Lollywood legend and one of the most versatile actors and respected personalities of Pakistani film industry Yousuf Khan died of heart failure last night at the age of 80. He had been admitted to Sheikh Zaid Hospital a few days ago where he breathed his last.
Yousuf came from a respectable family of Kasur. He came to Lahore in early '50s to work in films as an actor. His first film 'Parwaz' was released in 1954. For a long time he had been known as a character actor in Urdu and Punjabi films until he got his first break as a leading role in 1973 Urdu film 'Ziddi'. He became a superstar film hero in the '70s.
Yousuf Khan's film career spanned over five decades during which he played different roles in over 400 Urdu, Punjabi and Pashto movies. During his half a century career in acting, he worked with all the superstar heroines of the film industry but his private life remained free of any scandal.
Yousuf Khan's last films include Syed Noor's Budha Gujjar and Arrain da Kharak that were released in 2000. His popular films included Parwaz, Japani Guddi, Aasman, Bad Shikan, Khandaan, Sharif Badmaash.
Yousuf was the last of living pioneers of the Pakistani's film industry who took the devastated Lollywood showbiz industry after Partition in 1947 to new heights where it could compete with the highly developed Bollywood film industry back to back. He was recipient of Presidential "Pride of Performance" and many other awards.
He was a great patriot and an inspiration for other actors and workers of Lollywood to uphold cause of the country, Pakistani culture and showbiz industry.
Prominent actors, actresses, directors, producers, technicians and fans of Yousuf Khan have expressed grief and sorrow over his death and said "in his death a glorious chapter of Pakistan's film industry - already in doldrums - has been closed." Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani expressed his deep sorrow and grief over the demise of Yousuf Khan, Online reported.
The prime minister, in a message to his family, appreciated his contribution to the film industry and arts.
He termed his death a great loss to the industry and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in peace and grant courage to the bereaved family to bear the loss with fortitude.
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