Umer Shareef

Mohammad Umer, known professionally as Umer Shareef, was a Pakistani actor, host, comedian, director, producer, writer, singer and television personality. He earned the title of "King of Comedy" and remains one of the greatest comedians in South Asia.

Early life and education

Mohammad Umer was born on 19 April 1955, into a middle-class Muhajir family in Liaquatabad, Karachi. He was the youngest of his siblings. His father passed away when he was only 4 years old.

Career

Umer began his professional journey at the age of 14 with stand-up comedy. In 1969, he started working as a stage performer in Karachi. He initially used the stage name Umer Zarif to model himself after his favourite comedian Munawar Zarif. He later changed his name to Umer Sharif because he admired the Egyptian actor Omar Sharif—specifically following the 1962 movie Lawrence of Arabia.

His first major collaboration occurred in 1976 when he wrote the stage play Bionic Servant, which was inspired by the American TV series Six Million Dollar Man. This production featured Moin Akhter as an actor. He achieved massive popularity through stage plays such as 1989's Bakra Qistoon Pe and Buddha Ghar Pe Hai. Much of his success stemmed from recording his stage shows. His videotapes were rented out similarly to movies, including early titles like Yes Sir Eid and No Sir Eid.

In 1997, he performed the play Umer Sharif Haazir Ho for the 50-year anniversary of Pakistan's independence. The play featured representatives from various occupations in a court setting to explain their contributions to the country. This production caused controversy when an organization of lawyers lodged a case against him due to the portrayal of a lawyer.

Sharif transitioned into film with his first movie, Hisaab, in 1986. He is better known for the 1992 film Mr 420, where he acted, directed, wrote and sang. This specific movie led to a revival of Pakistan's cinema that lasted until 1998. Throughout his career, he worked in approximately 35 films. His final film was Chand Babu in 1999, which he directed, produced and acted in.

Television work became a staple of his career. In 2002, he wrote his first TV serial titled Parda Na Uthao. He started hosting The Shareef Show on Geo Entertainment in October 2009. This late-night talk show featured interviews with musicians, politicians and entertainers. He also appeared on the Indian show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge as a guest judge alongside Shekhar Suman and Navjot Singh Siddhu.

In 2007, he announced his decision to join the MQM because he believed the party was open-minded and best for Karachi. He later ran for the presidency of the Karachi Arts Council in 2011 with the backing of the MQM. However, the PPP-backed candidate, Ahmed Shah, defeated him in that election.

Personal life

In 2006, the Umer Sharif Welfare Trust was established. The organization aimed to create a state of the art health centre that provides services free of cost. On 10 September 2021, Waseem Badami posted a video on Instagram requesting that Prime Minister Imran Khan facilitate overseas cancer treatment for him. Following this, Indian singer Daler Mehndi also appealed to the Prime Minister for his immediate care.

The government formed a medical board on 11 September 2021 to evaluate his case. He received a United States visa for medical treatment on 16 September 2021. The Sindh government also approved 40 million rupees for his medical expenses. Despite these efforts, he died in a hospital in Nuremberg, Germany, on 2 October 2021, at the age of 66.

Awards and recognition

Sharif received National awards for Best Actor and Best Director in 1992 for his work on Mr. 420. He won ten Nigar Awards during his career. He holds the distinction of being the only actor to receive four Nigar Awards in a single year. Additionally, he received three Graduate Awards and the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.