Hasb-e-Haal
Opening title screen in 2011
حسبِ حال
Genre	Comedy Sketch comedy Satire
Presented by	Fareed Raees
Starring	Sohail Ahmed
Country of origin	Pakistan
Original languages	Urdu Punjabi
No. of episodes	3000+
Production
Editor	Imran Kazmi
Running time	42 minutes
Original release
Network	Dunya TV
Release	January 9, 2009 (2009-01-09)

Hasb-e-Haal (Urdu: حسبِ حال, lit. '"as usual"') is a Pakistani Urdu-language comedy show based on political satire that airs on Dunya TV at 11:05 pm from Thursday to Sunday. It stars Sohail Ahmed, Fareed Raees, Amanat Chan, Nawaz Anjum, Jiya Dilnawaz, Zulfi Ali and Goga Ji.^[1] It was first hosted by Aftab Iqbal as an anchor, Najia Baig as the co-anchor and Sohail Ahmed as a guest.^[2]

Sohail Ahmed was awarded the Presidential Pride of Performance award by Asif Zardari on 23 March 2011 for his performance on the show.^[3]

Concept

Hasb-e-Haal is a comedy program that offers commentary and satire on current affairs. Sohail Ahmed plays the character of a lower-middle-class man who is frequently reprimanded by Fareed Raees because of his broad generalizations and over-simplification of complex political issues. Jiya Dilnawaz offers queues for laugh lines and reads viewer's comments in the show.

Cast

Host

• Fareed Raees

“Guests”

• Sohail Ahmed as Azizi
• Amanat Chan as Ghauri
• Nawaz Anjum as Thayla
• Rana Muhammad Ramzan as Goga Ji
• Yawar Dawood as Zulfi
• Jia Dilnawaz

Former members

• Aftab Iqbal (2009-2010)
• Najia Baig (2009-2016)
• Junaid Saleem (2010-2023)

Segments

There are different segments such as:

Parodies

Sohail Ahmed usually dresses up like politicians, cricketers or other celebrities and imitates them. This imitation mostly is in the form of a parody. He also plays other characters.

• Feeqa

Feeqa, portrayed by Sohail Ahmed, belongs to a white-collar family which has trouble making ends meet. The character sheds light on the plight of the lower class of Pakistan. The usual topics discussed are relatives' weddings, and rituals.

• PQN

PQN, short for Pervaiz Qaiser Naseer, is a corrupt politician who would do anything to come into power. The usual topics discussed are elections, and processions.

• Deemah

Deemah is an ordinary man who is perpetually sick with multiple diseases.

• ZVS

A fashion designer, who keeps heaping praises on his talent. He is a modern fashion designer with a gay attitude.

• Witchcraft & Aalim Baba

Sohail Ahmed plays a spurious "Aalim" who, according to his rants, is the master of witches and spirits.

• Master Majeed

A teacher.

• Abdul Ghafoor Jimmy

A Pakistani who lives abroad and is concerned about the security situation of Pakistan.

• Azizi's Investigation News

Azizi presents a parody news program which investigates secrets and misdeeds of politicians.

• Mr. Michael

This character is an American agent who overuses the catchphrase "kadu saday paise" ("give back our money"). This satirical character denigrates the Pakistani society for asking for American money despite thinking of America as an enemy.

• Nadamat

A die-hard supporter of a fictional politician, Changezi.

• Sureelay Khan

A classical singer, often accompanied by Dabbay Khan and Hamnawa.

• Policeman (SHO Siddique)

SHO parodies problems and issues affecting police forces, especially corruptions.

• Petrol station attendant

Azizi takes on the disguise of a local petrol station attendant to highlight the problems with the trade.

• Nomi

A student who never passes his exams. He usually appears after the announcement of annual results by the Federal Board.

• TV Viewer Nazir Malik

A man who wastes his time in watching tv all day.

History

Hasb-e-Haal was launched on 9 January 2009. Its idea basically comes from the old shows "Jamhoor Di Awaaz" and "Nizam Din Di Baithak". Aftab Iqbal used to host the show at that time with co-host Najia Baig and comedian Sohail Ahmed. The show was an instant hit. In April 2010, Iqbal left the show due to undisclosed reasons.^[4] From April 2010 to March 2023, Junaid Saleem hosted the show. In 2016 Najia Baig left the show and its cast was changed with the appearance of Jia Dilnawaz, Nawaz Anjum, Amanat Chan, Muhammad Ramzan and Yawar Dawood.

Cultural effect

Due to the popularity of the show, several similar shows emerged. These include Khabarnaak on Geo TV, Khabardaar on Express News, 3 Idiots on Aaj TV, Masti Gate on ARY News, Mazaaq Raat on Dunya News and News Night on Din News.

References

External links

• Hasb e Haal's official website
• Hasb-e-Haal on Facebook