Dino Shafeek Explained

Dino Shafeek
Birth Name:Gholam D. Shafeek
Birth Date:1930 3, df=yes
Birth Place:Dacca, Bengal Province, British India
Death Place:London, England
Partner:Leslie Didcock (engaged)
Nationality:Bangladeshi
Citizenship:British
Other Names:Dino Shafeek
Alma Mater:Dacca University
Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1967–1983
Known For:Chai Wallah Muhammed in It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981),
Ali Nadim in Mind Your Language (1977–1979)

Dino Shafeek (born Gholam D. Shafeek, 21 March 1930 – 10 March 1984) was a Bangladeshi-British comedy actor. Born and raised in Dhaka, he moved to the United Kingdom from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1958 and appeared in several sitcoms during the 1970s and early 1980s. He is best remembered for playing the part of Chai Wallah Muhammed in the BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum[1] and the role of Ali Nadim in ITV sitcom Mind Your Language.

Career

Shafeek was involved with amateur theatre in Dacca and, after emigrating to England in 1958, enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. His first film role was as 'Akbar' in the film The Long Duel (1967), starring Yul Brynner.[2]

It Ain't Half Hot Mum

It Ain't Half Hot Mum is a BBC comedy series written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, the writers of Dad's Army. Set in World War II British India, it follows the fortunes and activities of a concert party troop attached to the Royal Artillery. The series was broadcast by the BBC from 1974 to 1981 and starred Windsor Davies as the Battery sergeant-major of the troop's barracks in Deolali, Bombay Presidency.[3]

Shafeek plays "Chaiwallah Muhammad", selling tea from his ever-ready urn with his catchphrase "chai garam chai (Eng. 'tea, hot tea')." He also sings the musical interludes between the scenes, which are mostly World War II-era hits accompanied by a sitar. At the end of the final credits, he starts to sing "Land of Hope and Glory" only to be interrupted by the Sergeant-major shouting his ubiquitous ear-shattering "SHUTUPPP!!!." Muhammad was later promoted to bearer when the actor who played Rangi Ram (Michael Bates) died after Series 5 was recorded.

Mind Your Language

During the run of It Ain't Half Hot Mum, Shafeek played the part of student Ali Nadim in the ITV/London Weekend Television sitcom Mind Your Language (1977–1979). Along with Barry Evans as their teacher, Ali was one of a group of people from diverse backgrounds in an English as a Foreign Language class at a London night-school. Ali was a Muslim Pakistani who had emigrated to the United Kingdom, and was frequently seen bickering with Ranjeet Singh (Albert Moses), a Sikh from India. Ali told Ranjeet he will "kick [him] up the Khyber" ("Khyber Pass" being rhyming slang for "arse"). As the series progresses, their relationship mellows into one of friendly and mutual supportiveness.[4]

Other roles

Shafeek played character parts in films and TV such as Carry On Emmannuelle, Minder, Special Branch and The Onedin Line.[2] [5]

His last role was in High Road to China starring Tom Selleck.[2]

Death

Shafeek died suddenly from a heart attack whilst at home in London with his fiancée Leslie Didcock on 10 March 1984, eleven days before his 54th birthday.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1967The Long DuelAkbar
1968The Charge of the Light BrigadeIndian servant
1972Young WinstonSikh Soldier
1976Queen KongIndianUncredited
1977Stand Up, Virgin SoldiersIndian watchman
1978Carry On EmmannuelleImmigration Officer
1983High Road to ChinaSatvinda(final film role)

