Rather than begin with a particular programme from a given TV channel we see via the cable, let me begin with the overall context of watching TV channels on an Eid-ul-Azha, which comes into our lives in winter these days. For TV channels, this should mean, almost a captive audience. And virtually prime time at that.
From the 20th of January (a Thursday), to 23rd January (a Sunday), there was breezy, buoyant Eid programming, and given the cold wave, plus rain and snow and a freezing temperature zone therefore, it is obvious that TV viewing was high on everyone's agenda. And so Pakistani and Indian channels ensured, it seemed, that a holiday mood was what they were catering to.
Now so far so good. But the question that repeatedly came to mind was whether most of these channels were overplaying the fun and the frolic, and overdoing the song and the dance.
I did my share of channel surfing on all the days, and in a context that was rather symbolic I noticed that the PTV in one of its many mediocre light musical shows had young men dancing. Was that rather strange. Was PTV trying to show a soft image of Pakistan? That is to say that if the Indian channels received in Pakistan had song and dance, (and girls dancing) the PTV was trying to follow in those footsteps?
Put together, what I found as rather strange, even unacceptable, was that while the tsunami sorrows and fund raising are very much alive, and the impact of that death and destruction very much with us, here were South Asian channels totally unmindful of or nonchalant in a calculated way, to all that.
Was this a kind of escape or was it hypocrisy? Was this reflective of the hollowness of our concerns; official and private, both? One must mention here that in one of the Eid programmes I saw Laila Zuberi, a leading lady of yesteryears, refer sadly to the tragedies of tsunami and how it was colouring grey the festival of Eid this year.
It makes me wonder why PTV in particular and the other channels like Geo, ARYOne and Indus had almost all their guests from the world of showbiz. It limited the canvass of conversation, and instead of talking about Pakistani society as a whole, the thematic range was centering around TV and cinema. In fact, at times it seemed that the PTV is trying to help the Pakistani cinema out, as it is once again presumed to be in bad shape.
I would have imagined that the planners and policy makers in the state owned and managed PTV would have thought it proper and befitting to have invited as their guests from all walks of life, and focusing especially on professions like teaching, nursing, law, blue collared workers, or even the grassroots level folks, who comprise the mainstream of our society in a way. How much of focus on show biz-Lollywood lollipops all the time!
I am inclined to go along with the contention that one would have expected PTV channels to focus on tsunami atleast, in the Eid packages, they were flaunting so cheerfully and almost defiantly. They had a captive audience, as I have stated before, at the outset, and they could have used this prime time to engage Pakistani audiences, across the country on the tsunami and other serious themes.
Instead PTV was playful, and frivolous and it was rather disappointing, considering it is all official (or so one believes) what goes on air on PTV. (By the way I need to mention here that my cable operator does not include in its menu the PTV national channel, which is apparently a song and dance channel, meant to insinuate the soft face of Pakistan).
Therefore, I have heard viewers contend that if PTV was having a party round the clock, including one that had Shahida Minni singing, swaying outdoors on Margalla hills(?) it was inevitable that the Pakistani private channels were going to go a step further in their focus on song and dance. The extra mile, as they say.
Almost as a direct and conflicting contrast to all the other channels there was the QTV channel, which as we know is from the ARY digital group, and which is committed to and seek the creation of awareness of the sublime eternal message of the Holy Quran, which had an entirely different mood for Eid.
It has a different mood even otherwise, but on that day I heard one of the participants talking to that excellent communicator Junaid Iqbal, of the uniqueness of the QTV, and how viewers should try and find time for it, in their TV viewing. That is something at least I have heard for the first time.
Mentioning young upright Junaid Iqbal brings in the Istekhara programme that seems to be very popular on QTV. It is significant that Pakistani men and women now discuss their very personal sorrows, and their misfortunes, in public, and go live with their grief. See what electronic media is doing to culture. See how attitudes are changing. Inhibitions going here too.
Somewhat relevant to mention here is a programme that Geo TV has, which is called Uljhan Suljhan. It is compered by a confident Hina Bayat Khawaja and what the programme does is to examine in some detail the psychological, societal and family programmes of Pakistani men and women, and here too there is a candour and openness that is noticeable.
One may or not agree with the solutions offered, but there is indeed a kindness of attitude which is welcome. And indeed a programme like this reflects the frustrations and complexities that a changing Pakistani society is confronted with - and often those issues are swept under the carpet.
But let me return from this meandering to the Eid-ul-Azha television theme. This time there was visibly more emphasis on the glamour factor and the Bollywood world too. Called Bollywood legends, the Geo TV had a colourful musical show which besides seeking to provide "some naughty dancing" and "daring, baring" sought to honour the legendary Indian film actor Dev Anand. Obviously the young of today wouldn't know who Dev Anand was and what it meant to see him at that age now.
But for those who have seen him reign over the silver screen alongwith Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor, and romance on the screen with Kalpana Kartik (whom he wed later) found it rewarding to see him still strong at 81 and beautifully communicative.
It was also good to see one of his screen heroines, Zeenat Aman come on stage and speak eloquently about the honour it was for her to be part of a programme that was payinga tribute to Dev Anand. She seems to be doing gracefully with time and the years have been kind to her.
