THE Turkish television serial ‘Ertugrul Ghazi’ is extremely popular among a vast majority of viewers in Pakistan. The directors and scriptwriters of the series definitely deserve praise for presenting the history behind the Ottoman empire in an effective and entertaining manner.

The history of the subcontinent has a number of legendary characters, but, unfortunately, our production houses have never worked on subjects, like, say, Tipu Sultan, who sacrificed his life while fighting against the British and whose bravery was even acknowledged by his enemies.

There are many similarities in the life and character of Ertugrul and Tipu. Both had to simultaneously fight the enemy within and outside the empire. Both had a firm belief in God, and both believed in the unity of all the tribes/states.

Indian author Bhagwan S. Gidwani wrote in 2009 a historical novel ‘The Sword of Tipu Sultan’ about the life and legend of Tipu. It is based on vast research as the author was inspired by a French student who was conducting research on kings and emperors who had died in the battlefield while actually fighting against the enemy, and Tipu was one of them. He also wrote the script, screenplay and dialogues for a television serial based on the book.

Our drama writers, instead of writing serials based on fiction and clichéd subjects, such as family politics, love stories and violence in society, should come forward to present a constructive and informative serial based on the life of our legends. This will definitely be an instant hit among the viewers if presented professionally.

With the approval of Gidwani, a television serial based on his novel will be admired and viewed by all in both the countries.

Aamir Aqil
Lahore

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2020