Shaukat Thanvi

Shaukat Thanvi, TI (1904–1963), was a Pakistani journalist, essayist, columnist, novelist, short story writer, broadcaster, playwright, humorist and a poet. He was married to the renowned Pakistan Television actress Arsh Muneer, recipient of Pride of Performance Award (1983) by the President of Pakistan.

Shaukat Thanvi was born in Thana Bhaun, Bandraban, Uttar Pradesh, British India, on February 2, 1904. Thana Bhaun, a small town in Muzaffar Nagar district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is Shaukat Thanvi's ancestral hometown. It is this place, Thana, which has given many people their last name:Thanvi. On the suggestion of Syed Imtiyaz Ali Taj, Shaukat Thanvi joined Lahore's Pancholi Art Pictures as a story and song writer in 1943. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Pancholi Art Pictures closed down and Shaukat Thanvi joined Radio Pakistan in Lahore. In 1957, Shaukat Thanvi joined Daily Jang newspaper and started writing a humor column in it called Vaghaira Vaghaira which later became very popular among the Pakistani public.

Shaukat Thanvi was a prolific writer and penned some sixty books which include collections of short stories and humorous essays, plays and novels. He was also a poet and a book called Guharistan is a collection of his poetry published early in his career.

He died on May 4, 1963 and was buried in the graveyard of Miani Sahib, Lahore which is located in front of Radio Pakistan, Lahore. (Courtesy: Abu Hasan Naghmi, USA)

Awards and recognition

• He received Tamgha-e-Imtiaz Award on 23 March 1963 from the President of Pakistan- (Awards List announced on 14 August 1962).

Filmography

• Gulnaar (1963)