By Zaib Azkaar Hussain

Karachi: Mansoor Saeed, noted stage and theatre personality, passed away on Monday at a local hospital after a brief illness.

Mansoor Saeed was not only a good actor and director, but a pro-active leader and member of the central committee of the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP). He was in his mid-60s and leaves behind his widow, Abida Saeed, a daughter, Sania Saeed, and a son, Ahmer Saeed.

His wife, Abida has been an actress and a theatre activist of note, who, along with her husband, directed and produced a number of stage plays. His daughter, Sania Saeed; a well-known T.V artiste and son-in-law, Shahid Shifa’at (pioneer of ‘Katha’ a theatre group) have also been working for the promotion of theatre in Pakistan.

In this capacity he along with other comrades left no stone unturned to galvanise workers, farmers, and trade unions as well. He had been also a part of Progressive Writers’ Movement in the sub-continent and in Pakistan, he acted as a pro-active member of Progressive Writers’ Association. Besides, he played a key role in organizing theatre in Pakistan amid very difficult situations. For instance, along with former PTV Chairman Aslam Azhar, he set up a Theatre Group called ‘Dastak’ that staged good Urdu plays (translations of works German playwright Bertolt Brecht) that symbolically rejected dictatorship, ignorance, and extremism and spread enlightenment and democratic values in Pakistan.

These plays were staged during Zia regime and in the same era, Progressive Writers’ Association, along with ‘Dastak’, Bazme Ilmo Danish, Awami Adabi Anjuman, National Theatre, ‘Nashist’ and others held a week-long literary conference calling ‘Golden Jubilee Conference that was attended from progressive scholars from India, Canada and many other countries. Shahid Shifa’at, his son-in-law told The News the late Saeed would be laid to rest in the Dalmia Graveyard.

Saeed not only translated plays from English to Urdu, but also acted as a researcher and in this capacity he earlier worked for Pakistan Television. He also worked in several PTV plays. Later he joined Geo TV as a researcher and translator.
Source: The News
Date:5/25/2010