Mujhay Quetta ka ghar bohaat yaad aata hay. Wahaan angoor ki bailain thein, saib aur khubani k darakht thay. Jahaan meri amma (Bibi) sardeyoon k zamanay main sweater buna kerti thein aur main un ko urdu ki kahaniyaan parh parh k sunaya kerta tha – Mohammed Ahmed
Pakistan’s most celebrated playwright and screenwriter speaks about his recent venture Dareecha, his treasured memories from his childhood and much more.
Assalam Alaikum Ahmed Sir. I would like to start off with what you have to say about the ongoing success of Dareecha! Are you surprised by the response? Does it fulfill your expectations? Your say.
Haan main hairaan bhi hoon, aur bohat kush bhi hoon keh hamaray viewers itnay ahmaq nahin hain jitnay samjhay jatay hain. Unhain acchi aur buri cheez ki tameez hay. Mujhay ummeed hai keh iss say marketing walay bhi kuch na kuch seekhain gay aur ulti seedhi farmaeshaen kar kay likhwana bund kar daengay . Yes it does fulfill my expectation to quite an extent.
Are you content with MContent? Are the producers obliging, to be specific?
Yes i am very happy with Mcontent because they have given me a free hand and support to do anything i wanted to do aur inhoon nay kabhi mujh say nahin kaha keh hamari pasand k hero yea heroine ko cast karain.
What do you have to say about Farrukh Faiz as a director, before Dareecha you’ve worked with him in Shaista Shaista, also in short plays I’ve been told.
Hmm, ab aaya na oount pahaar k neechay. Farrukh Faiz exactly wohi ker raha hay jiss ki mujhay umeed thi. Abhi ussay aur bohat kuch sheekna hai mager mujhay yaqeen hai keh vo bohat jald sheek lay ga aur khud ko speilberg nahin samjhnay lagay ga.
Pardon me but to be honest, I haven’t yet seen all of your work before Shaista Shaista, and I’m very embarrassed about that… I did see a few telefilms but currently all I can think of is Dareecha. I am so engrossed in the story and the characters that I have kept aside your past work for the time being! And the same thing happened when Shaista Shaista was on air. So, in your opinion are there any other contemporary serials with characters having so much life that one can’t ignore them and such warmth that it connects to a viewer on a whole new level.
Ager aap meray kaam k elawah mujh say pochti hain tu mujhay Mehreen ka “Doraha” bohat pasand hay. “Uncle Urfi” bhi mujhay pasand tha. I liked the characterizations of that serial.
One very crucial situation here is that, as a veteran in the Industry; whether by experience in terms of years or by the volume of work you have done, we can’t possibly find any rock-solid listings of your work or any detailed info on ‘Mr. Syed Mohammed Ahmed’. Does that by any chance annoy you? Because it is disturbing to your fans. Is it so because, perhaps you are shy to talk about yourself on screen?
Main nahin samajhta keh mera fan page hona chahye maen nay aesaa koi teer naheen maara. Mujhay iss baat per ghussa bhi nahin aata na mujhay iss ki zarorat mahsoos hoti hay. TV pay aur bhee bohat qabil logg maujood hain, un ka koi fan page nahin tu main kiya cheez hoon.
Like I once said, Ahmed Sir, an interview is incomplete if there is no mention of the beginning! It is the happenings in an Achiever’s past which truly hold the inspiration for someone who needs Inspiration. Therefore, I require you to introduce us to the little boy Mohammed Ahmed that you have been hiding inside! Where you grew up; about your schooling and university education, and an incident that you can recall about each place.
Talking about my childhood is like talking about mohenjo daro. I don’t want to get into this and feel more older than I already think I m. Mager aik baat jo hamaysha say thi aur abb bhi hai mujhay cinema ka safaid perdah aur screen peh parha hoa curtain khulta hua aaj bhi bohat pasand hai. Mujhay white screen bohat pasand hai .
