Pandi Raidhi, an actor of theater and cinema, People’s Artist, passed away in Tirana. He was born in Korçë in 1931. He became active in the city’s amateur theater movement and later in the partisan theater as a participant in the National Liberation Anti-Fascist War. In the years 1948–1949, he worked as an actor at the People’s Theater. He returned to Korçë and was among the founding actors of the Estrada and the “Andon Zako Çajupi” Theater (1951). Among his most notable roles in the theater are: Argan in “I sëmuri për mend” (The Imaginary Invalid) by Molière (1955), Volpone in “Volpone” by Ben Jonson (1957), Sganarelle in “Doktor pa dashka” (The Doctor in Spite of Himself) by Molière (1958), Bobchinsky in “Revizori” (The Inspector) by Gogol (1959). With the role of Uncle Kasem in the drama “Këneta” (The Swamp) by Fatmir Gjata (1963) and that of Thanas in the drama “Hijet e natës” (The Shades of Night) by Vedat Kokona (1964), he displayed his artistic maturity and acting abilities in interpreting characters from Albanian drama. Pandi Raidhi portrayed a variety of impressive characters on stage and screen. With Uncle Bako in the comedy “Zonja nga Qyteti” (The Lady from the City) by Ruzhdi Pulaha (1976), as well as in the film with the same title, he continued the portrayal of the Albanian villager type, a wise and optimistic man who always had a joke ready but was always kind-hearted. In this vein, he also portrayed other characters in cinema, such as Uncle Ymer (“Horizone tё hapura”), Agoja (“Yjet e netёve tё gjata”), Mekja (“Krevati i Perandorit”), Vasili (“Tokё e pёrgjakur”), and others. Pandi Raidhi’s acting is distinguished by its lively and rural-speaking style, scenic originality, and naturalistic portrayal of people. (In the photo: Pandi Raidhi)
Text: Albanian encyclopedic dictionary – Vol. 3 , Academy of Sciences of Albania, “Kristalina-KH”, Tirana, 2009, page 2201.
Photo: © https://mubi.com/cast/pandi-raidhi
Graphic processing: AHCF