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1965The SaintNative1 episode: The Golden Frog
1966RedcapGurkha (as Dean Francis)1 episode: The Killer
1967Softly, SoftlyAnwar2 episodes: The Target: Part 1: Sighted, The Target: Part 2: Point Blank
1968The Jazz AgeAbas1 episode: The Outstation
The ChampionsManservant1 episode: The Dark Island
1969The TroubleshootersAbdhul1 episode: You're Not Going to Believe This, But ...
Special BranchMajid1 episode: The Promised Land
1971The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder2nd Priest1 episode: Man with a Strange Tattoo
The Rivals of Sherlock HolmesAli1 episode: The Duchess of Wiltshire's Diamonds
1974...And Mother Makes FiveGypsy1 episode: If I Can Help Somebody
1974–1981It Ain't Half Hot MumChai Wallah Muhammed56 episodes
1976Centre PlayDemonstrator1 episode: Commonwealth Season: Trinidad – Home Sweet India
1977The Onedin LineJaun1 episode: When Troubles Come
The Fuzz1st Pakistani1 episode: Coppers Under the Sun
1977–1979Mind Your LanguageAli Nadim29 episodes
1979HazellRaiji1 episode: Hazell Bangs the Drum
1980MinderMini Cab Driver1 episode: All About Scoring, Innit?
1981Into the LabyrinthSuleiman1 episode: Shadrach
1982The Stanley Baxter Hour1 episode: Christmas special

Theatre

YearTitleRoleNotes
1967A Touch of BrightnessPidkuRoyal Court Theatre, London
1968In the Penal ColonyThe PrisonerArts Laboratory, Drury Lane, London; adaptation by Steven Berkoff
1970To Anchor a CloudAsaf KhanKing George's Theatre, London
1971Captain Brassbound's ConversionHassanCambridge Theatre, London
1977A Clean BreakAnwar HassanRavi Shankar Hall, London
1979It Ain't Half Hot MumChai Wallah MuhammadStage adaptation of TV series; regional tour commencing at Pier Theatre, Bournemouth
1980Dick Whittington and His Cat[6] London Palladium, London
1981Dick Whittington and His CatLondon Palladium, London
1982GandhiTricycle Theatre, Kilburn, London
It Ain't Half Hot Mum[7] Chai Wallah MuhammadStage adaptation of TV series; regional tour commencing at Futurist Theatre, Scarborough
Dick Whittington[8] Sultan of MoroccoBristol Hippodrome, Bristol

Discography

Albums

YearTitleLabel/Cat NoNotes
1975It Ain't Half Hot Mum – Featuring the Artists from the Popular BBC-TV SeriesEMI Records EMC 3074Appears as Chai Wallah Muhammad
1983Tony Fayne's BackRosie Records RR 008Guest appearance

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Morgan-Russell, Simon . 1988 . Jimmy Perry and David Croft . Manchester University Press . 72 . 0-7190-6555-0 . 18 November 2022 . 9 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230909121510/https://books.google.com/books?id=3W97f5u9ZZEC&pg=PA72 . live .
  2. Web site: Dino Shafeek. BFI. 26 September 2021. 26 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210926210851/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba5cd9523. dead.
  3. Web site: BFI Screenonline: It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974-81). www.screenonline.org.uk. 26 September 2021. 21 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210921002746/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/479586/index.html. live.
  4. Web site: BFI Screenonline: Mind Your Language (1977-79, 1986). www.screenonline.org.uk. 26 September 2021. 19 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210919132318/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1108213/index.html. live.
  5. Web site: Dino Shafeek. www.aveleyman.com. 26 September 2021. 26 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210926210850/https://www.aveleyman.com/ActorCredit.aspx?ActorID=25683. live.
  6. Web site: The London Palladium pantomime history. pantoarchive. 26 September 2021. 25 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211025210345/https://www.pantoarchive.com/londonpalladium. live.
  7. Web site: Production of It Ain't Half Hot Mum | Theatricalia. theatricalia.com. 26 September 2021. 18 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210918101947/https://theatricalia.com/play/58n/it-aint-half-hot-mum/production/bgb. live.
  8. Web site: Production of Dick Whittington | Theatricalia. theatricalia.com. 26 September 2021. 26 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210926211849/https://theatricalia.com/play/58p/dick-whittington/production/bgd. live.