ammad Anwar has worked in the non-corporate sector for 12 years and is passionate about social change. Creating awareness and moving conversations towards action are at the core of his work. He is the founder of Sukhan and co-founder of two sports podcasts.

Anwar co-founded the My Voice Unheard initiative to highlight people and projects in text form. He also started recording short documentaries and covered almost 250 people over four years, but then decided to move to visual storytelling. In February 2019, he launched Sukhan with the aim of shifting the platform and focus. Anwar previously covered stories that were unheard of, highlighting everything, including personal struggles. However, Sukhan is not just about highlighting stories but also about learning from those. This digital platform helps start conversations, connect people and lead to action by creating content and organising events.

Sukhan means discourse in Urdu. “We aim to start conversations that will enable us to not only better understand the problem but also connect with like-minded individuals,” says Anwar. “Rather than talking about clickbait or controversial topics to gain fame by going viral for two minutes, it is about talking about issues that are relevant and meaningful. No matter what my guests have accomplished or failed at, I want the audience to learn from them.”

A typical Sukhan story features an expert in their field having a productive discussion. The topics covered so far include literary discussions with writers, translators and poets, as well as 60 live Facebook sessions on mental and physical well-being that were held during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their flagship series, Circle of Stories, has had two seasons so far; the third is in production. These episodes have featured writers, singers, data experts, etc. “It is fun to talk to people from various fields of life,” Anwar adds.

“My daughter has just turned two. I am looking forward to another exciting year with her. It may sound cliché, but I hope I can contribute to the welfare of society. Personally, the best thing I can do is to stay humble and be kind to myself and others.”

Asked about his plans for the coming year, Anwar says, “We have just shortlisted five incredible people. We will begin recording soon. I am looking forward to including them. We will also be going outside of Lahore for the first time. There will be recordings in southern Punjab and hopefully in north Punjab as well. That will be an exciting experience.” For the rest of the year, Anwar plans to do two episodes a month, that will result in 20-24 episodes. “Additionally, I am building a small studio that will add to my current setup and give us more space.”

As far as personal goals go, Anwar says, “My daughter has just turned two. I am looking forward to another exciting year with her. It may sound cliché, but I hope I can contribute to the welfare of society. Personally, the best thing I can do is to stay humble and be kind to myself and others.”

Sukhan should be a platform that also reaches people outside the Punjab, he says. “I would like to work towards having something in regional languages as well. For those who are unable to view, hear or understand this content, there may be ways for us to reach these people by offering subtitles or other assistance.” Ultimately, Sukhan hopes to start conversations, entertain people and enrich the society in the long run. “Having empathy and tolerance for others will be a positive starting point. We should be open to having these conversations and listening to others before passing judgment. This is where Sukhan comes in.”

The writer is a freelance  contributor