Dino Shafeek

• Name — Dino Shafeek • Birth Name — Gholam D. Shafeek • Born — 21 March 1930 • Birthplace — Dacca, Bengal Province, British India • Died — 10 March 1984 • Place of death — London, England • Partner — Leslie Didcock (engaged) • Citizenship — British • Other Names — Dino Shafeek Dean Francis • Education — University of Dhaka 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)

Shafeek's first acting role was as an extra in the drama series Maigret in 1961 under the name Dean Francis, a name he used on occasion until 1966. Most of Shafeek's early roles were uncredited; his first role credited to "Dino Shafeek" was in 1967, when he appeared in two episodes of Softly, Softly as Anwar. He appeared as 'Akbar' in the film The Long Duel (1967), starring Yul Brynner. One of Shafeek's biggest roles came in the show It Ain't Half Hot Mum as "Chaiwallah Muhammad". 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. 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). Shafeek played character parts in films and TV, such as: Carry On Emmannuelle, Minder, Special Branch and The Onedin Line. His last role was in High Road to China starring Tom Selleck.

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 • 1961 — Maigret — Extra (as Dean Francis) — Episode "Love from Felicie" (uncredited) • 1963 — Ghost Squad — Waiter — Episode "Death of a Sportsman" (uncredited) • The Desperate People — Man at nightclub — 1 episode (uncredited) • 1964 — Danger Man — Club barman (as Dean Francis) — Episode "The Colonel's Daughter" (uncredited) • Drama 61-67 — Gunman (as Dean Francis) — Episode "Studio '64: The Crunch" • The Midnight Men — Man at cafe (as Dean Francis) — Episode "Promise to Kill" • Crane — Policeman (as Dean Francis) — Episode "Death Is a Closed Door" • HMS Paradise — Indian delegate (as Dean Francis) — Episode "What Am I Offered for This Lot?" • The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling — Sais, driver (as Dean Francis) — Episodes "Only a Subaltern", "The Bronckhurst Divorce Case" • 1965 — The Saint — Native — Episode "The Golden Frog" (uncredited) • Out of the Unknown — Man in mask (as Dean Francis) — Episode "The Fox and the Forest" • 1966 — Redcap — Gurkha (as Dean Francis) — Episode "The Killer" • Sergeant Cork — Servant — Episode "The Case of the Threatened Rajah" (uncredited) • A Farewell to Arms — Passini (as Dean Francis) — Episode "The Summer There Were Many Victories" • 1967 — Softly, Softly — Anwar — Episodes "The Target: Part 1: Sighted", "The Target: Part 2: Point Blank" • 1968 — The Jazz Age — Abas — Episode "The Outstation" • The Champions — Manservant — Episode "The Dark Island" (uncredited) • 1969 — The Troubleshooters — Abdhul — Episode "You're Not Going to Believe This, But..." • Special Branch — Majid — Episode "The Promised Land" • 1971 — The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder — 2nd priest — Episode "Man with a Strange Tattoo" • Brett — Filegonia — Episode "The Day of the Dead" • The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes — Ali — Episode "The Duchess of Wiltshire's Diamonds" • 1974 —...And Mother Makes Five — Gypsy — Episode "If I Can Help Somebody" • 1974–1981 — It Ain't Half Hot Mum — Chai Wallah Muhammed — 56 episodes • 1976 — Centre Play — Demonstrator — Episode "Commonwealth Season: Trinidad – Home Sweet India" • Down the 'Gate — The postman — Episode "The Lie" • 1977 — The Onedin Line — Juan — Episode "When Troubles Come" • The Fuzz — 1st Pakistani — Episode "Coppers Under the Sun" • 1977–1979 — Mind Your Language — Ali Nadim — 29 episodes • 1979 — Hazell — Raiji — Episode "Hazell Bangs the Drum" • 1980 — Minder — Mini cab driver — Episode "All About Scoring, Innit?" • 1981 — Into the Labyrinth — Suleiman — Episode "Shadrach" • 1982 — The Stanley Baxter Hour — Various roles — 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 — London Palladium, London • 1981 — Dick Whittington and His Cat • 1982 — Gandhi — Tricycle Theatre, Kilburn, London • It Ain't Half Hot Mum — Chai Wallah Muhammad — Stage adaptation of TV series; regional tour commencing at Futurist Theatre, Scarborough • Dick Whittington — 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