The PTV Drama That Was BANNED | Baleela 1979

Why was Baleela (1979), a Pakistani PTV drama written by Shoaib Hashmi, taken off air during General Zia-ul-Haq's regime? In this episode of Try of Truth, we revisit the story of Baleela, a satirical television serial that became associated with censorship during one of the most politically sensitive periods in Pakistan's history. The story revolved around a family that kept selling parts of an old car named Baleela. According to Dawn's historical account, the regime's censors interpreted the car as a symbol of Pakistan and the family selling its parts as a reference to those ruling the country. Featuring the early television careers of Shehnaz Sheikh and Asif Raza Mir, Baleela remains an intriguing chapter in the history of Pakistani television. Was it simply a comedy, or did its satire carry a deeper political message? Watch the full video to explore the story behind this controversial PTV production. 💬 YOUR OPINION MATTERS! Do you think television and satire should be allowed to question those in power? Share your thoughts in the comments. 👍 If you enjoy forgotten stories, banned films, lost television projects and untold chapters of Pakistani entertainment history, LIKE this video, SHARE it with others, and SUBSCRIBE to Try of Truth. 📚 SOURCES & FURTHER READING: 1. Dawn — An Endless Farce: https://www.dawn.com/news/1163261 2. Dawn Images — Shoaib Hashmi: The Man Who Brought Colour to Black and White TV: https://images.dawn.com/news/1191786/... ⏱️ Video Chapters 00:00 INTRO - BALEELA (1979): PAKISTAN KA BANNED TV DRAMA 01:40 1979: JAB PAKISTAN KI TELEVISION BADAL RAHI THI 02:40 BALEELA: EK PURANI GAARI KI GHARAILU KAHANI 03:40 SHOAIB HASHMI: WRITER JO COMEDY KO NAYA ANDAAZ DETA THA 06:27 13 EPISODES KA PLAN AUR ACHANAK PABANDI 07:07 ASIF RAZA MIR AUR SHAHNAZ SHEIKH: UNKE CAREER KA BHOOLA BISRA CHAPTER 07:51 KYA BALEELA PAKISTAN KA PEHLA BANNED TV DRAMA THA? 08:33 KYA BALEELA KA FOOTAGE AAJ BHI MOJOOD HAI? 09:12 OUTRO — EK DRAMA JO WAQT KE SAATH OJHAL HO GAYA ⚠️ DISCLAIMER: This video is created for educational, historical, documentary and commentary purposes. It discusses historical accounts of Pakistani television, censorship and political satire. Interpretations of the drama's symbolism are attributed to the published sources cited above. All rights to archival footage, photographs and other third-party material belong to their respective owners. Their use is intended for commentary, criticism, research and historical discussion. #PakistaniDrama #ShehnazSheikh #AsifRazaMir #PakistaniHistory #ShoaibHashmi #Baleela #PTV