following are what I consider to be the highlights of Pak showbiz over the past decade:
- Umrao Jaan Ada
outstanding drama. as good as any of the great plays in the golden age of PTV dramas. Amna Bano, the debutant, stole the show as Umrao and outshone veterans like Bushra Ansari, Badar Khalil, etc, which is no easy task. a great play by Raana Sheikh.
- Four Man Show
destined to become one of the classic comedy shows like Fifty Fifty, Studio Dhai, Kaliyaan, etc. features some of the best comedians in the country. audacious, outspoken, irreverent, always hilarious… made politicians household names.
- Laal
a unique concept that took the country by storm. revolutionary poetry, great music and powerhouse vocals. came in with as big a bang as Vital Signs and Junoon. THE band to watch out for over the next few years.
- Khamosh Pani
the best Pak film ever made? imo, yes. a film that leaves the viewer thinking and questioning the notions we’ve been brought up with.
still wish the main role was performed by Saba Hameed/Bushra as the director originally planned. Kiron Kher did perform really well though.
- Coke Studio
a great concept by Rohail Hyatt - a veteran artist who has the respect of the whole music industry. some amazing performances by Ali Azmat, Rahet Fateh Ali Khan, Zeb and Haniya. hopefully there will be another season though Rohail has been non-committal.
- Khuda Ke Liye
Shoaib Mansoor finally moved into films and made a very fine film first up. featured great music. there were those classic moments/lines/scenes that left you awestruck and thinking only Shoaib Mansoor could have written/created that.
- Ali Azmat
struck out on his own. and while skeptics (including myself) didn’t expect him to succeed without Salman Ahmed, he did succeed… spectacularly. we might have lost one of the great Pak bands that will always be remembered but we got to see Ali Azmat reinvent himself as one the country’s leading musicians. and the music scene is better off for it. also showed who really was the heart and soul of the great band.
- Fuzon
though the band is no more in its original shape, their debut was something else. their debut album left listeners begging for more. unfortunately no more was to come from the original lineup.
- Pak music industry
the music industry continued to gain strength. the journey that started with the raw talents of Vital Signs and Junoon became more professional, diverse, varied, interesting. we got to see diverse acts like Laal, Fuzon, Auntie Disco Project, Zeb and Haniya, Sara Raza Khan, Ali Abbas, Omer Inayat, Abbas Ali Khan, Jal, Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam, Kaavish, Meekaal Hasan Band, etc.
- Shehnaz Sheikh
can’t think of another highlight… so decided to write down the name my lifelong love. Shehnaz, I love you. marry me?