Thursday 5 June 2014

­­Beginning

Kokab Mehdi was born in Lahore At 20th Of June, 1954. He was inspired by his brother Askar Mehdi who was a director at Radio Pakistan. So he started his career at the age of 16 from the Radio Pakistan. In 1971, He began his media career with Bazm-e-Talba radio. He did his first radio play as the hero of Jashn-e-Tamseelà (Dosri Mout) which was directed by Waseem Siddiqui. In the meantime he also did his first stage drama Zaroorat-e-Rishta directed by his own brother Askar Mehdi and written by Shaukat Imtiaz along Shehzad Raza who also started his career with Kokab Mehdi by working in this drama.

Radio

Afterwards from the age of 18 years to 24 he did many radio dramay as the main artist along with the artists like
  • Neelofar Aleem
  • Hasan Sheikh Mirza
  • Askar Mehdi
  • Shehzad Raza
  • Javaid Aijaz
  • Talat Hussain
  • Mehood Khan Moodi
  • S.M Saleem
  • Ayub Khawar
  • Zeenat Yasmeen
  • Fehmeeda Nasreen
  • Shakeel

And many other artists
His Radio Dramay Like
  • Studio Number Nau
  • Do Raha Which Was Directed by Shehzad Raza
  • Sassi Punno directed by Shahid Latif in which Kokab mehdi won the award of beautiful voice.

T.V

He started his television career from Pakistan Television (P.T.V) and did a great job. His first program was Jawaan Fikar directed by Qasim Jalali And Written By Kazim Paasha. Shehzad Raza also started his T.V career with the same program who was then a close friend of Kokab Mehdi.


P.T.V Dramay

Afshan

Directed by Zaheer Khan , its was Kokab Mehdi’s first serial in which he appeared as an important character/role “Mehmood”.

Barzakh

Directed by Iqbal Ansari in which Kokab Mehdi along with Shafi Muhammad Shah and Mazhar Ali appeared as hero. This was one of the famous drama of Kokab Mehdi.

Waapsi

Directed By Iqbal Ansari

Taabeer

In which Kokab Mehdi appeared as the son of Bahadur Shah Zafar (Mehmood Ali)

Aap Ginay

Directed By Aarfeen & Ishrat Ansari And Written By Fatima Suraiyya Wajiha , In which Kokab Mehdi appeared as an hero , Kokab Mehdi & Talat Iqbal was appeared as the son of Talat Hussain.
“Aap Ginay And Taabeer are historical plays”.

Chaar Darvaish

This serial was directed by Qasim Jalali in which Kokab Mehdi appeared as a darvaish.

Pas-e-Aina

This Was Directed By Haroon Rashid.

Kaawish

One of the most famous serial of Kokab Mehdiand was directed by Iqbal Haider. Kokab Mehdi played the hero role in this serial. It was written by Naseem.

Zindagi (Alaao)

Kokab Mehdi did the hero role in the drama series Zindagi’s Part “Alaao” along with the heroine Huma Meer. It was a successful drama.

Rafta Rafta

This famous drama was directed by Iqbal Latif in which Kokab Mehdi did the role of Inspector Shaadain along with Moin Akhtar who did the lead role in this drama.

Haaye Jaidi

In this comedy drama Kokab Mehdi did the lead role. It was directed by Manzoor Qureshi and written by Ather Shah Khan Zaidi. This drama earned a lot of fame.

Saath Rang

It’s a Comedy Serial which was directed by Taj, In which Kokab Mehdi appeared as a lead role with Zeba Shehnaz.
“Afterwards he moved towards serious dramas and the name of this serial was changed to 50 50”.

“Kokab Mehdi did a lot more dramas like waapsi,shikast-e-aarzo etc. he contributed a lot for the media and did a great job , most of his dramas earned a lot of respect and fame”.

Geo

Pehla Chaand
Panch Phulan Di Gal

These Are Directed By Directed by Ayub Khawar
Kokab Mehdi Was Casted By Nadeem Asad For Dubbing In Mera Sultan.

Zoja-e-Akbar

Kokab Mehdi did a comedy role along with Mohib Mirza who did the hero role in this drama. This Drama was directed by Nadeem Asad. 

Sarparast

In which Kokab Mehdi did the Villain role and was directed by Ehsaan Ali Zaidi.

Baaghi

This Was Directed By Faisal Bukhari.
Kokab Mehdi Did A Lot More Dramas Of Geo T.V.

ARY

Kokab Mehdi also served ARY channel with his art of acting

Kahi Ankahi

This drama was directed by Sikander Shah. In This Drama Kokab Mehdi worked with Shabbir Jaan and Javeria Abbasi.
He also did a lot more dramas of ARY Channel.

ATV

Capsule

This Drama Was Directed By Saleem Khokhar and in this drama Kokab Mehdi worked with these artists
  • Saleem Sheikh
  • Javeria Abbasi
  • Asad Malik

Indus

Ambulance

This drama was directed by Imran Khokhar

Emergency Ward

This drama was directed by Asid Asad and written by Asim Siddiqui.
Kokab Mehdi said and I quote
“ I am specially thankfull to channel P.T.V, Samaa, ARY & Geo”.

