'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."


Pakistan cricket players to gather at Times Square today as PCB courts global PSL investors

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Pakistan cricket players to gather at Times Square today as PCB courts global PSL investors

  • PCB is targeting US, Middle Eastern and European investors, aims to expand PSL from six to eight franchises next season
  • The board has extended the bidding deadline to Dec. 22, citing increased international interest after the London roadshow

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan cricket players are scheduled to gather at Times Square in New York today, Sunday, as part of a Pakistan Super League (PSL) fan engagement event, as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) pushes to raise the league’s global profile and attract foreign investors.

The event comes days after the PCB held a PSL roadshow in London and as it seeks investors for two additional franchises ahead of the league’s 11th edition, set to be played in April and May next year. The board is aiming to expand the PSL from six teams to eight amid what it has described as growing international interest.

“Pakistan cricket team players, along with the HBL PSL Trophy, will be present at Times Square at 5:30 pm, offering fans a special opportunity to celebrate the global spirit of the HBL Pakistan Super League,” the PCB said in a statement released Saturday.

“Pakistan cricket and HBL PSL fans in New York are invited to join this unique fan engagement moment,” it added.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has arrived in New York to attend the event, according to the board.

Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister, said the deadline to submit bids for the two new PSL teams has been extended until Dec. 22 to accommodate heightened interest from investors in the US, Middle East and Europe.

Earlier this week, the PSL roadshow in London featured former Pakistan cricket stars Wasim Akram and Ramiz Raja, alongside current players Babar Azam, Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan. The players spoke about their careers and the role the PSL has played in developing Pakistan’s cricketing talent.

Launched in 2016, the PSL has grown into Pakistan’s flagship T20 competition, featuring a mix of local and international players.

The league now competes for global viewership with tournaments such as the Indian Premier League, Australia’s Big Bash League, England’s Hundred and the Caribbean Premier League.