Actor Ashraf Rahi passes away.

LAHORE -- Stage, film and TV actor Ashraf Rahi died of cardiac arrest here. He was 66.

The actor had been facing multiple medical complications, including chronic diabetes and hepatitis C.

Rahi was a contemporary of comedians such as Mastana and Babu Baral. He belonged to Gujranwala. His father, Abdur Rasheed, was a wrestler known as Sheeda Pehlwan. In an interview, Rahi said his father wanted him to join the wrestling profession but he had an inclination for performing arts since childhood. He said he had been in the field of acting for 48 years and appeared on stage first time in 1971. He was a multi-talented artiste. He had learnt acting from Akbar Rahi, dance from Mehr Din of Samrat family and Hameed Chaudhry and singing from Fida Hussain. However, acting became his forte.

Rahi performed in almost 3,000 stage productions, both in the country and aboard. He performed in many commercial theatre stage plays prominent among those were Shartiya Mithay, Mahi Menu Chahla Puwa Dey, Pindi Di Kuri and Majajan, Sawa Sair, Ashiqo Gham Na Karna. Among his TV plays were Khufia Jazeera and Ainak Wala...