Summary The PTC aims to spread smiles by introducing the concept of improv comedy in Pakistan.
(WebDesk) – In a country plagued with terrorism, scandals, political controversies, joblessness and poverty, us Pakistanis have very little to put smiles on our rather dejected faces but a few young individuals hailing from different parts of Lahore have made it their life’s mission to alter this common belief. The members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Comedy have vowed to put smiles back on our faces through their impeccable on stage brilliance. The Tehreek that started to turn heads in and around 2015, uses improv comedy to spread positivity and happiness amongst children, friends and families.
The members of the PTC started with their first performance at the Alhamra Arts Council in Lahore three years ago and ever since that performance they have been bagging full jam-packed houses courtesy their quality wit, improvised humor and energized performances. Their famous show that goes by the name of “Comic Conference” follows the style and stature of improv that is basically a form of live theatre which engages the audience in a unique manner. During the entire show, only one sketch is prepared beforehand whilst the audience through unique interaction, controls the rest of the show. The performers are given different scenarios and situations, which they have to enact and in the process, make people laugh.
The dialogues, scenes, plots, characters, controversies and conclusions are all orchestrated within a matter of seconds.
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The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Comedy holds its shows at the Alhamra Arts Council in Lahore monthly.
The unique talent on display inside the theatre simply leaves the crowd enchanted and asking for more. With its distinctive flair for comedy, the PTC has created waves in the rather rejected and dejected live theatre attracting people of all ages from all walks of life to its shows. What’s most impressive is that courtesy the live performances, a number of media personalities, critiques and other renowned individuals also attend their shows to relieve themselves from their difficult and tiring routines.
Ali Ahmed Khan being the star of the show, orchestrates the sketches and acts from the front. Photo: Facebook Profile
What this group of individuals does brilliantly is cash in on the relativity factor. Of course no form of theatre can be entertaining if the audience can’t relate to it, so these comedians take full advantage of the audience’s knowledge to construct something the people can relate to, extremely swift and on the spot.
There is a huge misconception amongst the masses that people can be tough to break and putting them in fits can only be done through adult humor or use of aggressive vulgarity.
However, this Tehreek has shown that if the content is clean and has a strong message, it imparts a far greater influence on human minds.
“Comedy is a continuous process of engaging with people via something they can relate to, with laughs and smiles being the end product”, says Shah Fahad, one of the founding members of the PTC. According to him, Pakistan has always had its fair share of comedians. “We have always been blessed with unique talents. Our country has been blessed with legends like Moin Akhtar, Anwar Maqsood and Anwar Masood to name a few.” Regarding their upcoming ventures, the comedian had this to say: “With the overwhelming response we are getting, we have been encouraged to plan tours all over Pakistan. Apart from Karachi and Lahore, we are now targeting cities like Islamabad, Faisalabad and Multan etc. We just want to spread positivity and we feel other cities should not be left out.”
With only a handful of shows conducted by the PTC, the audiences have already picked their favorite. Ali Ahmed Khan, the star performer of almost every show, gives laughing shocks and mesmerizes the audiences with his unbelievable mimicry of famous individuals. He brilliantly enacts political personalities like Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto, Khawaja Asif and Asif Ali Zardari amongst others. Famous sports personalities like Javed Miandad, Shoaib Akhtar and Sarfraz Ahmed are also within his mimic range. However, the mimicry that made him famous in the first place, is that of none other than the legend Tariq Aziz Sahab. His mimicry of the legend is literally out of this world. Regarding this he says “When I am enacting somebody else, I completely forget about myself. I am most comfortable with Tariq Aziz Sahab’s mimicry because I have been doing that since my school days and by now, I feel I have perfected the art.”
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Comedy, unlike the other Tehreeks in Pakistan, has successfully managed to satisfy its target audience.
One feels if the individuals continue to produce more of the good, who knows they could go global and that too very soon.
By: Raacikh Asghar
