Sometimes films and dramas take a giant leap from providing traditional entertainment to communicating hard hitting subjects which serve as a wakeup call for society in general. The recently concluded serial Udaari successfully delivered a very serious message about child abuse,
Asma Nabeel, the brains behind Khuda Mera Bhi Hai.
Instep speaks to Asma Nabeel, the brains behind the upcoming serial, Khuda Mera Bhi Hai.
Sometimes films and dramas take a giant leap from providing traditional entertainment to communicating hard hitting subjects which serve as a wakeup call for society in general. The recently concluded serial Udaari successfully delivered a very serious message about child abuse, a topic which has rarely been touched upon on television before. Amidst numerous plots that revolve around domestic violence and extra-marital affairs, there is one teaser that stands out: Khuda Mera Bhi Hai, a play that has caught everyone’s attention for its bold content.
What we’ve gathered from the teaser so far is that Ayesha Khan’s character gives birth to a third gender and the entire family refuses to accept the child. If my memory helps me correctly, the last time someone focused on the third gender was many years ago in a serial called Veena, where Fahad Mustafa played a eunuch’s character depicting his community’s struggle for survival.
One has to give it up to Asma Nabeel who conceived the idea of KMBH and eventually convinced the channel to air the same. Nabeel isn’t a new name in the Pakistani entertainment scene: She has been the creative director for most of the advertisements that we see on television and has recently taken the reins of Crew Motion Pictures as well.
Instep catches up with Nabeel to get some exclusive insights about Khuda Mera Bhi Hai.
How did this idea come to you? Were you sure that it would be accepted?
You can’t plan ideas. They normally click at the time when you least expect them. However the urge to write something different may have triggered a thought in this direction. When I penned the idea on paper, I wasn’t too sure that it will float. But I think when your intention is fair, God gives you a fair chance and that’s what happened. I met Sana Shanawaz, a young daring producer, now a very good friend, who accepted it and took this risk with me.
It is your first drama serial as a writer. Don’t you think it’s a big risk for a first attempt?
Yes, it’s a risk as people are used to watching certain things. However, as social responsibility, we need to teach them certain things as well. I feel that we have tuned our viewers to watch a certain type of content. But people have always appreciated daring content especially when it depicts the reality of the world we live in. They will never reject something which is good. I may sound over-confident but then I am an ad maker; I follow my gut instinct.
Starring Ayesha Khan, Khuda Mera Bhi Hai is a bold effort as it aims to tackle the neglected subject of the third gender.
How was Ayesha Khan’s reaction when she heard the script?
Ayesha plays a very important role and she was absolutely excited. I met her on the set and she was touched with the thought and overall treatment of the story.
Do you think that the third gender is neglected in our country?
No, it‘s rather humiliated, which is wrong. God has created man, woman and a third gender too. If we are getting respect then why can’t they? We roll up our windows when we see them coming; they’re invited to dance at weddings and we throw money at them. An existence which is automatically converted into a profession - we need to change this.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when writing this script?
I think the biggest challenge was the emotions of a mother. I myself am a mother and a lot of times while writing, I would get upset because I would feel the distress myself. Rejecting your child for fear of society must be the biggest pain for any mother.
How is your film Ishq 2020 coming along?
Ishq 2020 has been delayed for a while as we are working on another script which we’ll start shooting in November. Aabis Raza is the director and we are geared up to take it on floors soon.
As a producer and writer who has closely worked with Indian production houses, do you think that the ban on Indian films and artists is going to hurt our cinemas?
The ban is not going to hurt Pakistani artists as much as it will hurt the cinema itself. Cinema owners will definitely suffer. Right now we are not releasing 5 films a month. The cinemas need content to run the shows and recover the investment. Unless we churn out films every month, cinema owners will have to wait long for the pay back. Given the current situation, it doesn’t make commercial sense. I also feel that it will hurt Indian cinema too. There are mixed emotions about it there as well. Politics should have nothing to do with art and artists. We are the ambassadors of peace; we should not be dragged into politics.
Sadiq Saleem is a UAE based entertainment journalist. He is also an Instep correspondent and can be contacted on his page fb/SidSaidSo.
