Dino Shafeek
Encyclopedia
Dino Shafeek (1929 – 10 March 1984) was a Bangladesh
i actor and comedian
based in the United Kingdom
and the star or co-star of several popular English TV comedies during the 1970s and early 80s. He is best remembered for playing the part of Char Wallah Muhammed in the BBC
sitcom
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
as well as the role of Ali Nadim in ITV
sitcom Mind Your Language
.
, British India in 1929. He came from a humble family though little else is known of his early life. He went on to matriculate from a high school in Dhaka and then attended Dacca University where he gained a Bachelor of Arts
. During this time, Shafeek became very active in amateur theater in Dhaka. In the 1950s he came to England
and enrolled at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama
in London
.
(1967), starring Yul Brynner
.
written by Jimmy Perry
and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army
and set in World War II
British India
, Shafeek plays "Char
wallah Muhammad". The series aired on the BBC from 1974–1981 and starred Windsor Davies
as the loud-mouthed staff sergeant of the Royal Artillery
barracks in Deolali
, Bombay Presidency
and Michael Bates
as the "Hon.Bearer to the British Concert Party" Rangi Ram. It featured in supporting roles Donald Hewlett
as Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Reynolds, Michael Knowles as Captain Ashwood, George Layton
as Bombardier 'Solly' Solomons, Melvyn Hayes as Gunner/Bombardier 'Gloria' Beaumont, Don Estelle
as Gunner 'Lofty' Harold Sugden, Christopher Mitchell
as Gunner 'Parky' Nigel Parkins, John Clegg as Gunner 'Paderewski' Jonathan Graham and Stuart McGugan
as Gunner 'Atlas' Mackintosh.
'Muhammed the char wallah walks around the camp all day, selling tea from his urn with his catchphrase "chai
garam chai". We can also hear him sing the musical interruptions between the scenes, which are mostly popular World War II era hits, accompanied by a sitar. At the end of the credits he starts to sing "Land of Hope and Glory" only to be interrupted by the Sergeant-major shouting his ubiquitous "SHUTUPPP!!!". He was promoted to bearer when bearer Rangi Ram left the series (Michael Bates died after Series 5). Comedy is provided by the caustic though affectionate relationship between Muhammad and his superior Rangi Ram, with Rangi frequently calling him "you damn fool".
i student Ali Nadim in the popular if politically somewhat incorrect ITV
/London Weekend Television
sitcom Mind Your Language
(1977–79). Shafeek played as Ali Nadim on the show along with Barry Evans and a motley group of foreigners in a London night-school "english as a second language class". Nadim was a Pakistani living in the UK. In the show, Ali Nadim was frequently seen quarreling with Ranjeet Singh (Albert Moses
), a Sikh from India. Ali called Ranjeet names like "poppadum" and frequently tells him that he will "Kick him up the Khyber" (a reference to the popular film
) and calls him a "damn fool". In the early episodes this relationship is depicted as quite caustic with the characters frequently having verbal and occasionally physical arguments, but the relationship warms as the series progresses and becomes positively friendly towards in the later episodes.
Ali is a character who speaks more than he is required to on some occasions, for example in the episode "The Best Things In Life", he unwittingly tells the sergeant that Mr. Brown was trying to bribe him. He is usually the last to arrive in class and jovially enters the room with the cry "Hello everybodys" and appears to be unaware that Mr.Brown finds this habit annoying. Ali Nadim also pronounces Excuse me please as "Squeeze me please".
and international audiences. He played character parts in films and TV such as Carry on Emmannuelle
, Minder
and The Onedin Line
.
His last role was in High Road to China
starring Tom Selleck
.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i actor and comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the star or co-star of several popular English TV comedies during the 1970s and early 80s. He is best remembered for playing the part of Char Wallah Muhammed in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum was a British sitcom about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast on the BBC between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army...
as well as the role of Ali Nadim in ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
sitcom Mind Your Language
Mind Your Language
Mind Your Language is a British comedy television series, that premiered on ITV in late 1977. Produced by LWT and directed by Stuart Allen, it is set in an adult education college in London and focuses on the English as a Foreign Language class taught by Mr. Jeremy Brown, portrayed by Barry Evans,...
