Zia Mohyeddin
Biography
Zia Mohyeddin was a British and Pakistani actor, producer, and reciter. Born in Lyallpur, Punjab, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London from 1953 to 1955. He acted in Long Day's Journey into Night and in Julius Caesar before taking the part of Dr. Aziz in the West End production of A Passage to India in 1960, and he later played that role for the BBC. He gained attention as Tafas in Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and appeared in Behold a Pale Horse (1964), Khartoum (1966), They Came from Beyond Space (1967), Deadlier Than the Male (1967), and Ashanti (1979). He hosted The Zia Mohyeddin Show from 1969 to 1973, produced the multicultural program Here and Now and the soap opera Family Pride, and served as president of the National Academy of Performing Arts from its inception in 2005. His honors included the Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 2003 and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 2012. He died in 2023.
91years old at death
- Born Faisalabad
- Died Karachi
- Star sign: GeminiLast day of the sign, on the Cancer cusp
- Also credited as Z̤iyāʾ Muḥīuddīn and Ziya Muhiuddin
Movie Career
- Films
- 6
- Career span
- 17 years1962 to 1979
First and latest
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Early training
Mohyeddin went on to train in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where he studied from 1953 to 1955.
First role
After roles in Long Day's Journey into Night and Julius Caesar, Mohyeddin played Dr. Aziz in A Passage to India at the Comedy Theatre, where his West End debut opened on 20 April 1960. That production ran for 302 performances.
First role
Mohyeddin's first film role was Tafas in Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Tafas is the Arab guide whom Omar Sharif shoots because he drank from the wrong well.
Beyond film
Mohyeddin hosted The Zia Mohyeddin Show from 1969 to 1973, which was remembered for his rap-style song segment introduced by his trademark phrase "zara theka lagaiye".
A change of course
Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's president at the time, asked Mohyeddin in February 2005 to set up the National Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi. Mohyeddin led the academy as its president from the start.
Zia Mohyeddin movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Omar Sharif appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Omar Sharif's page
Anthony Quinn's page
Nigel Green's page
Richard Johnson's page
Awards
One award and honor.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Hilal-i-Imtiaz | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.