Controversy on Fawad Khan Judging Pakistan Idol? PART 2

KARACHI: The country’s biggest musical stage has entered an even more thrilling phase as “Pakistan Idol” continues its Theatre Round. Each contestant is determined to win the judges’ hearts with the power and uniqueness of their voice. This week marks the broadcast of the ninth episode, promising excitement, competition, and the vibrant spirit of music. With legendary figures like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Fawad Khan, Bilal Maqsood, and Zeb Bangash guiding and critiquing the performers, the contest grows more intense with every performance. Expectations are soaring — but only those contestants who bring originality, emotion, and freshness to their singing will advance. Advertisement The upcoming episode, airing Saturday at 8 PM exclusively on Geo TV, will feature not only breathtaking performances but also touching stories and surprising results that are sure to captivate viewers. Under the leadership of Badar Ikram, the Pakistan Idol production team — including Nadeem J. and Tanzeer Afridi — continues its dedicated search for the nation’s most promising musical talent, polishing their skills for the big stage. Once again, Pakistan Idol promises to transport its audience into a world of passion, melody, and dreams — only on Pakistan’s No. 1 entertainment channel, Geo TV. WITH so much murder and mayhem in the world, so much turmoil and intolerance, a genocide (now paused) in the name of ‘self-defence’ and with twisted ideologies and terrorism taking so many lives of our people in the prime of their youth, with bigotry and narcissism defining many influential leaders around the globe, is it a surprise that each one of us seems forever to be tense and in a state of crisis? Against the backdrop of this upheaval, I was seeking some temporary respite from the uncertain, often ugly and violent world, and surfing the net for content that could serve as a mild analgesic, even anaesthetic, and got lucky. And you’d be hard-pressed to realise how very lucky. What I found on a video-streaming social media platform was a window to a Pakistan that was uplifting, life-affirming and reassuring. I don’t watch much of our TV channels for the simple reason that it is largely a case of more of the same. News and current-affairs programmes (NCA, as we media people call this genre) are anything but NCA. These are mostly designed to either serve as homage to the ego of the ‘anchor’ or are entertainment with politicians from across the political divide, socking it to each other. These offer near-zero insights and are often as pleasant as a cockfight that leaves the poor birds bloody and debilitated. One learns nothing. And if watching two (or more) people talking over one another in a pointless, escalating shouting match does not do anything for you, as is the case with me, sitting in front of the idiot box becomes an exercise in futility. One man’s love for music made a difference because that is the upside of authoritarianism. But back to more pleasant things. So, on the video-streaming platform I found some clips from a talent hunt show called Pakistan Idol. Having lived through the Zia years as a young college and then university student and then as a journalist in the nascent years of my professional life, I was sure that the culturally barren society that the dictator sought to create would remain so. Of course, the democratic interludes did resuscitate the ‘cultural scene’ somewhat, but it was left to another authoritarian leader, a proponent of ‘enlightened moderation’, to revive it in a bit more structured manner. Yes, one man’s love for music made a difference because that is the upside of authoritarianism. It suddenly became kosher for high civil and military officials to be seen enjoying a musical evening and patronising art and artistes. Once an interviewer, half mockingly, asked Malakah-i-Mouseeqi Roshan Ara Begum if those who showed up in large numbers to her live events understood the classical music that was her forte. The indomitable classical artiste par excellence smiled and said: “Mere sunnay walay do qism ke hein. Ek woh jo raag jaantay aur samajhtay hein aur doosray woh jo kan rasiya hein. Mere liye donon qabile ehtaram hein.” (Those who listen to me are of two kinds: first, those who understand classical music; and second, those whose ‘ear’ is discerning and can tell when they hear good music. I value both). Although my soldier-father could sing classical music and could tell apart one raag from another with consummate ease, I count myself in the ‘kan-rasiya’ category. I wish I could have learnt the intricacies of each raag and its defining characteristics but remain grateful for a discerning ‘ear’.