WITH the advent of television in Pakistan, every year viewers got to see shows celebrating Independence Day. Prior to that, Radio Pakistan was the only medium for the general public to get — as they say in modern-day parlance — infotainment. Given the limitation of the then black and white TV, the celebrations had a monochromatic feel to them, both in terms of visual appeal and messaging. Reason: they largely gave off a didactic vibe and didn’t care much for artistic flair.

However, some of the finest patriotic songs were composed in that era, sung by the likes of Shahnaz Begum (Jeevey Jeevey Pakistan), Ustad Amanat Ali Khan (Ay watan piyarey watan) and Noor Jehan (Ay puttar hattan te nai wikde).

In the last two decades and a bit, let’s say from the time social media became communication king, things in the realm of art have drastically changed — at least vis-à-vis nationalist fervour — and they look strikingly good. Now Independence Day commemoration has become creatively diverse. Azadi is celebrated as well as discussed in a variety of imaginative ways that might have been deemed undoable decades back.

For example, in 2012 distinguished writer Anwar Maqsood (who penned most of his material for television) tried his hand at the extremely demanding world of theatre. It carried on for a decade, starting with a play titled Ponay 14 August. It was an interesting way to revisit the past with M.A. Jinnah, Allama Iqbal and Maulana Shaukat Ali as principal characters. In his trademark, satire-laden lines, Maqsood — showing the utmost respect to the three leaders — poked fun at the present state of socio-political affairs in the country, underlining how things have worsened over the years. Sawa 14 August and Saadhey 14 August came later, with some more historical characters, such as Gandhi, joining the theatrical confab. They weren’t plays held together by their plot but were driven by lines that praised the sincerity of our leaders who fought for a separate homeland and criticism on what transpired sometime after the country’s inception.

Azadi is celebrated as well as discussed in a variety of imaginative ways that might have been deemed undoable decades back.

A new sensibility

So Pakistan entered the 21st century with theatre introducing a new kind of nationalist sensibility in performing arts. The country’s rich musical heritage was, too, opening its arms to a fresh identity without compromising on its roots. Coke Studio became a product that revitalised Pakistani music with renewed excitement having a delightful blend of contemporary coolness and classical understanding of the art, enabling them to converge at a point that resulted in achieving remarkable compositional feats. The Studio’s version of Ay raah-i-haq ke shaheedo (originally sung by Naseem Begum) was a soul-stirring rendition of a tune that was heavy on emotion and light (in the mellifluous sense) on melody. The producers of the show made more than three dozen singers sing it, line by line. (Ah, how one misses the booming voice of the late Amjad Sabri!)

Then more recently there was Hum aik hain, the composition that the sweet voice of Nayyara Noor had made popular and was at the tip of every Pakistani’s tongue when it first came out. The Studio lent contemporariness to it.

Before the above-mentioned two examples, arguably, the most talked about redoing of a well-known milli naghma was done in Coke Studio Season 8. It was Sohni dharti Allah rakhey. The track was thoughtfully penned by Masroor Anwar and beautifully composed by Sohail Rana. It was made memorable in the 1970s by the inimitable Shahnaz Begum who did more than justice to the dhun. Shahnaz Begum belonged to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and before the two wings of Pakistan separated, she was one of the foremost vocalists of the country. Coke Studio turned the tune into an anthem of sorts in which, again, multiple vocalists took part. They ranged from the legendary Farida Khanum to today’s superstar Atif Aslam. While the purists didn’t find it worth writing home about, the effort substantially added to Pakistan’s cultural wealth by, in a manner of speaking, underscoring the importance of such songs and compositions in the life of a nation.

In fine art, too — though not in a considerable quantity — patriotic zeal could be witnessed in certain artists’ works, usually during group exhibitions. The one name that instantly springs to mind — and there are others, of course — is that of Akram Spaul whose hyper-realist paintings have gained him tremendous recognition among art lovers and practitioners. One distinctly remembers an exhibition in which he had placed the Pakistani flag in central realist settings and the background came across as social commentary. Yet, the simplistic beauty of the flag was amplified through even simpler touches of the paintbrush. The artist’s love for his country shone through those exhibits — love expressed in a visual language.

Poets’ contribution

Perhaps it’s the poets of Pakistan who have contributed the most to the cultural coiffeurs of the country. From Jamiluddin Aali to Sehba Akhtar, there’s a plethora of qaumi geet that are etched in the collective memory of the nation. One would have thought that in the 21st century, the community of poets lagged behind on that count. Not true. The kind of kalaam that’s been produced by verse-wielders who are alive, whether belonging to the senior lot or the relatively junior bunch, is invaluable in its own modernistic way.

For example, Khalid Moin in one of his poems, writes:

Rooh-i-Quaid kehti hai ay nasl-i-nau
Apna maazi dekh, apni pehchan samajh

[The spirit of the Quaid says to the young generation
Look at your past, understand your identity]

Dr Aqeel Abbas Jafri is a prominent research scholar and poet. His following poem is often cited as one of the warmest poetic works expressing love for Pakistan.

Sab lafzon se lafz hai accha Pakistan
Sab jazbon se barh ker jazba Pakistan

Likhna tha duniya ka sab se achha naam
Zahn mein aik hi naam aaya tha Pakistan

[The word Pakistan is better than any word
The spirit of Pakistan is better than all things exciting

When I was asked to write the most beautiful name in the world
Only one name came to mind: Pakistan]

Finally, Anwar Shaoor is considered to be among the top-most notable living Urdu poets. His tribute to Pakistan in the following two lines is an artistic accomplishment for its contextual crux and rhythmic grace.

Duniya mein is watan ka bhala kiya jawab hai
Her zarra maahtab hai aur aaftaab hai

Gulzar o lalazar o chamanzar o sabzazar
Ye mulk waqa’i kisi sha’ir ka khwaab hai

[There is no country like Pakistan in the world
Each speck of its land is the sun, the moon

It’s a garden of roses and tulips, it’s lush and green
The country’s is truly the dream of a poet]