.
Early life
Shafeek was born in Dacca, East BengalEast Bengal
East Bengal was the name used during two periods in the 20th century for a territory that roughly corresponded to the modern state of Bangladesh. Both instances involved a violent partition of Bengal....
, British India in 1929. He came from a humble family though little else is known of his early life. He went on to matriculate from a high school in Dhaka and then attended Dacca University where he gained a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
. During this time, Shafeek became very active in amateur theater in Dhaka. In the 1950s he came to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and enrolled at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Guildhall School of Music and Drama is an independent music and dramatic arts school which was founded in 1880 in London, England. Students can pursue courses in Music, Opera, Drama and Technical Theatre Arts.-History:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Acting career
Like many other non-white, ethnic actors at the time, Shafeek struggled to find fulfilling acting roles after graduating from Guildhall School. His roles were largely confined to playing minor supporting parts such as immigrants, taxi drivers, tourists or customs officials. His first film role was as 'Akbar' in the film The Long DuelThe Long Duel
The Long Duel is a 1967 British adventure film directed by Ken Annakin and starring Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, Charlotte Rampling and Harry Andrews...
(1967), starring Yul Brynner
Yul Brynner
Yul Brynner was a Russian-born actor of stage and film. He was best known for his portrayal of Mongkut, king of Siam, in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the film version; he also played the role more than 4,500 times on...
.
It Ain't Half Hot Mum
In the seriesIt Ain't Half Hot Mum
It Ain't Half Hot Mum was a British sitcom about the adventures of a Royal Artillery Concert Party, broadcast on the BBC between 1974 and 1981, and written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army...
written by Jimmy Perry
Jimmy Perry
Jimmy Perry OBE is an English writer, scriptwriter, producer, author and actor, most famous for devising and co-writing the BBC sitcoms Dad's Army with David Croft.-Education:...
and David Croft, the creators of Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
and set in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
British India
British Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, Shafeek plays "Char
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
wallah Muhammad". The series aired on the BBC from 1974–1981 and starred Windsor Davies
Windsor Davies
Windsor Davies is a British actor, well known for playing the part of Battery Sergeant Major Williams in the 1970s/1980s British sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum.-Early life and career:...
as the loud-mouthed staff sergeant of the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
barracks in Deolali
Deolali
Deolali is a small hill station and a census town in Nashik district, Maharashtra. It has several army establishments including the School of Artillery of Indian Army and nearby Airforce station...
, Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
and Michael Bates
Michael Bates (actor)
Michael Bates was a British actor born in Jhansi, United Provinces, India.-Biography:Bates served as a Major serving with the Brigade of Gurkhas in Burma before his discharge at the end of World War II...
as the "Hon.Bearer to the British Concert Party" Rangi Ram. It featured in supporting roles Donald Hewlett
Donald Hewlett
Donald Marland Hewlett was an English actor, born in Northenden, Manchester, and best known for his sitcom roles as Colonel Charles Reynolds in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Lord Meldrum in You Rang, M'Lord?, both written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft...
as Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Reynolds, Michael Knowles as Captain Ashwood, George Layton
George Layton
George Layton is an English actor, director, screenwriter and author. He was educated at Belle Vue Boys' Grammar School in Bradford and later studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where he won the Emile Littler award. He went on to leading parts at Coventry and Nottingham and...
as Bombardier 'Solly' Solomons, Melvyn Hayes as Gunner/Bombardier 'Gloria' Beaumont, Don Estelle
Don Estelle
Don Estelle was a British actor and singer.Born Donald Edwards in Crumpsall, Manchester, he was brought up in a house on Russell Street, Crumpsall. During World War II, at the age of eight, he was evacuated to Darwen, Lancashire, twenty miles away from his home town, to escape the German bombing...
as Gunner 'Lofty' Harold Sugden, Christopher Mitchell
Christopher Mitchell
Christopher Mitchell was a British actor most notable for his role in the BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum as Gunner Nigel 'Parky' Parkins....
as Gunner 'Parky' Nigel Parkins, John Clegg as Gunner 'Paderewski' Jonathan Graham and Stuart McGugan
Stuart McGugan
Stuart McGugan is a Scottish actor.Stuart was first seen on television as a presenter on BBC's Play School in 1964 , but he is best/well known for playing the roles of Bomba MacAteer in Tutti Frutti, and Gunner 'Atlas' Mackintosh in the BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum.He...
as Gunner 'Atlas' Mackintosh.
