The master of satire who established himself as a household name in the 80s, veteran actor, writer, poet and comedian Athar Shah Khan (aka Jaidi) passed away in Karachi on 10th May at the age of 77 after prolonged illness. According to news reports, Khan had been ill for sometime and suffered from a stroke.
Kids from the 90s will always remember him for playing the iconic character of ‘Jaidi’ in Haye Jaidi on PTV. However, the legendary actor made his first appearance as Jaidi in Intezar Farmaiyay. Some of his most memorable work includes Hello Hello, Intezar Farmaiay, Lakhon Mein Teen, Ba Adab Ba Mulahiza Hoshiyar, Burger Family, Haye Jaidi, Jaidi in Trouble.
Athar Shah Khan as Jaidi
What made him popular (at least in young teenage circles) was his impeccable writing capability and sorcery of words. He penned a character — Jaidi —  who was a goofy, spectacled man, far from Khan’s sober personality, but it soon became his nom de plume. The obvious reason was his command over the persona of this man who has limited proficiency in the English language but he likes to think he is well versed in it. This lands him in funny situations where he coins hilarious terms such as ‘Aunty Flower Body’ or lines like ‘You poor man of your own developed country’ which became a part of pop culture vocabulary.
Not just a writer and an actor, Khan was contributed to films and he was a poet as well. In 2001, he was awarded the Pride of Performance by the Government of Pakistan.
After his demise, a few actors and well known personalities took to social media to offer condolences.
My favorite Athar Shah Khan #Jaidi is no more. His legacy will live forever in satire #RIPLegend
— Mubashir Zaidi (@Xadeejournalist) May 10, 2020
May his soul rest in peace! (Ameen)
