Islamabad: Google is paying tribute to Pakistan’s legendary playwright Fatima Surayya Bajia with its doodle feature on her 88th birthday (September 1).
Surayya Bajia was born in the city of Hyderabad in India on September 1, 1930. She and her family migrated to Karachi, Pakistan after the partition of the sub-continent.
She did not have a formal degree but had acquired extensive knowledge of Arabic, Persian, English and Urdu literature and history at home through private tuitions. When her grandfather and father died in Karachi, she took up the responsibility of looking after her younger siblings, who all received a good education and some successfully carved out their own identity in separate fields of art and culture.Her brother Anwar Maqsood became a multi-talented artist writing plays for TV and theatre, her sister Zehra Nigah became a renowned poetess while Zubaida Tariq turned into a cooking expert.
She joined Pakistan Television (PTV) in 1960 and for the first time she showed her acting skills in 1966.
She wrote several popular serials for PTV, including Shama, Afshan, Aroosa, Aagahi, Ana and Zeenat. Besides, she had done historical plays, children’s programmes, women’s programmes and literary programmes such as Auraq.
In recognition of her services, besides local awards, she was given the highest civil award of Japan. She also served as president of the Pakistan-Japan Cultural Association. She also served as Advisor to Sindh government on health.
The renowned playwright had breathed her last on February 10, 2016 at her Karachi residence after a prolonged illness.
