Agha Hasan Askari

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Agha Hasan Askari (28 January 1945 – 30 October 2023) was a Pakistani film director, producer and screenwriter in the Lollywood film industry. He was born in Lahore, earned a Master of Arts in English Literature, and loved writing since college. He edited the magazine Faran for the National Students Federation and was a committed Marxist, which shaped the social messages in his movies and echoed his own struggles as a member of the lower middle class.

Askari started as an assistant director on Punjabi films Chan Makhana and Sajan Pyaara, directed his first film Khun Pasina, and went on to direct more than 50 films (Punjabi and Urdu) while producing about 10. His notable works include Wehshi Jatt (1975), Khun Pasina, Khazana, Jannat Ki Taan, Aag, Be Qarar, Dooriyan and Tere Pyar Mein (2000). He is credited with introducing Sultan Rahi as "Maula Jat" and the Gandasa on screen in the 1975 film Wehshi Jatt.

Askari won two National Film Awards and five Nigar Awards, and was honored with the Pride of Performance by the President of Pakistan in 2024. He died in Lahore after a long battle with lung cancer, at the age of 78. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son. His funeral was held at his home on Alamgir Street in Lahore.