Qavi Khan

Muhammad Qavi Khan was a Pakistani film, radio, theatre and television actor, director and playwright.
Khan acted in over 200 films and some 1,000 television plays.
Khan is best known for his police drama serial Andhera Ujala, which launched him to stardom alongside his fellow actors Irfan Khoosat and Jameel Fakhri. His other starring roles include Durr-e-Shehwar, Alif Allah Aur Insaan and Aangan, the later most of which earned him Lux Style Award for Best TV Actor nominations at the 18th Lux Style Awards.
In March 2011, Pakistan National Council of the Arts honored his achievements in an event. He was honoured with the Pride of Performance and Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 1980 and 2012 respectively by the government of Pakistan for his contribution to arts.

Early and personal life

Khan was born in an Urdu-speaking family of ancestral Pashtun roots to a father who served in the British Indian Army. Following the 1947 Partition of India, the family moved to Pakistan, settling down in Khokropar, Sindh, before moving to Peshawar, where they would live opposite the Mahabat Khan Mosque. Khan would get his early education there and later work as a front desk officer at a Grindlays Bank branch before going to Lahore to pursue his passion of acting more seriously.
He married in 1968 and had four children.

Career

Radio

In 1952, he began his career as a child artist by joining Radio Pakistan Peshawar.

Theatre

In 1961, he was cast in Dagha Baz, a play written by Envar Sajjad and directed by Kamal Ahmed Rizvi.

Television

In 1964, he started his television career by playing the lead in PTV's first-ever play, Nazrana, and went on to be part of some 1,000 serials.
In 1966, he appeared in PTV's black-and-white hit drama Lakhon Main Teen along with Ali Ejaz and Athar Shah Khan Jaidi.
In 2021, he played Muhammad Boota, a Punjabi authoritative older man who has a legacy in the catering business, in Ishq Jalebi, a role written especially for him.

Films

In 1964, he worked in his first movie, Diljeet Mirza's Riwaj.
In 1971, he started producing films, Mr Buddhu being the first of some 13 film productions, while he would eventually act in over 200 films.

Literature

He was also a playwright, having written the autobiographical one-man stage play Action and Reaction in 2011.

Death

Khan died of cancer on 5 March 2023, at the age of 80 in Canada and was laid to rest at Meadowvale Cemetery, Section 32, Grave No 114, Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

Selected filmography

Films

Television series

Year	Serial	Role	Channel
1966	Lakhon Main Teen		PTV
1981	Dehleez		PTV
1982	Alif Noon		PTV
1983	Dour-e-Junoon	Sami	PTV
1984–1985	Andhera Ujala	DSP Tahir Khan	PTV
1992	Din	Ehsan	PTV
1993	Fareb	Ameer-ud-Deen	PTV
1994	Angar Wadi	Professor Shafee	PTV
1995	Uraan	Nawab Hussain	PTV
1997	Ashiyana	Wajid Khan	PTV
2005	Sussar in Law	Malik Khadim	PTV
2007	Lahori Gate		PTV Home
2008	Mutthi Bhar Mitti		Hum TV
2009	Mannchalay	Khawaja Sahib	Hum TV
2009	Mishaal		PTV
2009	Baityaan		Hum TV
2010	Dastaan	Naseeb Bhai	Hum TV
2011	Meray Qatil Meray Dildar	Umar's father	Hum TV
2011	Phir Chand Pe Dastak		Hum TV
2011	Zindagi Dhoop Tum Ghana Saya	Akbar	ARY Digital
2011	Jo Chale To Jaan Se Guzar Gaye		Geo TV
2012	Durr-e-Shahwar	Mansoor	Hum TV
2012	Meri Behan Meri Dewrani		ARY Digital
2012–2013	Aik Nayee Cinderella	Shah Baba	Geo TV
2013–2014	Kalmoohi		Geo TV
	Dr. Duago		Geo TV
2014	Do Qadam Door Thay	Zohab's Grandfather	Geo TV
2014–2015	Sadqay Tumhare	Molvi	Hum TV
2015	Ishqaaway		Geo Entertainment
2015	Bojh		Geo TV
2016	Tum Kon Piya	Waqar Ali	Urdu 1
2016	Haya Ke Daaman Main	Azeem	Hum TV
2016	Yeh Ishq		ARY Digital
2016	New York Se New Karachi
2016	Saheliyan
2016	Seeta Bagri		TV One
2017	Munkir	Mursheed Saeen	TV One
2017	Nazr-e-Bad		Hum TV
2017	Alif Allah Aur Insaan	Moulvi	Hum TV
2017	Khaani	Hamid Malik	Geo Entertainment
2017	Aangan	Mian Sahab	ARY Digital
2017	Parchayee		Hum TV
2017-2018	Meraas		Hum TV
2018	Babban Khala Ki Betiyann		ARY Digital
2019	Mujhe Rang De		LTN Family
2019	Darr Khuda Say	Mazhar	Geo TV
2019	Shahrukh Ki Saliyan	Molvi Sahab	Geo TV
2019	Janbaaz	Tahir Khan	Express Entertainment PTV Home
2020	Zebaish	Molvi Sahab	Hum TV
2020	Prem Gali	Dada Jee	ARY Digital
2020	Mushk	Railway station ghost	Hum TV
2021	Ishq Jalebi	Muhammad Boota or Bau Jee	GEO Entertainment
2021	Chupke Chupke	Bare Abba	Hum TV
2022	Pehchaan	Sharmeen's father	Hum TV
2022	Meri Shehzadi	Sanaullah	Hum TV

Awards and recognition

2012 Sitara-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan
PTV Award for Best Actor
Lifetime Achievement Award by PTV in 2007
1978 Nigar Award for Best Supporting Actor for Parakh
Nishan-e-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan in 2023.
Lux Style Award for Best TV Actor at the 18th Lux Style Awards for ''Aangan''