Hasb-e-Haal

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. It was first hosted by Aftab Iqbal as an anchor, Najia Baig as the co-anchor and Sohail Ahmed as a guest.

Hasb-e-Haal
Opening title screen in 2011
حسبِ حال
Genre	Comedy Sketch comedy Satire Political satire
Directed by	Khurram Shahzad
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 News
Release	January 9, 2009 (2009-01-09)

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

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 (2023-present)

Guests

• Sohail Ahmed as Azizi and various characters
• Amanat Chan as Ghauri and various characters
• Nawaz Anjum as Thayla and various characters
• Rana Muhammad Ramzan as Goga Ji and various characters
• Yawar Dawood as Zulfi and various characters
• Jia Dilnawaz (Co-host)(2016-continued)

Former members

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

Segments

There are different segments such as:

• Adabparay
• Bait Baazi
• Hasb e Mazzi
• Hasb e Daak
• Interview
• Khabron par Tabsara
• Lamha e Fuqriya
• Tasweeron aur videos par tabsara
• Mukhbariyaan
• Off-Beat Hasb-e-Haal
• Parodies
• Siasi Film
• Tu Tu Main Main
• Yad e Maazi

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, 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, 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 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.

Politicians

• Mustafa Kamal
• Raja Riaz
• Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain
• Shahi Syed
• Shah Mehmood Qureshi
• Maulana Fazlur Rehman
• Firdous Ashiq Awan
• Javed Hashmi
• Mir Hazar Khan Khoso
• Jahangir Badar
• Yousaf Raza Gillani
• Asfandyar Wali Khan
• Sheikh Rasheed
• Nawaz Sharif
• Shahbaz Sharif
• Imran Khan
• Asif Ali Zardari
• Mustafa Kamal
• Donald Trump
• Maula Baksh Chandio
• Queen Elizabeth
• Ishratul Ibad
• Daniyal Aziz
• Najam Sethi
• Chaudhry Sarwar
• Farooq Sattar
• Pervaiz Rasheed
• Khursheed Shah
• Rana Sanaullah
• Barack Obama
• Narendra Modi
• Ubaid Malik

Azizi's fictitious friends

The following are mentioned by Azizi as his friends:

• Aroo Grenade
• Naeema Kainchi
• Tufail Thaila
• Unaid Daal Chawal
• Aslam Churra
• Ghauri

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. 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.

External links

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