By Maliha Rehman
The crowd roars excitedly. A shiny white car is rolled out, taking center stage in the auditorium. Lights flash, the music reaches a crescendo and Fahad Mustafa, wearing a slim-fit kurta and pants set, climbs atop the car with a spring in his step. Mike dangling in front of his mouth, he raises his hands and, at the top of his voice, accompanied by the crowd, he yells, ‘Jeeto Pakistan!’
It’s a visual that we have been seeing for 11 years now. Every Ramzan, a little less than an hour after Iftar, the Jeeto Pakistan gameshow airs on the ARY Digital channel. Sitting at home, in a post-Iftar stupor, audiences all across the country marvel at the energy on set. Fahad Mustafa strides quickly across the auditorium, calling out to members of the audience, handpicking them to play a series of games. He is accompanied by a live orchestra and a team of assistants who work with clockwork precision. Over the past few years, he has also been joined by celebrity captains, heading ‘teams’ that rake in points all through the month, with one eventually becoming the victor in the ‘Jeeto Pakistan League’.
Scanning the audience, Fahad calls out for ‘auntiyaan’, ‘uncles’, ‘larkay’, ‘larkiyaan’ and entire families sitting in the audience raise their hands excitedly, wanting to be picked to play. The prizes are many; ranging from pricey home appliances to motorbikes, gold and – the biggest win – a car. The audience laughs with Fahad and shouts right on cue – no prompts or fake cheering is needed to make the show look exciting on TV.
And if the show looks exciting from TV’s vantage point, watching it live – as I did this year – is an altogether different experience. The good cheer is infectious; grinning winners climb behind Fahad on motorbikes as he takes them for a short round around the stage, grandmothers chant out the nine times table and get rewarded with washing machines, tongue twisters and riddles are attempted and mobile phones by a local sponsor are distributed at random to the audience. There’s an easy camaraderie between the team; the celebrity captains joke about, quips are made over some of the games that might lead to silly outcomes, the assistants rush in and out and quickly set up displays of home appliances, rolling out motorbikes and cars for little children.
The same games are more or less played every day, an assortment of the same celebrities come to attend and it’s the same Fahad who has, for 11 years now, climbed aboard cars with a wide, euphoric grin. And yet, Jeeto Pakistan hasn’t bitten the dust, becoming a part of Pakistan’s pop culture, a Ramzan regular that many can’t do without. It’s magic.
But how is it possible that the magic has never waned? It’s a question I ask Fahad, whose voice is quite hoarse off-camera, following more than two hours of the live show. “The shows has seen its ups and downs in the past,” he tells me, “and I am sure that it will continue to do so in the future too. There have been times when it lost its charm. Covid, I think, was the biggest setback and it took me two years to bring the show back to its peak. And this year the popularity has increased even more.”
His words ring true. This year, Jeeto Pakistan started off in Ramzan at a time when the PSL matches were still underway. Surprisingly, on certain days, it managed to gain more viewership ratings than the cricket games playing live on sports channels. The show’s top ratings spree has continued even after the PSL, quite evidently beating the special Ramzan dramas airing around the same time. Some credit for this goes to this year’s spate of humdrum Ramzan dramas – but credit must also go to Fahad Mustafa and his ‘Jeeto’ team.
“In all these years, we’ve never considered that the show might end,” says Jerjees Seja, CEO of ARY Digital. “We’ve innovated with the games being played and brought in guests, like celebrities or child stars coming in for a short segment. In earlier years, we’d invite celebrity guests to attend the show but then, when Covid hit, we couldn’t have a live audience and we decided to create a ‘league’ with celebrity captains. Once the pandemic was over, we decided to continue with the concept of the league.”
Jerjees adds, “Fahad is an excellent host. His energy is unparalleled. Also, there’s a lot of teamwork at play. There are systems in place and most of our team has been with us for 11 years now. Everything works with precision and you’ll see on TV, that everyone is happy to be there. The celebrities get so involved in the games that they are literally playing with the audience and want to win. And our audience, watching the show live and those watching from their homes on TV, is always so enthusiastic.”
For Fahad, as a host, has the inclusion of regular celebrity captains help in keeping up the flow of the live transmission? “Yes, it’s made a big difference. They definitely add value to the show,” he says and then, referring to this year’s motley crew of captains, he adds, “Adnan (Siddiqui) Bhai brings a lot of raw energy and spontaneity, Kubra (Khan) gets very involved in the games as does Ushna (Shah) who is constantly applying her brains and thinking over how to win. Shaista is witty and experienced and Aijazz (Aslam) Bhai has his own charm. Shoaib (Malik) is very competitive so that’s fun and I particularly enjoy Saifee (Sarfaraz Ahmed) because he has this innocent, genuine energy. These people are all big names and having them in the show with me can make things easier – except when they are in the show all together. That can be a hard task, but it’s still fun!”
For many across the country, the show is now an intrinsic part of their post-Iftar routine. Is this the same way for Fahad? Would his days feel empty without hosting the show every day for the whole month? “The show has become a norm in most Pakistani households and that’s the case with me too,” he agrees. “In Ramzan, there is one day when I open my fast at home while a recorded show plays on TV and I just don’t know what to do on that day. I feel awkward and out of place and so does my family. I am used to spending my entire Ramzan hosting the show with the family that I have at ARY Digital, many of them people that I have been working with for 11 years now.”
I recall a time in a past interview when Fahad had told me about the one fast that he opens at home and how, when he would step out later in the evening, he would hear his voice playing out from TV’s in his neighborhood. It’s indicative of the show’s persistent popularity.
And yet, there are critics who will put down the show for advocating games that they deem mindless. Only recently, an online talk show had likened Fahad’s behavior to that of a clown, questioning his mental well-being after shouting out at the audience day after day.
But would people have gravitated towards Fahad with such love had he not truly been good at what he does? He is a successful actor and producer and yet, his Jeeto Pakistan stints have made him Fahad Bhai, son of the soil, every Pakistani’s hero.
Furthermore, there are many other shows who have tried to achieve the same success, incorporating a bonanza of games and celebrities in their formats, but failed. Surely, there must be something right about Jeeto Pakistan for it to inspire such love, enthusiasm and loyalty within its audience.
Circa the ‘80’s, the PTV game show hosted by Tariq Aziz, Neelam Ghar, would be watched just as avidly. There wouldn’t be as much games but there would be quizzes and riddles and prizes distributed. Tariq Aziz would take to the stage and holler ‘Pakistan Zindabad!’ at the top of his voice. For those of us who saw the show over the years, we can still hear him shout out the words in his signature monotone.
Neelam Ghar aired at a time when the audience was held hostage by a single TV channel. Today, Jeeto Pakistan is competing with avidly promoted content on multiple other channels. And we are similarly able to recall exactly how Fahad Mustafa cries out ‘Jeeto Pakistan!’
11 years and the show has seen fluctuating ratings, highs and lows and yet, the Pakistani audience hasn’t tired of it. The show’s success is unquestionable and Fahad Mustafa, given the superhuman strength with which he takes on the live format every day, doesn’t seem to be grappling with mental health issues.
Set aside the disdainful pretenses of game shows lacking intellect and the sarcastic jibes at a host who may shout out at the audience but in doing so, manages to involve them completely – and you’ll see a show which has become Pakistan’s own. Jeeto Pakistan, true to its name, has won Pakistan over.
What do you think?