| 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.
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 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.
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]
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]
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.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | The Long Duel | Akbar | ||
| 1968 | The Charge of the Light Brigade | Indian servant | ||
| 1972 | Young Winston | Sikh Soldier | ||
| 1976 | Queen Kong | Indian | Uncredited | |
| 1977 | Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers | Indian watchman | ||
| 1978 | Carry On Emmannuelle | Immigration Officer | ||
| 1983 | High Road to China | Satvinda | (final film role) |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | The Saint | Native | 1 episode: The Golden Frog | |
| 1966 | Redcap | Gurkha (as Dean Francis) | 1 episode: The Killer | |
| 1967 | Softly, Softly | Anwar | 2 episodes: The Target: Part 1: Sighted, The Target: Part 2: Point Blank | |
| 1968 | The Jazz Age | Abas | 1 episode: The Outstation | |
| The Champions | Manservant | 1 episode: The Dark Island | ||
| 1969 | The Troubleshooters | Abdhul | 1 episode: You're Not Going to Believe This, But ... | |
| Special Branch | Majid | 1 episode: The Promised Land | ||
| 1971 | The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder | 2nd Priest | 1 episode: Man with a Strange Tattoo | |
| The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes | Ali | 1 episode: The Duchess of Wiltshire's Diamonds | ||
| 1974 | ...And Mother Makes Five | Gypsy | 1 episode: If I Can Help Somebody | |
| 1974–1981 | It Ain't Half Hot Mum | Chai Wallah Muhammed | 56 episodes | |
| 1976 | Centre Play | Demonstrator | 1 episode: Commonwealth Season: Trinidad – Home Sweet India | |
| 1977 | The Onedin Line | Jaun | 1 episode: When Troubles Come | |
| The Fuzz | 1st Pakistani | 1 episode: Coppers Under the Sun | ||
| 1977–1979 | Mind Your Language | Ali Nadim | 29 episodes | |
| 1979 | Hazell | Raiji | 1 episode: Hazell Bangs the Drum | |
| 1980 | Minder | Mini Cab Driver | 1 episode: All About Scoring, Innit? | |
| 1981 | Into the Labyrinth | Suleiman | 1 episode: Shadrach | |
| 1982 | The Stanley Baxter Hour | 1 episode: Christmas special |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | A Touch of Brightness | Pidku | Royal Court Theatre, London |
| 1968 | In the Penal Colony | The Prisoner | Arts Laboratory, Drury Lane, London; adaptation by Steven Berkoff |
| 1970 | To Anchor a Cloud | Asaf Khan | King George's Theatre, London |
| 1971 | Captain Brassbound's Conversion | Hassan | Cambridge Theatre, London |
| 1977 | A Clean Break | Anwar Hassan | Ravi Shankar Hall, London |
| 1979 | It Ain't Half Hot Mum | Chai Wallah Muhammad | Stage adaptation of TV series; regional tour commencing at Pier Theatre, Bournemouth |
| 1980 | Dick Whittington and His Cat[6] | London Palladium, London | |
| 1981 | Dick Whittington and His Cat | London Palladium, London | |
| 1982 | Gandhi | Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn, London | |
| It Ain't Half Hot Mum[7] | Chai Wallah Muhammad | Stage adaptation of TV series; regional tour commencing at Futurist Theatre, Scarborough | |
| Dick Whittington[8] | Sultan of Morocco | Bristol Hippodrome, Bristol |
| Year | Title | Label/Cat No | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | It Ain't Half Hot Mum – Featuring the Artists from the Popular BBC-TV Series | EMI Records EMC 3074 | Appears as Chai Wallah Muhammad |
| 1983 | Tony Fayne's Back | Rosie Records RR 008 | Guest appearance |