This is where it all started

This is where it all started.

This is where it all started

 

This is where it all started; the loud, ludicrous yet laudable comedies – The Pakistani Plays. ‘Bakra Qistoon Pay’ was first of its kind and it not only redefined plays in Pakistan but also set stage for the new era of high octane comedies in India. Before that Bollywood chuckled on a completely different laughter track; In the mid 60’s and early 70’s Comedy kings like Mehmood, Jagdip, I.S Johar etc charmed the audience with their inimitable get-ups and comic timing. Later Hrishikesh Mukherjee, had the audience giggling over his humorous plots, comedy of errors and quirky characters. Manmohan Desai used slapstick to tickle the audience’s funny bone.

Since the Pakistani plays smuggled into the Indian border through recorded VCR’s we have seen several references of them in Bollywood as well. Nobody can complain as the audiences were rolling on the floor with Kader Khan’s witty dialogues and Shakti kapoor’s was more loved after he gave up the villain’s mask and donned the comedian’s hat.  

The 90’s had its share of laugh riots with mainstream stars posing as part time comedians. Johnny Lever was refreshing and the only contender to take Mehmood’s throne of being the comedy king. Since then Bollywood (Film and TV both) have taken truck loads of film rolls in form of inspiration from Pakistani Plays in form of plots, characters, punches, dialogues, with a pinch of satire wherever necessary. Some actors/ directors tried to be original while some just reproduced scenes from the original. Years later even today when you turn on the television it’s the repeat telecast of Xmen (characters) from Pakistani who have enjoyed minimum evolution in the last few decades.