Atif Badar

Atif Badar is a masterful thespian, educator, theatre director, acting coach, drama therapist, storyteller, dastan-go, and children’s writer, with a deep passion for literature, storytelling, and theatre for children, youth, and elders. He is also a voiceover and dubbing artist, as well as a culinary expert. Atif has been working with the Pakistan Learning Festival (PLF) with heart and soul from 2013 to the present. In 2025, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi selected him as an ambassador for the Pakistan Learning Festival. He is an exceptionally brilliant and versatile artist with a wealth of experience. Atif’s career is a testament to his multifaceted talents. His journey began in 1993 when he started his acting career with Tehrik-e-Niswan. Since 2010, Atif has been serving as a theatre and creative movement teacher in well‑established schools across Karachi. He also worked as a theatre/drama teacher from 2017 to 2022, and for two years he taught film acting at the Visual Media Department of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. His tenure includes four years as an actor with the Katha Theatre Group. As an educator, he has directed and conceptualised more than 135 long and short theatre plays over 16 years of teaching. He has also written 35 short theatre plays, as well as numerous songs and poems for children. One of his poems, written for children’s confidence‑building, was published in the Urdu magazine Santra. Four of his theatre plays have earned the distinction of Best Play Awards. Atif has also been working as a thespian for the Karachi Literature Festival since 2019. In addition, he worked with Oxford University Press as a storyteller. He taught theatre and drama for two years to children with Down syndrome, autism, and other disabilities at the SRSC Rehabilitation Centre. He has also served many times as a storyteller and motivational speaker for child cancer patients at Aga Khan Hospital. In 2025, he conducted a drama workshop for the IBA Literary Society at the IBA Festival. A few years ago, Atif received a PLF Award for his outstanding work with the Pakistan Learning Festival. Two years ago, he also received a Best Teacher Award. Recently, he wrote and directed a short theatre play for NAPA. As an actor, he appeared in the film Ramchand Pakistani (2007) and performed in many television plays. As a culinary expert, his authentic recipes have been published in well‑known Pakistani magazines and newspapers. He has also appeared as a culinary expert on PTV and Masala TV.