At just 72, one of Guyana’s best comedic actors has again been admitted to the hospital and is feeling disappointed that he was not invited to be a part of Carifesta.
Habeeb Khan was on Thursday admitted to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) with breathing problems. The still lively comedian, whose chat with this newspaper demonstrated that he still retains his comedic talents, related that it was the biggest joke of his life that he started smoking at 12 years and is now 72 and suffering from respiratory problems.
He advised young persons to stop smoking and noted that “drinking ain’t bad” if it is a tonic or medicine. With coughs racking his body at intervals, he said that he is suffering mostly from short breath due to smoking and also dry pneumonia contracted some years back, during one of his tours overseas. He lamented that he sacrificed himself “for the contentment of children, who have now deserted me”.
He asserted that he was sent here by God to make people happy and “I just like to see people happy”. Khan related his disappointment in Carifesta. “I think at least the cultural people should have contacted me because the whole of Guyana was looking forward to see me take part in events. I guess it is my Negroid pride that prevents me from going to ask them about it. I just can’t go. I’m a Guyanese. I’m here, it’s Carifesta”, he declared.
He however said that he expected this because “this is Guyana” and Guyanese don’t have respect for entertainers because they don’t have respect for themselves. He said that he had pride in himself and lamented the pirating of his movie, ‘If Wishes Were Horses’, by a particular company.
The comedian, relating several jokes, said that he still loves Guyana and said that at the WDRH he was treated like a king. He said that the Cuban doctors were very good and the nurses treated everyone like brothers and sisters…”it’s like a family setup”.
Khan declared that he was not ready for the Sandy’s Funeral Home and fully expected to be out of the hospital by tomorrow.