Remembering the genius Shoaib Hashmi on his death anniversary. Actor, host, writer, educator and entertainer, just a glimpse of what came under his repertoire.
An economics professor associated with Government College Lahore for most of his life, Shoaib Hashmi was the right person at the right time for a PTV that was expanding its transmission in the early 70s.
Considered the pioneer of satire on state-owned TV, he had an eye for talent, hand on the nation’s pulse, a progressive background and magic in his pen.
Born in 1938, Shoaib Hashmi remained a saviour for PTV throughout the 70s. After completing his education - a Masters from the London School of Economics and a course from London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art - Shoaib Hashmi returned to Pakistan and started his professional life. In the morning, he was teaching economics at Government College and in the evening he was entertaining the masses on TV.
AKKAR BAKKAR was his first production on TV, which was a desi version of Sesame Street. People still remember the show because of its skits and the puppets.
This record is a selection of what the producer, artists and director unanimously agree to be its best moments of song, mime, lyrics and sound.
The record also features children’s songs sung by Nayyara Noor.
AKKAR BAKKAR, when first televised, puzzled its audiences, challenged them and then took them by storm, young and old, because although it was meant primarily for an audience of pre-school 3-5 years old, adults viewed along with children of all ages and never missed it-it became an entertainment-cum-education TV must.
AKKAR BAKKAR was an experiment primarily in teaching concepts, visuals and audios, unorthodox to say the least, controversial, too, for the new and the old seldom marry very well !
However, AKKAR BAKKAR was no amateur effort it brought to the screen not only enthusiasm and novelty, but professionals in the several fields and also professionals in the making. The cast, the planners, the designers, the composers; the lyricists, the musicians, the camera-men and the director were all trained people, some specialists in their own fields, others were young enthusiastic new-comers all forming an exciting team. But apart from two or three people, none had ever appeared on TV before. The teachers and the students came from the National College of Arts and the Psychology Department of Government College, Lahore.
Every aspect of the programme was planned, pretested, scrutinised, carefully criticised and evaluated, finally taped and screened. A qualified teacher of the young planned and produced, along with the team, the series of letters and number concepts. The visuals were the work of the artists and their students and the fact that the programme ran for ten months and received an outstanding prize in Tokyo was proof of its acclaim.
It was discontinued only when the cast chose to withdraw, they had many other professional and social commitments and the programme was a time-consuming involvement.
It was among the few Pakistani Television programmes to win an award in Japan and that a prestigious one. It was also exhibited in a competition in Munich and in a Seminar in Honolulu. The life-size puppets were the darlings of the very small. The outdoor shooting was at all times fun, and at times hilarious.
So-this was AKKAR BAKKAR and this record is a tribute to all who took part and to a national audience which received it so well.
It is a tribute to the staff of the Lahore Television Station who sometimes worked almost through the night in the cramped conditions of the old studios. They must have been puzzled at times with the innovations, but the success of AKKAR BAKKAR is proof that they went all the way with the cast and they thus share its ultimate success.
*Text based on article by Muhammad Suhayb and also taken from the LP cover
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