'Muhammed the char wallah walks around the camp all day, selling tea from his urn with his catchphrase "chai
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
garam chai". We can also hear him sing the musical interruptions between the scenes, which are mostly popular World War II era hits, accompanied by a sitar. At the end of the credits he starts to sing "Land of Hope and Glory" only to be interrupted by the Sergeant-major shouting his ubiquitous "SHUTUPPP!!!". He was promoted to bearer when bearer Rangi Ram left the series (Michael Bates died after Series 5). Comedy is provided by the caustic though affectionate relationship between Muhammad and his superior Rangi Ram, with Rangi frequently calling him "you damn fool".
Mind Your Language
During the run of It Ain't Half Hot Mum he played the part of PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i student Ali Nadim in the popular if politically somewhat incorrect ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
/London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
sitcom Mind Your Language
Mind Your Language
Mind Your Language is a British comedy television series, that premiered on ITV in late 1977. Produced by LWT and directed by Stuart Allen, it is set in an adult education college in London and focuses on the English as a Foreign Language class taught by Mr. Jeremy Brown, portrayed by Barry Evans,...
(1977–79). Shafeek played as Ali Nadim on the show along with Barry Evans and a motley group of foreigners in a London night-school "english as a second language class". Nadim was a Pakistani living in the UK. In the show, Ali Nadim was frequently seen quarreling with Ranjeet Singh (Albert Moses
Albert Moses
Albert Moses is a British-based actor born near Kandy, Sri Lanka. He had begun to act by the 1960s in India where he appeared in several films, then produced and directed his first. From India, he moved to Africa where he undertook work on documentaries...
), a Sikh from India. Ali called Ranjeet names like "poppadum" and frequently tells him that he will "Kick him up the Khyber" (a reference to the popular film
Carry On up the Khyber
Carry On Up the Khyber is the sixteenth Carry On film, released in 1968. It stars Carry On regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw and Peter Butterworth. Roy Castle makes his only Carry On appearance in the "romantic male lead" part usually played by Jim...
) and calls him a "damn fool". In the early episodes this relationship is depicted as quite caustic with the characters frequently having verbal and occasionally physical arguments, but the relationship warms as the series progresses and becomes positively friendly towards in the later episodes.
Ali is a character who speaks more than he is required to on some occasions, for example in the episode "The Best Things In Life", he unwittingly tells the sergeant that Mr. Brown was trying to bribe him. He is usually the last to arrive in class and jovially enters the room with the cry "Hello everybodys" and appears to be unaware that Mr.Brown finds this habit annoying. Ali Nadim also pronounces Excuse me please as "Squeeze me please".
Other roles
Due to the world-wide syndication of the aforementioned sitcoms, Shafeek became a well-known character actor and comedian to both BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and international audiences. He played character parts in films and TV such as Carry on Emmannuelle
Carry On Emmannuelle
Carry On Emmannuelle is the 30th Carry On film, and was released in 1978. This was the last Carry On film to be made until Carry On Columbus in 1992. The film was to be the final Carry On for many regulars including Kenneth Williams , Kenneth Connor , Joan Sims and Peter Butterworth...
, Minder
Minder (TV series)
Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
and The Onedin Line
The Onedin Line
The Onedin Line is a BBC television drama series which ran from 1971 to 1980. The series was created by Cyril Abraham.The series is set in Liverpool from 1860 to 1886 and deals with the rise of a shipping line, the Onedin Line, named after its owner James Onedin...
.
His last role was in High Road to China
High Road to China
High Road to China is a 1983 adventure-comedy film, set in the 1920s, starring Tom Selleck as a hard-drinking biplane pilot hired by society heiress Eve 'Evie' Tozer to find her missing father . The supporting cast includes Robert Morley and Brian Blessed. The Golden Harvest film was directed by...
starring Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
.