Growing up, reading Urdu storybooks wasn’t my cup of tea. I was in an ‘English medium school’, and talking in Urdu or reading Urdu storybooks was frowned upon....
ENTERTAINMENT
Growing up, reading Urdu storybooks wasn’t my cup of tea. I was in an ‘English medium school’, and talking in Urdu or reading Urdu storybooks was frowned upon. Outside the classroom, even Urdu teachers never talked in Urdu! So, it was Enid Blyton and Carolyn Keene for me. My mother, however, used to read Urdu novels and watch Urdu dramas. I got interested in a drama she was watching. It was written by a novelist, Farhat Ishtiaq. I watched a few episodes and became too impatient to know the ending. My mother told me to read the novel, which she luckily had. I read it and it made me interested in Urdu books. From my mother’s lovingly preserved collection of her childhood books, I read books of Ishtiaq Ahmed, Maqbool Jahangir and Akhter Rizvi, Jabbar Tauqeer and then graduated to Ibne Safi (not for children).
My favourite among the books I read were the abridged and adapted versions of Dastan-e-Ameer Hamza by Maqbool Jahangir Ameer Hamza as the hero and Tilsm-e-Hoshruba by Akhtar Rizvi starring Umro Ayyar. These two epic stories have been retold by many authors but my favourites remain Maqbool Jahangir and Akhter Rizvi. Guys, I fell in love with Umro Ayyar who is present in both the tales. Umro is known for his cleverness and ingenuity and his life is full of adventure. Umro has a magical zambeel (a magical bag) in which he can hide anything, no matter how big it is and extract from it whatever he wants. He loves precious stones and wealth of any kind. He often filches it from kings and rich people and stores it in his magical zambeel. He helps Amir Hamza and other friends, but always asks for his pound of flesh.
This beloved character is now immortalized by Ingenuity Productions, a Pakistani 3D Production house. The production house showcased its 3D-animated feature film ‘The Chronicles of Umro Ayyar’ online at the Cannes Film Market via Marche Du Film’s B2B video-on-demand service Cinando. Described as an adventure fantasy, the film is inspired by the epic tale of Tilism-e-Hoshruba. The story recounts the thrilling adventures of the legendary trickster hero Umro Ayyar as he travels through time and magical realms. However, beneath the fantastical surface lies a deeper theme that resonates with audiences of all ages: the quest for true connection and overcoming selfishness. Umro Ayyar’s journey becomes a testament to the power of forging bonds that transcend racial, gender, class, age, and personality differences.
Haris Basharat, Ingenuity Production’s CEO, while expressing his excitement said, “Our film’s online presence at the Cannes Film Market promises to captivate audiences, showcasing the rich storytelling and cinematic prowess emerging from Pakistan.”
Besides the animated film, Ingenuity Productions is also working on another 3D animated series titled Science Voyagers. This series depicts a curious boy embarking on time-traveling adventures to meet history’s scientific greats.
Additionally, the company is credited for producing two 2D animated series: Aria and the Magic Jungle, focusing on environmental awareness, and Yolki and Hatch, centered around childhood development. “We want to put the potential of the Pakistani animation industry on display on the world stage. We’re confident that the film’s stunning visuals and story will captivate audiences worldwide,” said Haris Basharat, Ingenuity Production’s CEO.
