If an anchorperson or a producer wants to know how to make a programme popular amongst the masses, watch Khabarnaak, a comedy-come-satire (late night) show on a private television channel. Critics argue that the programme panders to the (psychological) needs mostly of the lower strata of society but the question is this: should that be taken as the programme’s weakness or strength? Why is the lower section of society not entitled to entertainment? What about the practice of inviting Sheikh Rasheed, a politician, to political talk shows to achieve the ratings target needed to keep the show viable for the television channel? The appearance of Sheikh Rasheed or Faisal Raza Abidi as solo flights may popularise that particular episode of the talk show commercially but not the rest of the episodes.
There is indeed an immense competition of survival amongst political talk shows. The areas where political talk shows are wanting are innovation and variety. In this age of competition, Khabarnaak radiates a message of success to other programmes of a similar nature and also to political talk shows through its practice of innovation and variety. Aftab Iqbal, the host of Khabarnaak, introduced a new concept of comedy-cum-satire to the electronic media when he began Hasb-e-Hal on a different private television channel in January 2009. The programme could be considered a practical expression of his thoughts, which he used to put down in writing in his weekly column (under the caption Hasb-e-Hal) for an Urdu daily. Iqbal brought along with him the character of Azizi (expressed in his columns) to Hasb-e-Hal. Iqbal is also credited with introducing Suhail Ahmed (who was a stage comedian) to television viewers. Ahmed is a talented, educated and versatile comedian of unmatched quality who justified playing the character of Azizi. Iqbal also took care of the aesthetics of the viewers by introducing Najia Baig who brought along a new dimension of presentation through her voice and winning laughter (or cackles).
Iqbal started Khabarnaak in September 2010. He also writes the programme’s script to circumvent it meandering aimlessly from one point to another and keeps the partaking comedians conditioned. Khabarnaak meets the aesthetic needs of its viewers especially after Sofia Mirza joined in as a co-host, but it is still devoid of the bursts of laughter that invigorated the shows of Hasb-e-Hal. Unlike Zainab Jamil, Mirza does not sing to supplement the singing repertoire of the programme. Nevertheless, one of the major reasons for Khabarnaak’s success is the variety of roles (parodies) played by Mir Mohammad Ali, who is now the Azizi of Khabarnaak. In this way, the programme has allowed new talent to surface. The parody of Iqbal performed by Ali as Afat Iqbal was a big hit. The parodies (or mimicries) of Sheikh Rasheed, Rehman Malik, Tariq Aziz, Shahbaz Sharif, Ali Azmat and Anwar Maqsood are excellent to name a few, though Ali has still to work on the parodies of Firdous Ashiq Awan and Jahangir Badar.
The strength of Khabarnaak lies in its strong association with culture, especially Punjabi culture, which finds overwhelming expression in it. The same is also the weakness of the programme because viewers from other cultures or provinces may not associate with the medium of comedy and satire being presented. The entry of Majid Jahangir (a comedic legend of Fifty-Fifty fame) was much praised. In Jahangir, one could find hope to cater to the comedic needs of Urdu speaking viewers. He showcased himself but could not make a fresh performance. Another failure was Amanullah Khan, an eminent (Punjabi) stage comedian. Both Jahangir and Amanullah failed because they could not innovate as per the demand of the new age, though both are experts at the old (or traditional) style of comedy. The parting of Sakhawat Naz in August 2013 was a real setback.
Over the years, the comedy knowledge of viewers has also increased immensely and so has the demand for novelty in comedy. Rubi Anam (nicknamed Sadiq) is an outspoken stage comedy performer but she is limited to expressing herself in Punjabi only. She needs more space to perform. She should not be a failure. The Albela Brothers (Saleem and Honey) are the programme’s main comedians who make witty comments but they overwhelm the roles of other comedians such as Agha Majid (nicknamed Aroo Grenade). Unfortunately, Farhat Abbas Shah (nicknamed, Master Jee) is unimpressive. Akram Udaas was a welcome addition but he could not stay for more than a few episodes. The segment, Zabaan-o-Bayaan in which Iqbal identifies pronunciation errors in commonly used Urdu words and tells their correct articulation, is an excellent one.
Once a week, the selection of a song (nagma) mostly from Indian classics and the vocal card compatibility offered by new local singers is also praiseworthy. Naseer Bhai, who attempts to (often accurately) guess the composer, lyrists and singers of the songs and actors who performed them, is a brilliant discovery. He is an innocent soul and a humble character but often scared by Honey Albela. Dummy Museum is another unparalleled creation of the programme. This segment opens a wide range of opportunities to invite dummy politicians and produce humour and satire. Another reason for Khabarnaak’s success is the behind-the-scenes role performed by its producer, Zeeshan Hussain, who brought along the expertise and experience he gathered by producing a social programme, Fifty Minutes. Before Hussain’s arrival, Khabarnaak was devoid of its social tinge. Now, it has penetrated society and has a more social component to comment on than a political one. The way the complexities of life are increasing, the comedians (or satire presenters) working in Khabarnaak or other programmes need to be respected. What strata of society they hail from is secondary; what service they render to society is primary. They help viewers fight their daily worries and vexations and, consequently, play a venerable role in keeping society tranquil.
The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at [email protected]