The renowned Azfar Mani Show has been a mainstay of Pakistani media for a very long time. It originated in Radio FM’s early years, moved smoothly to television, and is currently relocating to digital platforms.
The dynamic team that runs the show, Azfar and Mani, sat down with Independent Urdu recently to discuss their experience and hopes for the future of their cherished show. They talked about overcoming obstacles including prohibitions.
While many were surprised by the show’s return, Azfar and Mani saw it as an organic decision resulting from their shared enthusiasm for interacting with their audience and their mutual availability. “This is quite a deep question,” Mani remarked in response to a query on why they launched the program.
He went on, “We tried it several times but gave up along the road. The number of views we receive or don’t receive isn’t the cause. It cannot be based on that. But we begin to engage in other activities. I start a film, Azfar starts directing. We decided to go for it now that we had a lot of time.” “The original show was not planned,” Azfar continued. (Mani) was in talks with people establishing new radio shows. “Should we put on a night show?” he inquired.
“Pehle show se game ban gayi thi (we were set from the first show),” Mani said. The choice to revive the program was also spontaneous. When the concept was brought up in a subsequent interview, Azfar and Mani took advantage of the chance to rekindle their partnership. They chose to talk about a subject that was both personal to them and that also appeared to cut right through their hearts. Imran Khan, the previous prime minister of the nation, was the subject of such program.
Discussions were sparked by Imran’s transition from a beloved cricket star to a divisive political figure. Mani, who had spent over ten years connected to Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, talked about his own experience growing disenchanted and leaving the group. “First, we were with Imran Khan. When he changed in the middle, we also changed,” Azfar remarked. “And we’re the kinds of fans who thought of him as a hero from childhood,” he went on. We provide an explanation for our changes. Mani said, “I was also a member of PTI.I spent eight or nine years working with them. I was really hurt.”
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