Pakistan’s most celebrated writer Anwar Maqsood has revealed BBC World Service’s Hard Talk was the inspiration for his popular talk show Loose Talk.
Loose Talk was a popular comedy programme written by Maqsood and presented by the late Moin Akhtar. Clips from the show are still shared on social media today.
In an interview with BBC Urdu, Maqsood said in today’s Subcontinent, slapstick comedy has taken over. It isn’t the fall of comedy, it’s its day of judgement, he said.
Maqsood said an artist like Akhtar is born only once.
“I told Moin not to even cough on his own, Not to even breath on his own, and in 389 episodes, Moin did exactly what was written in the script and it could only have been done by a great actor.”
He advised all authors to stop writing when their pens stop. He remarked that you can lose your audience if you give them everything. “Sometimes, people write or talk without thinking and they later regret it,” said Maqsood.
He remarked that today, it is easier to write and present comedy than in the past. “The comedians who used to perform are now sitting in assemblies. We all see them daily, listen to them, see their movements, hear their language, see their style, but now I have left this field.”
He also shared that he still uses a Nokia phone and has to press a green button to answer calls.
He said more than 50 people are writing against the government and army on social media using his name. Everyone should know that I don’t even own a smartphone, he said.