Tuesday 28 August 2012

Peshawar: This is our time!



Hum se he ye zamana


Other than a thrilling cricket match, there are usually no events other than sports that brings the entire country together. But then comes the 14th of August, every year and that is when we truly get to see the patriotic fervor of the nation otherwise divided by castes, languages and political ideologies.

This 14th August was not too different from the previous  one, I was actually in Islamabad, the roads were blocked, the buildings were lit with green lights, and the city had turned green. While I was staying out of the trouble, friends at the MASH productions team at Peshawar were busy filming the entire Independence Day celebrations. 


This is not the first time they filmed the celebrations, the last year celebration video they made went viral on Facebook and Twitter and got a very positive response from people so now it’s going to be an yearly thing.  

The video starts with a bird eye view of the Peshawar GT Road, followed by a close up of the architectural excellence of the premier educational institution Islamia College and than moving on to interior city depicting the early morning, when the city wakes up. We are than given a detailed view of the main bazaars of the city including the famous Qissa Khwani & Cantt Bazaar and the hustle and bustle of the near bursting city. With rickshaws squeezing their way through every minor gap possible and kids playing in the bazaars. 

While the merchants are shown doing business selling different stuff from plastic water coolers , garlands , dry fruits, milk and local beverages and naans, some people are shown killing the scorching heat of summer taking a dip into a nearby  water tank.

The video perfectly blends the summer and spirit of Ramadan altogether as well as giving a short and sweet depiction of the city whose enthusiasm and love for its country follows in the later part of the video.

And then it’s the time for celebrations: One Nation, divided only by the flags and cars all over the city of Peshawar. Kids and youth all with flags painted on their cheeks and taking a walk across the streets of Peshawar being a part of what has been the most amazing celebrations Peshawar has ever seen. The video shows car racers and motorcyclists wheeling all over the road but while the musician in the background says “Dunya Ko Hay Dikhana… Hum Say Hay Yeh Zamaana”. 

translation: We must show the world. This is our time!
The author is a Marketing grad from Edinburgh Uni, with interest in Culture, Music, Food and Travel and all things Pakistan. He can be reached on twitter @Khushal

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Nice to hear about Peshawar having such fun time.
Though the fact is that most of the nation is plagued with load shedding, terrorist activities, and political instability.
Sticking strictly to the video made by MASH Production this year, it was good and showed the sweet side of Peshawar and its people, which is really soothing to the backdrops of the media clutter. People of Peshawar are one of the most courteous people to be found on the face of Earth.
On a final note, last years video was a 10/10.
Good work MASH Production.