Roohi Bano January 2007 Interview with Khawar Naeem Hashmi (Geo TV Producer)

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• published: 24 Jul 2015
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Thank you Khawar Naeem Hashmi for this gem of an interview with the leading TV actress from Pakistan, Roohi Bano. Roohi Bano is an iconic Pakistani actress who contributed heavily (with her mesmerizing acting) to the success of Urdu and Punjabi language teleplays broadcast by a fledgling Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) during the late 1960's, the 1970's and the mid-1980's ... She is the daughter of the renowned Indian musical maestro, Ustad Allah Rakha (master Tabla player and classical musician) and is the sister of Indian musician Zakir Husain. Roohi Bano teamed up with Urdu and Punjabi playwrights like Munnoo Bhai, Ashfaq Ahmad, Bano Qudsia, Dr. Enver Sajjad and the massively popular Haseena Moeen. The list of her memorable performances is long.... one can list her role in Munnoo Bhai's Punjabi drama serial "Jazeera", many short teleplays (25-30 min. duration) which aired on PTV in the 6pm-7pm prime time slot, her many roles in the revolutionary drama serial "Aik mohabbat sau afsaanay" written by Ashfaq Ahmad (before his strange atavistic reversal to Pakistan Military's version of Pakistani Islam) .... this included a masterful performance by Roohi Bano of a teenaged laborer working in an orchard who falls secretly in love with the new village school teacher.... her role in the Munnoo Bhai long teleplay (2 hour duration) "Darwaza" (which I will upload either here, on my YouTube channel or on my Google eblog Naee Manzil Naee Raahein) all the way to her memorable performances in the first two drama serials written by Haseena Moeen ("Kiran Kahani" and "Zair, Zabar, Paish"). Unfortunately for Roohi Bano, the failure of her marriage combined with political victimization by Lahore Studios producers of PTV (who refused to cast her in any plays after she opted to act in Haseena Moeen tele serials from Karachi Studios... Roohi was a victim of petty professional jealousy of PTV producers) to take a toll on her mental health and she slid into a long and chronic depression from the late 1980's till the present time (July, 2015). Khawar Naeem Hashmi states that in 2005-2006, Roohi Bano's mother died mysteriously (possibly related to disputes take over bids for Roohi Bano's land and property??)... Roohi's mother's body was found burned in her apartment in Karachi. In 2006, her only son Ali (who had entered into a real estate partnership with some of his friends) was abducted by unknown assailants and murdered (Roohi says he was tortured apparently to sign over the business or rights to property owned by Roohi Bano) .... his body was dumped by the roadside where a passerby noticed it after hearing the repeated ring tones from Ali's cell phone. The Pakistani police's version is that some suspects tried to snatch his cell phone and shot him fatally when Ali tried to resist this theft... why then was his cell phone still with his dead body? The corrupt Pakistani police can't even cook up a lie properly!! Roohi Bano was treated for her depression in the psychiatric care center "Fountain House" in Lahore and made a terrific recovery which is evident in this interview recorded in January, 2007. She was employed by Fountain House as a Psychiatric Councilor and given a room on the premises. After her psychiatrist left Fountain House, the new management discharged her from the center because Roohi Bano could not afford the expensive medications used to treat her mental depression. She returned to her residence in Gulberg III, Lahore and lived alone, being sent meals daily by her only sister Rubina via a servant. Since 2008 onwards, Roohi Bano slid back into depression. There were thefts... her car and household furniture were stolen... In 2012 and 2013 Pakistan's electronic media (local and national cable and satellite TV channels) highlighted her poor mental health and her miserable living conditions. In 2013-2014, the dynamic duo of the popular and creative Urdu playwright Fasih Bari Khan and the immensely talented Director Mazhar Moin conceived of a play written specifically for Roohi Bano. The play was "Aik Aur Aurat" which Fasih Bari Khan worte and which was eventually broadcast from Hum TV. The latest interview was done by Sophia Mirza (one time host in Geo's Khabarnaak Talk Show) of Samaa TV in March-April, 2015. The latest news, as of April 27th, 2015 was that she was attacked in her home with a knife (man tried to make her sign away rights to her home) but was lucky enough to survive. "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use."