emirates Award in Dubai

• Fauji Award a) National Defence College Pakistan Shield

• Two (2) Bolan Awards

• Musavir Awards

• Chicago Award in 1992

• Award in Los Angeles in 1996

• Waheed Murad Award

• Trend Changer Award from Karachi in 1993

• Lahore Press Club Award for Excellent Performance, 1996

• Jang Akhbar Award

• Khabrain Award

• Sadaaqat News Paper Award

• Award from Allama Iqbal Medical College

• It is the first time in the history of Pakistan's film industry that the key of any city is presented to any actor. This honor is given to Mr. Omer Sharif by presenting him the KEY OF KARACHI CITY.

A PLAY FOR PAKISTAN'S 50 YEARS CELEBRATION

At the occasion of completion of 50 years of Pakistan's independence, he performed a play "Omer Sharif Haazir Ho". In this play every one (from every occupation) was called in the Court and a question was asked to each of them that what have they done for Pakistan in the past 50 years. Because of this play, the Layer's Association stated a case against him.

HIS WRITING INFORMATION

Up till now, he has written 100 stage plays, 10 films and writing 3 books; 2 books are based on Poetry and one book is based on hit plays or dramas.

HOW MUCH HE LOVES HIS NATIONAL LANGUAGE?

He likes his National Language URDU as it is his mother tongue too. He has always preferred to do his plays and movies in Urdu. When there was no tradition of Urdu language in films, he produced an Urdu Feature Film "Mr. 420" in 1992, which made a record business and was a great hit. After his film, many filmmakers wanted to make a Urdu feature film and it became a tradition.

HIS RESPONSE TOWARDS PUNJAB'S LOVE

As a good and effective response towards Lahore people was that he gave them entertaining place and built a Private theatre named as "Lahore Theatre" and don't forget that he changed 4 Cinema Halls into Theatres in Karachi and "Lahore Theatre" was also a Cinema named as "Shama Cinema", converted into a Theatre in 1993. He is the only artist to make or build a Private Theatre named same as the name of the city Lahore. That tells how much he loves Lahore.

WHAT IS THINKING?

His thinking is to establish his language and his art. The message that he tries to give through his films and plays is to love their country, nation and to know your culture, tradition and religion in every aspect. He is a true Pakistani interested only in establishing his love for his Country.

POLITICAL RESPONSE TOWARDS HIS STAGE PLAY

In the period of Benazir Bhutto, he wrote and performed a play named as "Lotay Aur Laefafay" which was based on Pakistan's politics. Nawaz Sharif's MNA took an action against Omer Sharif as "Tehrik-e-Isthekaq" and then he was called in the Assembly.

HIS COURAGE AND HARDWORK TOWARDS HUMANITY

• From the past many years, he is working for Shoukat Khanum Memorial research centre inside the country and abroad too. He is working for this centre and would be working ahead too.

• He is working for Mashaq N.G.O. Mrs. Gen. Ijaz Azeem.
• He is also working for Ansar Burney Trust.
• Apart of all these, he is performing in many charity shows.

HOW MUCH HE LOVES PAKISTAN

He loves his country very much and tells people through his plays and variety shows. He conveys the message of love and peace for his country amongst his nation. He says love your country, your nation, your religion, culture, and traditions and your well-wishers. His every play has a moral at the end, which shows his love and affection towards his country. At every show, he gives a long description about his nation and country. His love towards his country could be imagined when he went to visit India in 1991, he signed nine films over there as an actor and director. When the pure hindu Bal Thakray came to know about his film signing he fired his portrait in front of Dehli Governors House and banned him in India. He loves his country so much that he left those films and came to Pakistan, and he feels proud that he is banned in India.

He Introduced the Actors

He introduced lots of Actors, Actress of Stage Plays, Films and Daramas as well as Singer, He introduced to..

Shazia Manzoor
(as a singer)

Jawed Sheikh
on Stage Plays

Shakeel Siddiqui

Saleem Afridi

Zakir Mastan

Sikandar Sanam

Omer Sharif