October 23, 2005

The first Indus Vision Drama Awards held on September 23 in Karachi managed to attract a wide selection of showbiz celebrities. Awards were given in three main categories — Best Serial, Best Series and Best Sitcom. In addition, there were also special awards given out.

To start off with, model Vaneeza Ahmed looked stunning in a light turquoise sari as she handed over actor Faisal Rahman his best actor award for Azal. Actress Afreen also received the best actress award for the same. Later, a tribute was paid to the late actor-compere Najamuzzaman who passed away early in August this year in Canada. The award was presented by Atiqa Odho who emotionally recalled their first meeting. Najam’s mother, too overpowered by emotions to say anything, accepted the award.

Moin Akhter received his award for Lifetime Achievement/ Outstanding Contribution to Comedy presented by none other than Sahira Kazmi. M. Qavi Khan received the Lifetime Achievement/ Outstanding Contribution to Drama award by the stunning Babra Sharif.

The Special Performance Award went to Sohail Asghar for his role as the eunuch Saima in Maa Aur Mamta. The late Ashfaque Ahmad received a posthumous award for Outstanding Achievement in Scriptwriting.

A Special Appreciation Award also went to Fifty Fifty and the award was accepted by cast member Ismail Tara who appreciated receiving the award 20 years after the programme ended. Another cast member, Zeba Shehnaz, received a special award for her contribution to comedy. She used her time on the podium to address the Urdu press, holding back tears as she recounted how it had begun and reported rumours of an affair between her and Ismail Tara which had caused her and her family great distress.

The late PTV producer Shehzad Khalil was given a posthumous special award for Lifetime Contribution to Television, presented by Ghazanfar Ali and former MD of PTV, Agha Nasir, and received by Badr Khalil. “PTV should have done this (conferred an award) to Shehzad a long time ago,” she said in her cutting remarks.

On an odd note, Faisal Qureshi, Humayun Saeed and Mona Lisa danced to the Indian item number Kajra Re (?) which took place immediately after the tearful tribute to Najamuzzaman (but he might have liked it that way as he was such a lover of filmi item songs).

The music medley for the IV Drama Awards was created from theme songs from films such as Pulp Fiction and The Godfather. The point was to touch on different genres from drama, comedy and romance. Pop sensation Sandra dressed as a vamp in a red gown and hat performed to the Pulp Fiction medley with Humayun Saeed and later on Shehzad Roy’s Saali.

Ayesha Hanif gave a scintillating performance on Piya Tu while Michael Jackson fan, dancer Sonu performed intermittently but shone when he danced to a remix version of Atif Aslam’s Woh Lamhe.