'Love and Truth': Pakistani filmmakers present country’s first made-for-Instagram drama parody

The collage shows stills from the episodes of "Pyar Aur Sach". (Photo courtesy: @pyaaraursach/Instagram)
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Updated 03 April 2021
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'Love and Truth': Pakistani filmmakers present country’s first made-for-Instagram drama parody

  • Launched in March, "Pyar Aur Sach" on IGTV has already amassed over 8,000 views
  • The drama is a parody of popular TV shows with exaggerated marriage-focused plotlines

RAWALPINDI: When filmmaker Nadir Shahzad and musician Syed Misbah Uddin started talking to each other in the style of TV dramas and recorded it for fun, little did they know that it would become Pakistan's first drama parody on IGTV.

IGTV is Instagram’s long format video posting feature that allows users to upload videos of up to 60 minutes and has become a popular medium for brands, influencers and TV networks.

With its first episode screened on IGTV on March 2, Shahzad and Uddin's "Pyar Aur Sach" ("Love and Truth") has already amassed over 8,000 views.

“We kind of found it funny, one of those things that friends do together, we didn't really expect other people to laugh at it as well,” Shahzad told Arab News in a Zoom call on Saturday. “But now we're doing this and it's enjoyable just genuinely to do it.”

“We took out the phone and started recording that episode laughing insanely hard," Uddin said. "Once it was up and other people started laughing Nadir was pumped to make more.”

Actor Mariam Saleem soon joined them, and the trio has since produced six episodes.

The series is shot on a cell phone with the style of shooting lending another layer of humor to the show.

Pyaar Aur Sach follows the story of Nadir played by Shahzad, Misbah played by Misbah, and Mariam who is sometimes Sakina and sometimes Shaista. They play the same characters Pakistani viewers know from their popular TV dramas: helpless male leads and vindictive wives entangled in exaggerated marriage-focused plotlines.

"In one episode you can clearly see my feet and socks in the frame of a shot, but I didn’t care," Saleem laughed. "It’s working in the way that we are not too serious about it."

The trio is unsure how many episodes their drama will have. But viewers in their comments are hoping for more, as they appreciate the humor and the evident joy that the creators are having while shooting the series.

"We will continue to make episodes," Shahzad said, "As long as we are friends, and we don't get bored with the concept."


International Cricket Council in talks to revive India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash

Updated 07 February 2026
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International Cricket Council in talks to revive India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash

  • Pakistan face two-point loss and net run-rate hit if they forfeit Feb. 15 match
  • ICC seeks dialogue after Pakistan boycott clash citing government directive

NEW DELHI, India: The International Cricket Council is in talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board to resolve the boycott of its T20 World Cup match against India on February 15, AFP learnt Saturday.

Any clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is one of the most lucrative in cricket, worth millions of dollars in broadcast, sponsor and advertising revenue.

But the fixture was thrown into doubt after Pakistan’s government ordered the team not to play the match in Colombo.

The Pakistan Cricket Board reached out to the ICC after a formal communication from the cricket’s world body, a source close to the developments told AFP.

The ICC was seeking a resolution through dialogue and not confrontation, the source added.

The 20-team tournament has been overshadowed by an acrimonious political build-up after Bangladesh, who refused to play in India citing security concerns, were replaced by Scotland.

As a protest, Pakistan refused to face co-hosts India in their Group A fixture.

Pakistan, who edged out Netherlands in the tournament opener on Saturday, will lose two points if they forfeit the match and also suffer a significant blow to their net run rate.

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said this week that his team would travel to Colombo for the clash.

Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in global or regional tournaments.