| Alif Noon | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | Kamal Ahmed Rizvi |
| Written by | Kamal Ahmed Rizvi |
| Starring | Kamal Ahmed Rizvi Rafi Khawar |
| Country of origin | Pakistan |
| Original language | Urdu |
| Production | |
| Production company | PTV |
| Original release | |
| Network | PTV |
| Release | 1965 and then was reincarnated in color in 1982 |
Alif Noon (Urdu: الف نون) is a 1965 comedy television series from Pakistan Television written by Kamal Ahmed Rizvi.[1] The cast consisted of Rafi Khawar known as Nanha and Kamal Ahmed Rizvi known as Allan.[2][1]
Each episode follows 'Allan' shown as a clever business-minded person, coming up with some immoral tricks to earn fast money. He used to use 'Nanha' as his stooge. He himself was not inclined to work and would rather be the sleeping partner in every saga or telling the tricks to poor Nanha (his front man). The character of Nanha became an instant hit. He faced the new society and was therefore used by Allan as the 'front man' for his tricks. In the end, he would unintentionally toss out the whole plot of scheming Allan by speaking the truth to the public.[2][3]
Main
Special Appearances
Although a 1960s comedy drama, the show portrayed a dark side of the Pakistani society where scams, frauds and such are widespread. The series contained a positive message in each episode, though.[2]
Allan thinks of an idea. He makes Nanha beg on the streets for money.
Allan starts working with a corrupt government servant who deliberately causes a shortage of basic supplies and later on sells those goods in 'black market' on high rates, after the demand had skyrocketed.
Allan portrays himself as an (eye specialist), and Nanha as optician and they try to make big earnings before the actual and real doctor, who is also their employer, returns from lunch.
While their employer is away for a meeting, Nanha pretends to be a psychiatrist while Allan pretends to be Nanha's assistant
Allan and Nanha open up their dairy shop to sell unhygienic and water-blended milk.
Allan opens up a Bakery to start a business selling unhygienic and stale products.
Allan calls upon top-notch actors and writers for making a film which wouldn't cost them a penny, instead earn them millions.
Allan and Nanha hang around at an expensive restaurant in search of a business deal, as top class businessmen dine in there, and make deals over lunch at that restaurant.
Allan plans on faking Nanha's birthday in order to receive gifts, which they would later sell, to earn some cash.
Allan and Nanha work at Pehalwan's Meat Shop where they make Bar-b-Que out of dead animals and feed them to the customers without them noticing
Allan starts a bicycle repair-shop where Nanha steals bicycle parts while the bicycles are there to be fixed. Moreover, they rent out those bicycles to earn some cash.
Allan gathers around a number of people who have lost faith, and gives them a new ray of hope by telling them that he and Nanha could send them abroad where they could easily work and earn handful of cash.
Allan and Nanha startup their tailoring shop where a lot of mishaps take place.
Allan and Nanha accept the offer of their employer's husband to shut that organization down as he is sick of their employer (who is his wife) not playing her part in the upbringing of their kids.
Nannha is hired by undercover cops in bringing down a group of dangerous mobs.
Allan and Nanha start selling stuff, claiming that they're "antique".
Allan and Nanha pose as Estate agents and sell land at fairly reasonable prices, even though they do not own that land.
Allan and Nanha sell homemade, useless medicines.
Allan poses as a newspaper editor and a number of people meet him to bribe him so that he may publish his newspaper with their planted stories accordingly.
Allan invites art lovers to his place where Nanha makes some 'dumb' painting in a unique way. The art lovers consider it as "Abstract Art", while in reality it is just paintings made by Nanha.
'In Film industry' episode, it is shown that inexperienced and materialistic type of people have come into the Pakistani film industry who just make 'dummy' films. This could be easily validated from the state of present film industry in Pakistan.[3]
'In Zakhira Andozi' (hoarding) episode, it is portrayed that people may take away the basic necessities only to make double the money. The implementation could be easily seen in the actual 2008 Atta (wheat flour) crisis in Pakistan that happened in real life. There is an episode regarding the state of art and artist, which shows that the real artistic culture that has been the background of the subcontinent has gone down to its lowest level.