Allan: Kamal Ahmed Rizvi by Rumana Husain

I am a bit ashamed to say this but I thought Kamal Ahmed Rizvi....khair....he is alive and well! He rues not being in the limelight any more. The good thing is he keeps busy writing and filing away those dramas.

PROFILE: Kamal Ahmed Rizvi – A rebel with a cause - Rumana Husain


In the mid 1960s Pakistan’s irate young men began appearing with increasing frequency on radio and stage, and Kamal Ahmed Rizvi was the perfect writer-actor to embody the aggressive, underprivileged character that everyone loved to hate. His appeal –– a wicked liveliness and roguish looks –– enabled him to personify the angry young-man-turned-swindler with fabulous accomplishment.

With Rizvi himself posing as a conman called Allan, and Rafi Khawar as his naive front man, Nannha, the series written by Rizvi earned him a success so colourful in the days of black and white television that it is almost unparalleled in Pakistan’s entertainment history. First telecast in 1965, the 100-episode series has been repeated several times. Few people would know the duo’s real names. They are merely Allan and Nannha of the immortal comedy series Alif Noon, packed with hefty social punches. The landmark series has been a forerunner in winning television audiences across the country.

I go to meet the writer-actor-director at his apartment in Karachi, where he has been living with his wife for several years. Dressed in a blood-red shirt with charcoal-black hair, Rizvi hardly looks like a man in his seventies. I expect him to live up to his Allan image, pulling out a trick from his sleeve any minute…

Surrounded by paintings of Pakistani artists Ali Imam, Mansur Aye, Mansur Rahi and others, with a pencil sketch of himself and the famous Noon –– Nannha –– by Iqbal Mehdi, he leads a life that is somewhat reclusive. I wonder aloud how he spends his time now, after having had scores of admirers and fans, fame and money during the years of his comedy series. “Unfortunately, we seem to disregard those who were once a favourite but are now no more in the limelight,” he replies. [for more click on the heading]