Our Tv screens are being bombarded by comedy nowadays . Almost every channel has a prime time comedy serial. Baarat series has come back with yet another bang. Topi drama and Qudusi Sahab Ki Bewa are roaring at ARY. Bushra Ansaari is about to unleash herself in another hilarious role in Bilqees Kaur on Hum Tv. Paksitani Drama in my opinion has been showing positive signs off late, we have been finally able to shrug off the indian influence and get back on track with a distinctive Pakistani flavour. Comedy , however is the big exception in this regard. Media essentially is about entertainment and what better to entertain than a nice comic drama with a funny story line and lovely acting. The comic plays i mentioned above have the same things scattered in them but as a complete package they are totally utterly disappointing(i will include the baarat series in too).the reason is our glorious past in this regard. Pakistan televsion has such a dignified tradition of comedy . There is a whole galaxy glittering with names like Sach gap, Alif noon,Fifty fifty.rozy.half plate and the list goes on and on. The recent lot of serials has everything but dignity in them. Internationally Two schools of thought in comedy are recognized British and American. Pakistan has traditionally been British, comedy with in limits and very intellectual and thought provoking. Recently all we have is the American stuff which is cheap imitations,straight to your face jokes coupled with goofy interpretations of language and below the line impersonations to bring in the humour. In this backdrop, today i am remembering the best ever comedy serial to air on PTV screens AANGAN TEHRAA.
The play revolved around an elderly couple consisting of a retired government officer and his wife living in a house with a servant. Thier every day situations were made interesting by their neighbours. A poet in making who with her sister brings in the funky bits and the icing on the cake is various guest appearances by characters who come in to stay as paying guest with the members of the house
This play was certainly a master piece of Anwar Maqsood. we are highly in debt of him for spreading so many laughs on our television and this consumes a vast chunk of them. Those of you who think Bushara Ansaari is doing brilliant as Saima Cahudhry, go to the market buy the DVD of this serial and then watch it. this one was by far the most breathtaking acting performance by Bushra Ansaari, the on screen chemistry that she shared with Shakeel who played her husband was simply electric to say the least. The role of the servant who was actually a classical dancer was immortalized by Salim Nasir, who i think was the most versatile actor of his era. Salim Nasir had many memorable performances as Ankahi or Jangloos but in this one he certainly hearted his act out and put before the viewers a truly memorable performance. Arshad mehmood played the Chaudhry sb. and he was again picture perfect in his role . His lumpy and goofy sister was played by Durdana Butt and she was again a perfect choice.
The real lime light of the show were the interesting cameos by many legendary actors such as Qazi Wajid, Moin Akhtar, Lehri, Mehmood Ali and Azra Sherwaani. All of whom brought their own flavour to the dish. One of the memorable moveemeents was the appearance of then Pop Sensation Alamgir to playe a memorable song”soona soona jeevan apna”(i jsut love the way durdana butt looks at shakeel and the anger shown by bushra ansaari when the song is being played). Thier were some moments of utterr brilliance susch as durdana butt singing “mujh se pehli si muhabbat meray mehboob na maang” (since shakeel’s name was mehboob and he and his wife were the audience it was a spot on), all the scenes in the kitchen between bushra ansaari and salim nasir was hillarious. Moin akhtar and arshad mehmood fighting each other to recite poetry,shakeel singing those songs in his “Jhoola” and when Bushra Ansaari goes to the roof to call back the pigeons. infact their are so many more but you got to see them to enjoy tthem.
the best thing about this play was their was no over acting or Over the Top characters(Annie ki Aye gi Baarat),no humour at thee expense of others (Qudusi Sahab Ki Bewah), No unreal and fantasy situations(Topi Drama). All the characters were real and humane but the situations were so beautifully crafted that the smile never departed your lips through out this play.
Aangan Tehraa stood out for all that was best about Pakistani plays its a pity to see that we have been relegated to such low levels in the comedy. But i still have the hope that one day this whole episode of slapstick comedies will phase out and comedy will be born again on Paksitani TV screens
