WILCO (Narration by Raju Jamil)
WILCO is primarily, a story based on the hidden facts of the human values. It’s a story untold. Something which remains invisible to eyes despite its beauty and the universal message it contains.
COL. IFTIKHAR FAMILY:
The story revolves around Col. Iftikhar’s small but educated family where a self inflicted tussle between two brothers Sarim (Humayun Saeed) & Asim (Imran Abbas). Both the brothers have different interests. Sarim has the love for his country’s Army while Asim, on the other hand, is totally disillusioned from the Army and has varying thoughts which he thinks or deems, are worth while in his own rite. Their mother; BANO (Seemi Raheel) has very high values on the Army as her late husband was a Colonel and she desires that the legacy of the Army as introduced to her by her husband when she married him—should continue in terms of manners, discipline and normal daily routine in the house—adopted by all. Asim has no interest in his brother’s fetes in his profession and remains critical by criticizing and taunting the Army as to be doing nothing but enjoying salaries, perks and facilities… sitting back at their homes or barracks!
KHALID SAHEB FAMILY:
Col. Iftikhar Family’s neighbor Khalid Saheb (Raju Jamil) a retired civilian (having worked in a private company) lives with his widowed daughter Qudsia (Leyla Zuberi) and his grand-daughter Aiman (Real Army Captain Dr. Lubna ) is highly attracted towards the Army and gets further boost when her grand-dad Khalid Saheb pursues her to take up the profession of doctor but in the Army.
He has high values for the army as he has not been treated well by his private company he spent years working for and didn’t receive the honor—such long serving dedicated and honest personnel deserved.
Aiman, who is closely attached to her grandfather, is also highly inspired by her neighbor Major Sarim’s personality—she observes during Sarim’s visits to his house on holidays from PMA-Kakul where he is deployed as Adjutant. Aiman in true sense, is serenaded by the frequent inter-actions & family discussions on Army by Major Sarim which focuses her attracting thoughts on her country’s Army and its great deeds and thus gets encouraged to apply to the Army Medical College though her mother is not inclined and has some influence of Major Sarim’s brother Asim on his thoughts about the Army.
THE PLOT/STORY:
Major Sarim..during his posting at PMA-Kakul, almost casts a spell on a Cadet; Khurram (Danish Taimur) who is highly influenced by Sarim on his attractive personality and traits towards Army professionalism and has great liking to his unique command and style towards various segments of life. He dreams of joining Sarim’s unit (64FF) on passing out from PMA…the dream which eventually comes true.
MAJOR JAMSHED:
Floods at Tavi Area of Sialkot create havoc. The Army is called in to help the Civilians to save their villages. Not far from Indian Post near Sialkot is a Pakistani Village which most affected by the floods. Major Jamshed (Adnan Siddiqi) of Engineers, is one of the key persons participating in a dangerous operation to save many who are stuck due to the floods. Major Sarim’s Unit has also been directed to join the rescue operation…and during the flight of the Chopper carrying Major Sarim & his team to the affected area, severe fire from Indian Post slightly damages the Chopper but Major Sarim through his fine tactics—destroys the Indian Post and also rescues Major Jamshed & his team and some Civilians who were stuck in the flood affected areas.
Major Jamshed is engaged to Faaria (Gul-e-Shereen) and about to be married. A few weeks before the marriage, Major Jamshed while trying to save a young village boy from stepping on a mine…(laid by Indians during the flood crises) at Tavi-Sialkot, looses his foot. When Faaria visits him at the hospital—he gets a distinct feeling that Faaria is quite uneasy now that he has lost his leg and senses that she may want to call off their marriage… which turns out as he thought. Meanwhile, during his hospital stay for treatment, Major Jamshed meets Dr. Aiman and recollects that he met her earlier during his visit to his friend Major Sarim’s house—who is the neighbor of Aiman’s grand-dad Khalid sahib. Dr. Aiman is already attracted by the Army and takes special interest in looking after Major Jamshed and they both become good friends…and Major Jamshed finds relief when he inquires from his officer whether he (Jamshed) can still continue his job in the army—to which his officer states that IF he (the officer himself) is armless….and working then there is no reason why Major Jamshed cant?