Main paidah karachi main hoa tha mager meri schooling Quetta main hui. Issi liay mujhay quetta say bohat mohabbat hay, uss k baray main buri khabrain aati hain to mera dil bohat dukhta hay. Mujhay Quetta ka ghar bohaat yaad aata hay. Wahaan angoor ki bailain thein, saib aur khubani k darakht thay. Jahaan meri amma (Bibi) sardeyoon k zamanay main sweater buna kerti thein aur main un ko urdu ki kahaniyaan parh parh k sunaya kerta tha. In fact i give all the credit to my BB, unhi ki wajah say mera rujhaan literature ki taraf huaa aur aaj jo kuch bana unn kee wajah say bana
How was your home like, the family values or a particular family tradition that you remember? Like a certain something that was restricted to your house in the neighborhood.
Jahaan tak values aur traditions ki baat hay hum ko sirf AAP aur JINAAB say baat kernay ki ijazat thi. Kabhi TUM ka lafz bhi hamain istemal nahin kernay diya gaya, khas taur peh behnoon k sath ounchi awaz main baat kernay ki ijazat bhi nahin thi. Sath he aik masla yea bhi tha filmain zaror daikhtay they, daramay zaror daikhtay thay mager un main kaam kernay ki khuahish ka tasawwar bhi nahin ker saktay thay. Meray bhai nay Aka jee aur Bibi (Father and mother) say chhup ker 2 films sign ker lee thein jiss k nateejay main aaq kernay ki dhamki di gae to vo chup kerkay wapiss apni naukri peh pohanch gaye.
How did you develop an interest in writing? Was it later in life or during school? And something about your family, your children and their talents/interests.
Mera interest writing main university k zamanay main paidah hoa. Vo bhi sirf aik khat ki waja say jo main nay BBC radio kee Urdu Service ko likha tha jiss peh mujhay first prize mila tha. Meri chaar baitiyaan yani dil k chaar tukray hain. Mujhay patha hai un maen vo sub cheezain hain jo mujh main hain, yaani vo writer bhi hain, actor bhi hain aur designers bhi hain.
Now if you had to sum up your ride so far in the Industry, what would you say? Has it been a piece of cake or a roller coaster ride?
Etna asaan nahin tha aur etna asaa aab bhi hay. Laikin choonkeh yea mera passion hai iss lye shayed etna pata nahin chala mushkilaat ka.
Is there a certain Production house or a TV Network you intend to write for, but haven’t gotten the opportunity yet?! Or perhaps, something that you have yet to get done with?. How and when did you start writing for television and what was your very first project?
Main nay Pakistan k taqreeban sub hee TV networks aur production houses k liay kaam kiya hay. Best directors aur producers k liay bhi aur worst directors aur producers k liay bhi. Iss lye koi hasrat baqi nahin reh gae hay. Bus Mehreen Jabbar k liay bohat arsay say koi kaam nahin kiya vo kernay ko dil chata hay. Main nay theater say acting shru ki thi. Offer acting ki aye thi aur bun writer giya. My first project was “Mystery theater”, jiss k main nay bohat saray plays likhay (Mera sub say favorite genre mystery he hay)
You have worked with one of the most sought after directors in the country – Mehreen Jabbar, Azfar Ali and Marina Khan, to name a few. Who do you reckon to be ‘The Best’ in the business?
Mehreen Jabber, beghair kissi soch k aur beghair kissi sawal k is the best. Mager mera bohat dil chata hay keh vo kabhi light romantic cheez bhi karay.
You once mentioned in an interview that you are very critical of your work. Who besides you, is your biggest critique?
Main khud apnay liye sub say bara critic hoon apnay kaam k baray main. Mujhay apna koi kaam pasand nahin aata. Dareecha maera likha hua aik aisa play hay jo maen daekh raha hoon, warna apna kaam daekhna mujhay bohat mushkil lagta hae. Aur acting ker k main to marr he jaata hoon. Her baar sochta hoon keh agli barr nahin karoon ga mager paisay kamanay k liay ker jata hoon aur phir shermindah hota rehta hoon.
An inevitable request to a writer, Sir would you make a few book recommendations in both Urdu and English. The ones you found to be most inspirational and thought provoking.
Umrao Jaanada by Mirza Ruswa. Everything written by Mushtaq Ahmed Yousfi, Letters of Mirza Ghalib, Letters to Alice by Faiz, Dastak na do by Altaf Fatima and many more.
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