rewatching 'aangan terha' nowadays. this post is dedicated to the witty and subversive akbar (played by the late salim nasir): a classical dancer before the academy he worked for was shut down, presumably after general zia came into power.

while jahan ara would talk about akbar rather scathingly/disparagingly -- constantly asking him to walk 'properly' & be less flamboyant/brazen in his gait -- mehboob was more accepting & tolerant, & portrayed a need for/an absence of more progressive voices during zia’s time.

( me daydreaming in the kitchen when i don't feel like cooking)

"yahan kaun si cheez theek chal rahi hai ke tum us ki chaal ke peechhay parh gayi ho??"

this incredible scene between akbar and (the late) lehri speaks volumes about how zia's islamization regime led to a nationwide erasure of artistic expression. "kaun tujhe yaad karay ga? yahan koi kisi ko yaad nahin karta." lekin hum abhi bhi yaad karte hain.

pakistan went to the IMF twice during zia's time, and we all know that his legacy in regards to the IMF and WB lived on.

akbar: "aakhir udhaar ki bhi koi limit hoti hai -- loan, loan, loan!"

akbar’s insistence on being called a fankaar instead of a 'mulaazim'/'nachaeeyya' made him stand out as a symbol of what remained alive during zia’s time despite the repression that reigned over pk: our cultural expression, art/creativity, ability to think critically, & memory.