Moin Akhtar's 71st Birthday

Today’s Doodle, illustrated by Lahore, Pakistan-based guest artist Hazem Asif, celebrates the 71st birthday of Pakistani entertainment icon Moin Akhtar. A champion of everyday people, Akhtar is widely regarded as one of Pakistan’s greatest comedic actors.

Moin Akhtar was born in Karachi, Pakistan on this day in 1950. He began his stage career at 16 years old and quickly became known for his masterful impersonations and side-splitting skits. After a breakout 1966 appearance on a popular Pakistani talk show, Akhtar became a household name.   

Akhtar mastered several languages—English, Sindhi, Punjabi, Memoni, Pashto, Gujarati, and Bengali—and comedic delivery in each. This dedication to his wide-ranging craft fueled the steady success of a four-decade career on both stage and television. As versatile as he was funny, Akhter reached even higher levels of prestige with his performance as the woman protagonist in “Rosy,” widely regarded as one of Pakistani TV’s most successful productions.  

Akhtar later joined forces with fellow entertainment icon Anwar Maqsood. Together, the pair hosted over 400 episodes of the 1995 satirical talk show “Loose Talk” and Akhtar entertained millions playing different characters. To honor his artistic contributions, Akhtar was awarded the prestigious Presidential Pride of Performance and the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s third-highest civilian honor.  

Here’s to the many faces of Moin Akhtar and the smiles they brought to fans around the world! 

Special thanks to the family of Moin Akhtar for their partnership on this project. Below, the Akhtar family reflects on their father’s life and legacy: 

Fourteen days after heart bypass surgery, a hospital patient distracted his attendants by sending them on different errands, then quietly snuck out of the hospital. The patient got in his car, changed into his performing attire, and drove 3 hours to a charity show in Hyderabad. The show was being held to raise funds for the treatment of children with cancer. He successfully conducted the fundraising event for the children—then had to be escorted back to the hospital to ensure he would not sneak out again. 

Such is a typically standard incident in the grand life of Moin Akhtar.

We are thrilled to have Google honor our father, Moin Akhtar, through a Doodle. It has been over ten years since he passed away, and it is immensely humbling and proud for us to see that he is still fondly remembered, loved and missed all over the world. Through this Doodle, we envision that newer generations in Pakistan and those that did not know him in other parts of the world learn about his charming personality both on and off screen, his unique talents that allowed him to build a career spanning over 40 years making him a household name, and his unparalleled philanthropic works. We thank Google for remembering him today on what would have been his 71st birthday, and for their contribution in keeping the memories of national heroes alive.

Photo of Moin Akhtar

Courtesy of the Estate of Moin Akhtar

Guest Artist Q&A with Hazem Asif

Today’s Doodle was illustrated by Lehore, Pakistan-based guest artist Hazem Asif. Below, he shares his thoughts behind the making of this Doodle:

Q. Why was this topic meaningful to you personally?

A. Growing up in Pakistan during the 1990s, Moin Akthar was a celebrated figure in every household. His masterful and whimsical portrayal of a diverse range of characters, his wit and comic takes on the most mundane of social phenomena helped define a new era of comedy and satire for people of all ages. Whether by watching Moin’s performance on stage or national television, his talent and style were ground-breaking. Considering the persistently turbulent socio-political scenarios of the country, his performances were also a much needed escape into a timeless world of creative redefinition of society and social perceptions.

Q. What were your first thoughts when you were approached about working on this Doodle?

A. Never in my life did I think of working as a guest artist for Google Doodle or let alone designing a Doodle for the legendary Moin Akthar. I was not expecting it and when I was approached at first, I felt humbled and honoured. I had already decided that I will put all my heart and soul into creating a perfect tribute to celebrate Moin Akhtar's birthday. Working on this project has been the most rewarding experience of my career to date.

Q. Did you draw inspiration from anything in particular for this Doodle? 

A. I aspired to create a Doodle that had a classical feel to it while invoking a sense of nostalgia for the viewers by delicately paying homage to Moin Akhtar's timeless legacy. I mostly drew inspiration from my own childhood memories of watching classical Pakistani shows on PTV (Pakistan Television Corporation) that MoinAkhtar would often appear in as well. As a family we would watch these shows on vintage television sets that were commonly found in our homes in the 1990’s. I also desired to capture a perfect balance of showcasing the versatility of Moin Akthar and the everlasting nostalgia of 1980’s and 1990’s and that is where the idea of Moin’s Doodle was born while being embedded playfully within the concept of vintage TV sets. The colour palette was also inspired by the retro Technicolor palette of those decades.

Q. What message do you hope people take away from your Doodle?

A. This Doodle is not only a nod to Moin Akthar’s birthday but a celebration of his life, a man with seemingly infinite talents who went above and beyond to challenge the established media conventions of those eras. Moin Akhtar helped redefine Pakistani cultural narratives and explored social and political topics through vernacularly digestible comedy. Moin Akhtar's acting is timeless, always adapting to the expectations of the audiences while also inserting novel elements of surprise every now and then. I hope this Doodle helps those who already know Moin Akhtar to remember him, but also those who don't know him to enter into his unique world of comedy.

Early drafts of the Doodle