He was founding head of the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa)
Veteran actor, literary icon, director, voice artist, and founding head of the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) Zia Mohyeddin, has passed away at the age of 91.
The master thespian breathed his last in Karachi, and his funeral prayer was held at Imambargah Yasrab in Defence Phase 4 in the port city.
The literary icon was earlier admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Karachi.
He was born in Faisalabad, spent his early life in Lahore, and was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London from 1953 to 1956. He started his career with Long Day’s Journey into Night and Julius Caesar, Zia bedazzled people with his performances on TV and stage.
He also performed in a variety of stage roles from Shakespearean to modern characters in Pakistan and abroad and also acted in foreign films such as David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia.
Mohyeddin also received numerous awards, including the Hilal-i-Imtiaz Award in 2012, for his contributions to the arts.
After coming to Pakistan, he promoted the performing arts in various capacities. Under his leadership, Napa has trained a large number of actors, singers, and instrumentalists. In the 1970s, he hosted a popular show on national television.
His death is being mourned by the entire nation. He will be remembered as the legend of Pakistani entertainment.
