Zia Mohyeddin, an English-Pakistani actor, was born on June 20, 1931 in Faisalabad, British India, but spent his formative years in Karachi, Pakistan. His father, Khadim Mohyeddin, was a playwright and lyricist who was involved with several theatre companies in addition to being a mathematician and musicologist.
From 1953 to 1956, Zia received her training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. He made his West End debut as Dr. Aziz in "A Passage to India" in 1960, following significant theatrical appearances in "Long Day's Journey Into Night" and "Julius Caesar" in 1957.
His work on various TV shows for the BBC, such as "Danger Man," "Sir Francis Drake," and "The Doctors and the Nurses," . A Boy Ten Feet Tall (1963), Behold a Pale Horse (1964), Deadlier Than the Male (1967), The Sailor from Gibraltar (1967), They Came from Beyond Space (1967), and Bombay Talkie (1967) were other British movies in which he appeared in supporting roles (1970).
In the late 1960s, Zia was invited back to Pakistan by the Bhutto government. He established the PIA Arts and Dance Academy, which won praise for its classical and folk dances and music.
He left Pakistan in the late 1970s and went back to England, where he resumed his profession while being a harsh opponent of the political system. His latter works include the critically acclaimed miniseries The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Masterpiece Theatre: Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy (1986), and Shalom Salaam (1989) . He also directed the films Ashanti (1979), The Assam Garden (1985), and Immaculate Conception (1992).
Zia has four children across his three marriages. He married Azra Mohyeddin in the middle of the 1990s after divorcing his second wife, Sarwar Zamani, and they have a daughter, Aaliya Mohyeddin (born in 2002 when Zia was nearly 70). Sons Risha and Minos are his other two kids. Later in life, to great acclaim, he travelled the globe promoting his recitations of Urdu poetry and prose. In 2012, his autobiography, "A Carrot is a Carrot: Memories and Reflections," was released.
In 2012, Pakistan presented him with the Hilal-e-Imtiyaz (Crescent of Excellence). This is Pakistan's second-highest honour, given for "particularly outstanding contribution to the security or national interests of Pakistan, to the maintenance of international peace, or for cultural or other significant public endeavours" that helped the country gain respect from other countries.
At the age of 91, Mohyeddin passed away on February 13th, 2023.
