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In
the picture
Pakistani drama serials and
comedy shows such as Ankahi, Tanhaiyan,
Bakra Qiston Pay and 50/50 were truly iconic of our times. And with
Pakistan having turned the big SIX-O, each and every director, producer,
writer and actor
– who gave us something to look forward to each evening 'back
in the day'
– WE salute YOU.
By Sonya Rehman
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Ankahi
With a cast that boasted of Javed Sheikh, Behroz Sabzwari, Shehnaz
Sheikh, Misbah Khalid, Arshad Mehmood, Shakeel, Badar Khalil, Saleem
Nasir and others, Ankahi was perhaps the most avidly watched drama
serial - during a time when only a few odd sprinkle of television
shows featured on an otherwise dry, and grey-bland, solitary television
station.
But local audiences didn't 'lap up' and 'sponge in' the serial simply
due to a lack of better programs to tune in to, rather, the program
- by way of its script - seemed to strike a long-lasting, albeit gentle,
'connective' equilibrium with its audiences.
Brilliantly penned down by Haseena Moin and directed by the revolutionary
Shoaib Mansoor (what a power-packed creative combination), 'Ankahi'
revolved around the lives of everyday individuals…their lives,
trials, familial tribulations and relatable highs, lows. What made
Ankahi so successful at the time it was aired - and till today (remembered
as a true Pakistani drama-serial classic) - was quite simply, its
purity of script, execution and delivery.
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Tanhaiyan
And speaking of power-packed 'creative' combos, answer this: what
do you get when you cross Shehnaz Sheikh and Marina Khan under one
roof? Answer: a house - consistently doused with kerosene - on fire.
Why? The women ooze soul - you can almost see it trickle from their
eyes - and when they act (and that too together), they do it effortlessly
- it just comes to both Shehnaz and Marina, incredibly naturally.
And then rope in Haseena Moin (all bow) too - to feed both actresses
morsels of rich, meaningful dialogue and baby, you've got yourself
a winner. And what a winner Tanhaiyan - directed by Shehzad Khalil
- was.
With a plot that revolves around two sisters, Tanhaiyan is as iconic
a serial as is Ankahi… perched up high in the Pakistani drama
serial 'hall of fame', till today, it smiles a smile wider than the
Cheshire Cat - down below at the predominance of empty, baseless run-off-the-boring-ole-mill
'contemporary' serials continuously being slot-machine-popped out
today. |
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Bakra
Qiston Pay
The pioneer of 'stand-up' comedy in Pakistan, Umer Sharif, through
his stand-up routines truly made a definite mark as one of the
most terrific comedian/stage artistes the country had ever seen.
Bordering on the naughty (and at times vulgar) his jokes were
uproariously comical and he seemed to have an unforced élan
for impersonations. Quick-witted and interactive with the audience,
there has never been a dull moment with Sharif (quite like the
Chris Rock of Pakistan) on stage.
Bakra Qiston Pay - Sharif's recorded stand-up performances -
was excessively popular during the 80s in both Pakistan and
India (where Sharif has quite a fan-base). And now with the
advent of - the popular online video library - 'Youtube', Sharif's
knee-slapping, throw-your-head-back-and-chortle routines (accompanied
by Shakeel Siddiqui, Ibrahim Nafees, Saleem Afridi, Erum Tahir,
Akhtar Shirani and Salomi), can be revisited. |
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50/50
A slapstick series - 50/50 - (which comprised of short-acts)
gave Pakistani entertainment-starved audiences something to
laugh about in the early/mid 80s.
There was just nothing like it.
The show was novel and one-of-a-kind - it had to be, it was
directed by Shoaib Mansoor and penned by Anwar Maqsood after
all and was one 'skit-show' which could be related to irrespective
of gender, class or even age group for that matter.
Following 50/50's apex of success, the road for broadcast comedy
was paved further as additional slapstick shows/serials (both
on radio and television), and stand-up comedians cropped up
towards the onset of the 90s. Hey Blackfish, salute your pioneers! |
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