NIMRA:
Nimra (Zainab Qayyum a.k.a Zee Q) is a model and an anchor based in Islamabad. She lives with her maid at an apartment. She has the medical problem of asthma. The maid takes great care of her as she has literally raised her……her mother (Ismat Zaidi) is busy in herself, her social activities and mainly concentrates on her son and expects Nimra to keep supporting her monetarily. The mother is not interested in Nimra’s own life like her marriage or settlement. In soft terms, she could be related as a mother with step-motherly attitude.
During her pursuits, Nimra visits THAR for a fashion commercial and during the shoot—she is visited by a village boy Jhoomar (Ali Raza Katpar) who, in all innocence, extends her an application in the name of some Army Authority for arrangements to supply sweet water to his village…stating that since she is popular and hails from nearby the Headquarter city of Army (Rawalpindi) she could be of some assistance to him. With all humility and smiles, Nimra accepts the application from the young lad Jhoomar, and promises to do something to meet his request.
AMBER:
Amber (Ainee) belongs to a middle-class family living in a small house at Rawalpindi. Her father Qurban Elahi (Rashid Mahmood) is a retired hawaldar. Amber is a working girl employed in the company where Asim (Sarim’s brother) works as the General Manager. She plays a quiet role in trying to change Asim’s adverse mind & thoughts on Army by hiding the fact that she is the daughter of an ex-servicemen. Asim gets attracted to her and though still against the army, starts to like her and not revealing—he falls in love with her BUT certain developments following his proximity with Amber----leads Asim to start thinking that his hatred for the Army may just be his restricted look towards the facts.
NIMRA MEETS MAJOR SARIM:
During an Army program decorating Major Sarim and Major Jamshed on their gallantry during FLOOD RESCUE operations at TAVI-Sialkot, Nimra being there as an anchor, interviews Major Sarim afterwhich she provides him the letter of Jhoomar she had received during her fashion shoot at THAR. The first inter action between Sarim & Nimra ends on a happy note…..followed by their bumping into each other at markets and in city at book shops and chemists.
HOW and WHY the “WILCO”:
Back in 2002 during one his visits to Islamabad, Pakistani Showbiz’ senior artiste Raju Jamil s/o Jamiluddin Aali who, by profession is a banker, during a courtesy call on the then Chief of General Staff—Lt. General Shahid Aziz, who happens to be the elder brother of Raju’s school mate of late sixties… Rashid Aziz (Shaheed of ’71 war) the idea to record a serial on the Pakistan Army was floated. Lt.Gen. Shahid Aziz called Maj. General Shaukat Sultan Khan, the then DG-ISPR and introduced Raju on phone afterwhich Pakistan’s top name in Production Houses and Showbiz HUMAYUN SAEED was looped-in on phone—to take this important and gigantic task of recording the army serial with a difference from the ones recorded earlier.
This led to a series of meetings at Islamabad & Karachi followed by selection of the writer and director…for which Mohammad Ahmed….Pakistan’s big name on dramatists and Marina Khan, the able daughter of ® AVM Sahabzada Rehmat Khan was chosen as Director. Marina, on account of her necessary travel abroad had to bow out and then entered AHSON TALISH who, by dint of his extraordinary talents and masterpiece achievements, has yet again, proven that he can climb the snow-white mountains of Alaska.. to do such fetes he has….while recording WILCO in some most dangerous situations and locations at Siachen and Chilum not to forget that 48-49 degree heat at Rawalpindi recently… when the final scenes of WILCO had to be recorded.
WILCO…the story;
It was observed that there is a misconcept that the ARMY during the peace time, is whiling off the time sitting back & relaxing and enjoying perks and facilities…doing nothing!
THAT’S TOTALLY WRONG! And WILCO walks many a miles in cascading some hard facts that have remained away from the eyes of public…. on how the PAKISTAN ARMY serves during PEACE time even.
It’s the PAK ARMY on which you just think………that;
YOU stay up for 16 hours
He stays up for days on end.
You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.
You complain of a “headache”, and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
You put on your anti war/don’t support the troops shirt, and go meet up
with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
You make sure you’re cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
You talk trash about your “buddies” that aren’t with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He patrols the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his
brow.
You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order
wrong.
He doesn’t get to eat today.
Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are
clean.
You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn’t have time to brush his teeth today.
You’re angry because your class ran 5 minutes ove r.
He’s told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
You call your friends and set a date for hangout.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
You hug your family , like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love’s perfume.
You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they’ll
ever meet.
You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and
remembers why he is fighting.
You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don’t.
He does exactly what he is told even if it puts his life in danger.
You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He tries to sleep but gets woken by mortars and helicopters all night long.