ISLAMABAD Renowned artist and comedian Ismail Tara was remembered on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Thursday. Born on November 16, 1949, in Karachi his real name was Muhammad Ismail Merchant. He joined the performing arts in 1964 when he was in his late teens. Best known for his humorous political drama, Fifty-Fifty, Ismail Tara was one of the few actors who revolutionized the comedy scene.Fifty-Fifty combined satire, parody and slapstick humour at a time when censorship was at its peak in the late '70s and early '80s. It was a means to make people think critically about the social and political scene. Through Fifty-Fifty, Tara and his fellow artist Majid Jehangir, rose to the top of the comedy world. Anwar Maqsood, the original scriptwriter, had a dispute with the director in 1981, however, Tara also contributed to the writing of some episodes of the well-known television series.The actor had received five Nigar Awards for his performance in films Haathi Mere Saathi, Aakhri Mujra, Munda Big ra Jaye, Chief Sahib and Deewarein. The actor had also been credited with several TV dramas and 14 Lollywood films, the last of which was Jawani Phir Nahi Aani, his comeback movie to the big screen as he had returned to the silver screen after a span of 15 years.Ismail Tara died on November 24, 2022 in Karachi due to kidney failure.