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Broken dreams
Many young people harbour dreams of making it big in far-off lands. But often the dream is elusive, and reality far from what the migrants expected. Sometimes, new migrants fall into the clutches of the Mafia, which exploits them for its own profits. These desperate souls either end up in incarceration or are conveniently deported, and all the money invested into moving to their Promised Lands goes down the drain. The corollary is that the migrants’ country of origin is calumniated and the hands behind the whole set-up are never exposed.
Using this grim circle of events as the main theme, Qasim Jalali has produced a serial that focuses on the harsh realities that exist behind the veneer of greener pastures. Abla pa, currently on air on PTV, is based on the novel by Razia Fasih Ahmed, winner of the Adamjee Award. The serial is different from others of the same genre in more ways than one. Firstly, all the scenes that depict the United States have been shot in America, but then re-rendered with the cast in Pakistan through technical assistance. Qasim Jalali comments in this regard.
“I shot the scenes myself during a visit to the States. When I came back, I merged them with the cast through technical assistance giving them a touch of reality. The scenes appear to have been actually shot in America!”
‘I shot the scenes myself during a visit to the States. When I came back I merged them with the cast through technical assistance, giving them a touch of reality. The scenes appear to have been actually shot in America’
Most of the performers that played the roles of Americans are new faces who, despite being greenhorns, did complete justice to their roles. The most outstanding of them are Yousuf Khan, Omar, Patricia and Mama Deluxe, who played the role of a black American. The new faces worked in complete harmony with the veteran performers, namely Zeba Bakhtiar,
Ali Afzal Khan, Rizwan and Tahira Wasti.
Another positive aspect of the play is that special attention has been given to costumes. The uniforms worn by the police officers seem no different than the originals. Yusuf Khan, the novice who performed the role of the inspector, wrote the English version of the play and is actually a graduate from America.
“PTV is not what I had perceived. Not for a single second did I feel I was in Pakistan and not in America while performing the role. It was my first experience and I thoroughly enjoyed it.” Yusuf Khan’s performance won plaudits and Qasim Jalali extended it despite the fact that the scenario was not in the original novel.
Another feature of the play is that apart from the other new faces, Zeba Bakhtiar’s son Azaan is also performing for the first time. Praising him, Jalali says, “he is a talented young boy who performs like his father.”
The team, which was all geared up to record the final episode of the play as it is approaching its climax, was anxiously waiting for Zeba, who arrived an hour late. The set, designed by Aijaaz Ahmed, was a complete replica of a country club rest house. The cameras were ready to roll and the performers well rehearsed, as the leading lady sat in the make-up room getting ready for the shot. When asked about her role in the serial she replied, “I am only doing it because of Azaan. He was so anxious to work in a play and when Qasim Jalali approached me, I took up the project because there was a role for a kid.”
The day’s work began a good couple of hours late and though the man at the helm seemed a bit uneasy, he remained calm and cheery as his serial is the talk of the town — and that is all that matters.
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