For wintry Eid-ul-Azha, somehow, for all the special colourful (read girlie at times and sensuous at others) programmes that entertainment channels had, there were grim themes that were at the back of the mind. One of these related to the Balochistan crisis, and specifically to the Sui field situation. For there were citizen's apprehensions across the country whether there would be natural (read Sui) gas available in the kitchen on Eid-ul-Azha.
Whether the geysers and heaters would function. Luckily, the TV news channels broke the news that gas would be normal by Eid day. And that is what it was. But for the more discreet viewers the Balochistan theme had assumed another dimension.
Now even after Eid-ul-Azha, it is evident that the gravity of the Balochistan theme, and the TV channels' focus on its numerous aspects remain. My channel surfing enabled me to see some discussions and dialogues on it in programmes like 'Follow up with Fahd,' 'Aaj Kamran Khan Key Sath,' 'Views on News' by Dr Shahid Masood, 'Mujahid on Line,' and on Wednesday morning there was a lengthy interview of the Balochistan Chief Minister, Jam Yusuf, on the KTN channel.
What I liked about this particular interview was that both the interviewer (seemed abreast of what was happening) and the Chief Minister were using three languages (Sindhi, Urdu and English) and which to me was a welcome sign. What is important is that there should be effective communication, and if three languages are to be used for it, so be it.
The Balochistan issue or crisis as it is referred to at times, has been in existence for long now, and I have seen its various moods and highs and lows for the last 35 years or so. There is so much satellite television now, and there is also the internet, and perhaps this is making more difference than what we can fathom. I have heard Balochistan leaders, and nationalists at that, contend frequently that they have been denied too long the rights that they have been struggling for. Economic rights, human rights. The situation seems troubled enough.
The Eid holidays and the wintry spell perhaps were another reason we were watching more television than is normal. Is watching TV too much television good? The same old question. Does it reduce the chances of reading and conversation? Or does it stimulate it? There is room for contemplation here. Anyway, let me confess I watched more than normal television and I leave it to the reader to formulate any opinion on this admission of mine.
There is much to choose from save that Sahara One channel which I noticed has been struck off by the cable operator for now. I was, therefore, unable to see that Sunday morning corporate interview, Powertrip, which is done by that well known writer Shobha De. That much for that.
One of the popular programmes on Ary digital is the Moin Akhtar show, Katehra, which is amongst the new ones on this channel. I saw an interview of the Federal Religious affairs Minister, Ejaz ul Haq, and found it quite interesting. Another one that was absorbing was Moin Akhtar having Anwar Maqsood in the docks, during the week.
One may mention here that the other popular show that is hosted on this very channel by Anwar Maqsood, which has him talking to Moin Akhtar. It is hilarious, but hard hitting in its punches, and the sting is obvious.
Is it because of this that Indus TV has come with Zeba Shahnaz doing a live show that is meant to be entertaining, and Geo has brought on a lighthearted show called "Omar Sharif versus Omar Sharif".
Mentioning these reminds me of a PTV Eid evening music show in which there were two teams of young male and female TV artistes, in what was designed as a competition between the two sides. In that crowd, on one side, sat the seasoned Bushra Ansari. She did not appear to be blending with that buoyant crowd, and then some minutes later, after I had done my channel surfing, I noticed that she had left.
Why did she do that? Did she realise that she was a misfit in that youthful exuberance? Of course, Bushra Ansari is a good professional but perhaps because she appears so often, in so many shows, she overdoes it all. Over-exposure needs to be avoided always, more so when an artiste is that experienced. And she ought to know it.
And that ongoing question mark in our national life, the Kalabagh Dam issue. Should that dam be built and will it actually be built? What has gone wrong? Why this delay? The reasons are political and technical. Now looking at the latter was this informative programme called Capital Talk on Tuesday (25th January) on Geo and Hamid Mir's participants were Federal Minister Jehangir Tareen, ex Wapda Chairman Shamsul Mulk, Ataullah Khan Gandapur, IRSA Chairman, and Abdul Majeed Nizamani, of the Sindh Growers Association.
I am sure that the average viewer must have been quite confused and still more disbelieving to see that experts were disagreeing and disbelieving each other, and so openly on a subject that is often described as integral to the lifeline of the country. One view was that this dam is possible, and another one technically knocked it down. One view was that it is no dam but rather a barrage. Another view that it is no carry-over dam and that it should be built at another place. There were dreadful scenarios of what can happen if the Kalabagh Dam is built.
Today in Pakistan, thanks to the TV channels we are able to discuss everything, almost?
Newsreader Kokab Farshori gave viewers a pleasant surprise when he asked the government economist Ashfaq Hasan Khan on Tuesday night (?) on what was there for the common man, in all the development and progress data and vision that he had spelt out on PTV. The economist is a familiar face on state owned TV.
I don't think that he gave a clear-cut answer to the question but seemed to imply that sooner than later the benefits of all the progress would trickle down to the common man. That employment opportunities would be created. What has surprised me is that the question was asked!