Stage Life

As Kokab Mehdi’s Grandfather’s Younger Brother Master Shareef Hussain directed a large number of stage plays in India before 1947, and Kokab Mehdi’s own older brother was a great director of stage plays so stage art is inherited to him or we can say that stage talent is in his blood. At the beginning of his career he did his first play Zaroorat-e-Rishta and afterward he did a lot of plays.
He did a lot of plays in which was directed by Furqan Haider and written by Umar Shareef. In These Play Kokab Mehdi mostly appeared as the hero along with Shehzad Raza who usually did the father role and Umar Shareef who mostly appeared as a servant.

Andheray Ujaalay

In which Kokab Mehdi did the hero role along Jameel Fakhri and Irfan Khoosat.

Dulha Chori Hogya

In which Kokab Mehdi appeared as the dulha (hero) along with Khalid Abbas Daar, Bindiya, Naseem Agraj And Salooni.

Drawing Room

This was directed by Furqan Haider in which Kokab Mehdi along Khalid Abbas Daar did a great job. Bindiya did the heroine role in this play.


Afterward Kokab Mehdi did a lot of famous plays along with a lot of actors like
  • Shakeel Siddiqui
  • Rauf Lala
  • Sikandar Sanam
  • Saleem Afridi
  • Zaki Master
  • Salma Zafar
  • Umar Shareef

Etc.
Some of his famous plays like

International Kawaray

In which Kokab Mehdi worked with Ismail Taara, Maaj-e-jahangir, Ibraahim Raaz, Khalid Nizami, Firdous Jamaal etc.

Topi Drama

In which Kokab Mehdi worked along Umar Shareef And Shehzad Raza.

Guraya Aek Paheli
Chalo Maan Gaye
Kisi Se Naa Kehna

These plays are directed and written by Jameel Rahi

Gaaon ki Gori

This play was directed by Younus Malik and written by Baba Kiran.
“Kokab Mehdi did a lot of plays under the direction of Tasneem Rana” Like

Four Crazy Boys
One Wicket Out

Etc.

Mumaani Jaan
Saas Ki Aas

This play was directed and written by Samad Yaar Khan.

Andheray Ujaalay

Pakistan American Cultural Centre’s stage play “Andheray Ujaalay” was directed by Talat Hussain.
Murda Sawa Laakh Ka
This play was directed by Khadim Hussain Ochoi. In which Kokab Mehdi worked along with the artists like
  • Mehmood Akhtar
  • Reena Siddiqui
  • Abida Ali

Etc.
“Kokab Mehdi was casted as a hero in the drama “Aadam” but due to director’s health the shooting didn’t work out , also Kokab Mehdi got his Visa for London for shooting but due to some conspiracy he wasn’t able to go”.
Kokab Mehdi worked for Talat Hussain as an artist in Hashoo Auditorium.

Khalid Ki Khaala

In which Kokab Mehdi worked with
  • Yousuf Ali
  • Rubina Almas
  • Subhani Wayi Younus
  • Mehmood Ali
  • Talat Hussain
  • Taj Niazi


Nana Rao

This is a Hindi play which was directed by Samad Yaar Khan and produced by Anwar Iqbal who also acted in this play.
Naya Aain
This play was about the new constitution of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and was directed Zia Mouddin.
“He did A lot More Stage Plays And Did An Outstanding Job”.

Film T.V

Kokab Mehdi Also worked in the film line.

Siyaasat

This film is directed by Syed Kamaal, Kokab Mehdi did the hero role in this film along Nishoo who was the heroine & with further famous artists like Asad Jafri,Kamaal,Dilnasheen,Sanober etc.
Kokab Mehdi won the talent hunt show, he did some of the shots in place of Waheed Muraad in “Hero” film due to the death of Waheed Muraad. The judges panel who selected him for the film are.
  • Iqbal Yousuf (Director)
  • Lala Sudeer
  • Kamaal
  • Nishoo
  • Husna
  • Aslam Perwaiz
  • Ajmal Chaudhry
  • Nasrullah A Rehman à Information
  • Iqbal Latif à P.T.V


In Film Andaaz he was casted as a hero with Babra Shareef who was the heroine but due to some reasons the making of this film didn’t work out and afterwards he did the film Siyaasat of Syed Kamaal as mentioned above.

Dubbing

As Kokab Mehdi already won the award for his beautifull voice in radio as I mentioned above he also served the media through his voice talent in the field of dubbing. He dubbed a lot of dramas/stuff like 10 commandos etc .
So nowadays this respected and talented artist is not so famous, a lot of new people don’t know his name the guy who served that much for media and devoted his whole life for the entertainment of world is not on the shining spot where he should be!. We Pakistani’s never respect the talent, they are so hungry for the money that they can’t even see the real talent.

As I got a chance to meet this very respectable artist, at the end of my conversation I asked him sir why are you working in re-enactments nowadays? After a round of silence he replied and I quote. “Because nobody calls me now. Pakistan Zindabad”


1 comment: