Drama diplomacy between India and Pakistan /Published in 2014 / Rashmi Talwar

Rashmi Talwar

Drama diplomacy between India and Pakistan / Published in 2014

Rashmi Talwar

Digging deep into the India-Pakistan psyche, I have suddenly arrived at a serious conclusion that aside of Punjabis signature bonhomie of Paapis – Jhaapis and the Buraaahs…on either sides of the border, the only thing that may still stall the nasty smoking guns of two nations is to straddle the ‘saas bahu’ serials from India to Pakistan and let the ‘Zindagi’ channel bring in the Gulzar (flower) syndrome to India.

Leave aside the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) that have done nothing between India-Pak relations. And never mind poverty and proxy warts that cut into the resources of our impoverished countries, if our defense arsenals can remain flushed surely e-to-e (entertainment to entertainment ) exchange would be a cakewalk. 

This time the big nuclear Goliaths could fight on mm screens big or small with very little loss of life.

Surely ‘Tulsi’ India’s honorable HR minister -Samriti Irani must not underestimate her personal impact and those of her generation of TV actresses, on the audience west of Radcliff line. If wedding culture be the competition category, then India has aplenty. From sagai, joota-chupai to vidai. Damsels in Kanjivaram sarees, sindoors, bindiyas, bichhuas and cuddly relationship with their age-defying mom-in-laws, sounds interesting material for export.

Pakistani TV serial for instance – ‘Zindagi Gulzar hai’ may belt out soft background scores in keeping with the storyline but it has to match Indian serials technology with the actor’s entry welcomed with reactions enhanced by three-dimensional pointed echo or triple-zoom close-ups matching with three thumps, as if it was a Martian that entered the Indian home space clutter. Technically you can’t ever get this effect, without rolling eyes, a raised eyebrow, closely locked dentures, and a count of three.

Still ‘Zindagi Gulzar’s university life or Pak girls in discotheques on the other side of the border with a free mix of sexes could be virtually eye-popper for Indians especially those who noticed separate enclosures for men and women at the Indo-Pak Wagah Attari border.

Much like Tulsi’s ‘Kyuki saas be kabhi bahu thi’, serials like Parvati’s ‘Ghar Ghar ki Kahani’ could add a few footnotes to the relationship remix.  These ‘Made in India’ caricatures could use bold tag lines ‘serials double-up as  free lessons for growing daughters!’
After all, these serials have an applauding distinction of catching the highest number of female eyeballs in their 500-plus episodic roller coaster rides. The 500-Club has –Kyunki.., Ghar ghar.., Balika Vadhu, Uttraan, and many Dharmic and historical serials even as India yawns!

In the make-up segment, the non-make-up Pak beauties of the serial ‘Kash mein Teri beti na hoti’ merely look the part but our Indian heavy eye-shadowed, artificial-lash fluttering ‘poor’ Indian girl emerges a looker. Even ‘Kashaf’ as the heroine of the Pak serial ‘Zindagi Gulzar hai.’ should have had a good feather haircut instead of the simple plaid. 

The heroine in polka-dotted pajamas from Pak play ‘Aunn Zara’ may have tough competition with Indian child brides like ‘Anandi’ in  Balika Vadhu who sleeps in all rustling silk sarees, matching jewelry along with special non-bleeding night make-up complete with gloss, to emerge as goddesses at the strike of dawn. Beating Anandi are many, many more Indian actresses in stunning bedroom looks.

Only ‘Saman’ of Pak serial ‘Maat’ can give competition to our serial heroines. ‘Saman oozes oomph even in salwar suits’. Shhh … this may be  ISI plant or Pak propaganda!

India’s Amna Sharief as Kashish in ‘Kahin toh hoga’ with her designer suits surely will be a rocker.  

Remember the competition in these visual channels should be based entirely on the classic formula of ‘Dirty picture’ actress Vidya Balan dialogues–Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! If Pak can use their two or four marriages syndrome as in ‘Kash mein teri beti na hoti’ and many daily series of ‘Kitne Girhain baki hain’ India can plug in old serials like ‘saans’ with Neena Gupta and Kawaljit of an adult affair or child-adult serial ‘Barey ache lagte hain’ and if that doesn’t suffice the Indian caste based serials of ‘Kyasth’ ki larki’  aur ‘Brahmin’ ka larka in ‘Ye pyar na hoga kaam’ could somewhat participate.

This time Pak is not resorting to its old tricks of fake currency, arms, cocaine packages, and suicide bombers and ready to heap a proxy war on India. They are taking the celluloid screens, those (All) watching ‘Zindagi’ channel in India know that Pak has come armed with its most potent missile of a bouquet of Pakistani dramas and Telefilms. Attacking and some ready to attack are Dil-e-Muzter, Silvatein, Shehr E Zaat, Dastan on Indo-Pak partition, Behadd-Telefilm, Durr-e-Shehwar, Humsafar, Adhoori Aurat, Virassat, Tanhai, Bulbulay,  Bilqees Kaur, Perchaiyan, Rehaai and hundreds of other ..Huff…Huff…I am out of breath now.

From women’s empowerment, and gender ties to social trends, Pak arsenal has a range. While India’s classics like Tareek Mehta ka Ulta Chashma, Office office, Balika Vadhu,  Na Ana iss des laado, Aik boond Ishq is merely like air rifle shots before the staccato fire. There was a time India made –‘Tamas’.

India! India! Wake- up! Let us throw the challenge of ‘Sach ka samna’ with the host extracting hidden tales of a person labeled the ‘bakra’. Pak could well enjoy and even float a tolly version of the show, of course, Amitabh Bachchan’s ‘Kon Banega Crorepati’ with its dharmic sawals could be a mismatch in the theological state.

Even India’s youngistan fare like ‘Splitvilla’, ‘Roadies’ stunt manias ‘Khatro ke Khiladi could turn lucky but the song and dance reality shows will score tops, don’t you see Indian songs playing in Pak serials.  

Well, ‘Comedy with Kapil’ could give some guffawick competition to Pak’s political and social satire sitcom ‘Hasb-be-haal’

However, all is not over for India. Other than cricketer turned politician Imran Khan and a Canada-based Pak cleric Mohammed Qadri historic democracy march, it is the Indian Actor Salman Khan’s ‘Kick’ that is kicking up a duststorm in Pakistan with a collection of 57.8 million in three days. Buzz says it garnered a whopping Rs 65,700,000 on this Eid in both Lahore and Karachi, even as Pak’s drama brigade flashily entered Indian homes riding on ‘Zindagi’ channel just before Eid on July 23rd. 

The Salman starer released on Eid became the highest holiday grosser in Pakistan with an estimated business of Rs 20.8 million Pak rupees daily and as many as 58 screenings in Karachi alone. “Other than Paf Cinema all other cinema halls in Lahore are running ‘Kick’ to full houses including Prime cinema, Tamaseel cinema, Cine gold,  Capital cinema, Prince cinema, Gulistan cinema, Rex and one in the  Fortress stadium called Sozo world.

Pak’s only claim to film fame in India has been -‘Khuda Ke liye’, ‘Bol’, and a cross breed ‘Tere Bin Laden’ a made-in-India set in Karachi film with Pak actor Ali Zafar in the lead.

Instead of India- Pak’s efforts on ‘Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) turn it around to (CFP)-

‘Come-hither Filmi Pressures’.   

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