So far so good: Outlook of ISPR dramas

With the entry of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in our showbiz industry, we have welcomed quite an array of fascinating content on our TV screens, which is such a breath of fresh air. Though filmed around the same narrative, all ISPR ventures have had diverse characters, different plots and fresh narratives which denounce monotonous themes and plots. In many of the plays, the heart of the story lies in the wonderful depiction of courage and relationship dynamics between friends. The well-knitted stories present wonderful chemistry between friends while their off the cuff banter conveys an important message for unity and welfare – which surely is the need of the hour.

For instance, in ISPR’s recently aired serials like Ehd-e-Wafa, Ek Thi Marium, telefilm ‘Aik Hai Nigar’ and currently on-air Sinf-e-Aahan, apart from covering the work environment in the military, touches on all necessary key ingredients that make a project worth watching. From being well-directed to presenting a well-knit story and exceptional cinematography, these plays are also entertaining and easy to keep up with, yet impactful.

There is general consensus that making films based on life experiences in the military would be rather boring; there’s even an old joke that describes military life in a nutshell as ‘hurry up and wait’. Moreover, when playing a soldier, nailing every aspect of his life does not come easy, therefore playwrights and filmmakers avoid venturing into a subject that seems dull or brings with it a challenge to produce.

Contradicting the general belief, ISPR has proved these notions wrong. All its ventures right from ‘Sunehray’ Din to ‘Sinf-e-Aahan’ have proved to be massive hits. These productions show intriguing characters who are headstrong, passionate, opinionated – poles apart from the usual love stories or married life conflicts that have been reigning over the channels for the masses. Even though many of these plays revolve around the making of a soldier, the plots greatly differ from each other.

Over the years, the ISPR has produced and commissioned more than 60 patriotic songs, 20 documentaries and about 10 television serials and movies. Pakistan’s ace producer Shoaib Manoor’s Alpha Bravo Charlie went on to become a super hit drama sponsored by ISPR during the late 1990s, breaking all records from the day it was aired and even today holds the same grip on people as it did back in the days. The most fascinating part of this serial was its neat humour which compelled the viewers to remain glued to their seats till the end. Moreover, the play always ended with a turning point that would compel the audience to eagerly wait for the coming week.

In fact, all the plays produced by ISPR served as great entertainment with their impeccably star-studded cast and numerous plot twists. Not only Shoaib Mansoor but producers like Kazim Pasha (Ghazi Shaheed), Haider Imam Rizvi (Sipahi Maqbool Hussain), Saife Hassan (Ehd-e-Wafa) and Aehsun Talish (Wilco) have done tremendously well taking the story forward and delivering their message.

Apart from producing plays for various Pakistani TV channels, ISPR has also ventured into producing reality shows. It gave us the first-ever military reality show called 60 Hours to Glory based on one of the toughest military competitions called the Pakistan Army Team Spirit, featuring eight local teams and four international teams.

In the 26-episode reality show, the viewers witnessed a competition among soldiers from different military teams highlighting their struggles. Hosted by Fakhar-e-Alam, the reality show gathered quite the cheers and love from the public.

Expanding on the patriotic songs released under ISPR, the recently launched song ‘Paighaam Layi Saba’ sung by Atif Aslam is a befitting tribute to the Pakistani martyrs of the 1965 war. The song is dedicated to the bravery and perseverance of every soldier and every martyr. It tells the story of the courage and valour of our brave soldiers, who selflessly serve their country and are always ready to sacrifice their lives to ensure the safety of their people and land. Written and composed by Masood Alam, the music video stars Ameer Gilani and his powerful acting touches the hearts of the viewers. All these patriotic songs released by ISPR have a special significance and play a very crucial role in boosting up the spirits of our soldiers at the time of war. To keep the spirit alive and pay a special tribute to our soldiers, ISPR releases a song every year in collaboration with different singers and so far, all of them have been met with love and applause. These songs bring about a revived patriotism and a renewed love to serve the country. Some of these songs include Mustafa Zahid’s ‘Yeh Banday Mitti Kay Banday’, Shehzad Roy’s ‘Mere Dhol Sipahiya’, Atif Aslam’s ‘Kabhi Percham Mein Lipte Hain’, Shafqat Amanat Ali’s ‘Tu Salamat Watan’, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s ‘Mera Ghar Hai Yaad Rakho’, Ali Zafar and Aima Baig’s ‘Aik Qaum, Aik Manzil’, and a lot more.

It goes without saying that all ISPR sponsored films, plays and songs have always played a key role in defining and designing the feeling of patriotism in people’s minds and hearts. All ISPR ventures worked wonders in reinstating the sense and spirit of patriotism and we hope this continues.