On Saturday night, ProperGaanda presented its second stand up comedy event in Lahore. It was in collaboration with Olomopolo Media. The event was an instant success! The tickets sold like hot cakes! There were two major elements involved in this triumphant victory: a skillful management team, and more than half a dozen hilarious performers!
The show began with the lively hosts, Samah Akhtar and Hamna Tahir, taking on the platform with their own cheerful and engaging welcome.
The first comedian of the night, Raffey Kazmi , who was performing for the first time, received an overwhelming response from the audience. His bit about his girlfriend breaking up with him, taking off with his car, his dog, and his money had us feeling sad for Kazmi. But then he revealed which parts of the bit were imaginary.
Next up we had Zain Qazi , who put on a hat and assumed a completely different personality during his stand up performance. He had the audience shouting, “ balloons ” and laughing at his two cents on Snapchat selfies, and over-the-top wedding dance routines!
Afterwards, we had Jahanzeb Hadi , who was the last comedian to perform before we took a break to accommodate even more event attendees. Hadi, who had joined us all the way from Karachi, not only regaled the audience with his impromptu poetry but also proceeded to call out the first two comedians for their “burgerpan”– his piece was entirely in Urdu! It was a nice and welcome change.
Following the short break, the show resumed with Awais Akhtar ! This cheerful comedian absolutely had the audience ROFL-ing! He began by discussing how men and women can never be the same, ESPECIALLY, if stoned! Obviously, differently wired minds have different reactions to every situation.
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Mavra Ghaznavi was up next. She pulled the audience into an imaginary world where Careem and Uber were not just taxis anymore. The audience happily imagined them as two men being compared to each other by Mavra, and she just couldn’t choose one over the other! She shared how it felt like cheating on Careem every time she took an Uber. She went on to talk about how it becomes really uncomfortable when some older aunty goes straight for a hug in social gatherings.
“They just lift you up in the process sometimes,” remarked Ghaznavi.
Then she pulled us into another imaginary realm and made us see how a jinn would do better in a relationship than a regular human boy. Pay heed, ladies!
Followed by Ghaznavi, we had Hazik Ali. Ali had a unique way of captivating the audience. He mocked PTI followers in the house and actually had them laughing — not protesting. Hazik also shed light on a very important topic: the lack of sexual education in our society. He made us all recall the very first lecture we had in this regard! It didn’t come from a parent or a teacher, but that one boy or girl that had way more knowledge than age appropriate! Performing for the second time at a ProperGaanda stand-up event, Ali was an audience favorite.
Up next, Yusra Amjad! If you have just related her to ‘Auratnaak,’ then you are absolutely right. It is the same aurat ! She expressed her annoyance with Pakistani parents that do not seem to have standards for suitors for their daughters. She also told us who was responsible for the increasing population in the country. It is not the people reproducing, but the housing societies! And where do these societies come from? Amjad had the answer for us:
“When Malik Riaz and a pile of cement who love each other very much meet, a housing society is born!”
She compared our four provinces to the four houses of Hogwarts. And the comparison was spot-on! Amjad also had an interesting take on how inconvenient a female’s life can be. She discussed a few dilemmas ranging from marriage to menstruation. Her remarkable performance was met with applause and cheers.
Last but not least was Anaya Sheikh ! With a strong, witty personality and a confident smile, she dazzled the audience. She reminded us of all the times our parents tend to become a little overwhelming. Anaya also came up with the solution of a ‘choosni’ (pacifier), specially designed for adults who are too interfering. She discussed the dating life of girls and how they cannot quit giving advice to each other; sometimes totally unasked for! She dissected the mind of an average male, regarding how it views the opposite gender. But, mainly, being a transgender activist she gave us an insider’s view of how the transgender community is treated in our society. She conveyed an important message in a light manner. Sheikh also spoke on the #MeToo campaign, to which the audience gave her a standing ovation (only the female members, let it be noted).
Food for thought: Why must the men in our society insist on remaining quiet about sexual harassment?
Overall, the show was amazing.
The comedians touched multiple social issues, including stereotypes and sexual harassment. The audience had an equally positive response. Each performer had something significant to offer. The performances were received with respect and it was an evident display of how awareness has spread among us as a nation. People are starting to learn how to listen and respect conflicting opinions. This is rather good news for the emerging young talent in Pakistan.
The management team was exceptionally cooperative and the event was well-executed.
The night ended on a good note. This certainly predicts the future of any events ProperGaanda will be holding next. Here’s to hoping they surpass this one!
Message from Team ProperGaanda: We would like to thank you all for joining us at the Stand Up Comedy event! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed hosting it. That being said, we would like to apologize for the joke made regarding the #MeToo campaign. The views of the comedian are not in line with those of ProperGaand and we do not take this matter lightly. It was extempore and not part of the originally approved act.
Team ProperGaanda