Daily Times

“So, which one of them is Pakistani?” Some of us were having a hard time putting a name to the music. “All of them,” said the person sitting next to us, a little reproachfully. “The musical performances? Oh that, none of them,” he said cheerfully. He did not seem shocked.

We had gathered that day to witness the second Servis HUM Awards, to celebrate the showbiz industry with its requisite fashion parades and to indulge in some stargazing at the EXPO Centre, Karachi. The show had been designed to honour the best of Pakistani music, fashion, film and of course television. Guests glided across the hall in awe of the décor (flawless) and set pieces (stunning) while keeping an eagle eye on the red carpet for a Fawad Khan or Hamza Ali Abbasi sighting (rare).

Timely adverts ensured that a regional audience awaited the telecast with bated breath alongside the rest of HUM fans. The ceremony was not live but Twitter would be abuzz with activity ensuring that #humawards2014 kept trending and the cyber-world stayed in the loop. Two Pakistani films, Waar and Main Hoon Shahid Afridi were due to be honoured, and the lineup included efficient PR wizards busy sending out WIFI passwords, a parade of celebrity hosts engaged in banal exchanges and flamboyant performers dancing into the wee hours of the night.

The list of surreal moments included Zia Moheyuddin on stage receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award and delivering a one-line speech, a mama-in-law being thanked — probably a first — a well deserved tribute to the phoenix-inspired rise of the local film industry by Samina Peerzada and a forced ‘selfie’ that claimed to be unique. Someone would win an Iphone 5. Someone else would equate HUM with Harrods.

The first winning speech put things in perspective when it alluded to the challenging terrain, a land where Basant and YouTube stay banned. Such festivities tend to act as ballast in a strange new ecosystem and allow the outside world a glimpse of the life beyond all the cringe-worthy headlines. Since the piece de resistance — Rahat Fateh Ali Khan — was a no show, the lavish canvas, notwithstanding its ambitious design, would lose some of its lustre. Sketches (best video), Overload (best band) would bag the coveted trophy, restoring the faith. Nauman Ejaz would joyfully accept his award for one drama while thanking the team from another. It happens.

The first HUM awards had been called out for suffering from a deplorable excess of Indian influences; the second attempted to silence critics by adding at least one Pakistani ditty to an otherwise Indian-inspired soundtrack. The Rahat void was filled by Shehroze Sabzwari leading a dance troupe to Indian music, a comedy bit with a faux Bollywood producer and veterans Bushra Ansari (recipient Excellence Award) and Javed Sheikh recreating Indian masters. More on that later.

Inside, the actor community looms in view; they stood next to up and coming sensations, most on the same patriotic wavelength, and collectively hailed the second coming of Pakistani cinema. For them the venue provided a wonderful opportunity to showcase the nation’s creative genius and peddle that soft image. Someone later remarked that the local fare does not lend itself to oversized musical extravaganzas. Others would argue that the national treasury is brimming with talent and one would not have had to look very far for inspiration. There was Alamgir in the house, Pakistani bands among the nominees, and a wondrous collection of medleys (old and new) to choose from the vault. Their presence made such cultural encroachments pointless. The crowd, however, seemed dazzled by the gravity-defying dance numbers — and the performers did put their heart and soul into them.

Using Indian imports as the building blocks of a Pakistani narrative would trigger a cyber-debate soon after. Live updates ala social media noted the vacuum, sardonic commentary on print media articles, ostensibly from the Indian side of cyberspace, were unforgiving. To be fair, Bollywood did not hog the entire spotlight. An Egyptian Sufi dance (the kind seen at desert safaris) and an intro choreographed to the backdrop of ‘Sway with me’ appeared on cue, infusing some Arabic/Latin soul to spice up the presentation.

The HUM Awards prides itself for being a trailblazer, putting Pakistani drama on the map, keeping social calendars filled, tapping into the social media movement and bringing eager looking bloggers on board. They also let the people have a say; viewer’s choice determined the best actor/drama/onscreen couple category. The HUM network deals in art and culture on the side, spearheading the bi-annual Bridal Couture Week (BCW). It is considered to be one big happy family, as the trophy bearers like to remind the audience. That day had multiple themes on display: a tribute to the glorious past, a preview of coming attractions heavily laced with something borrowed and a compelling revival in the works. Some worked. Some did not. Each added a layer of optimism to the saga they call HUM.

The writer is a freelance journalist who blogs at http://afrahjamal.blogspot.com. She can be reached at afrahjh@hotmail.com and on twitter @Afrahjh