Although there are several joint projects between Pakistan and Turkey at the government level, it is now being speculated that a joint drama and film project between the two countries will be launched soon.
According to the report of Radio Pakistan, Kamal Takdan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Production House Takdan Films, who made the city-wide drama ‘Ertugrul Ghazi’ from Turkey, and actor Jalal Al met the Prime Minister Imran Khan. During the meeting, a joint venture between the two countries was discussed.
According to the report, Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui, Humayun Saeed, Federal Minister for Information Shibli Faraz and Shehryar Afridi and other officials attended the meeting between Turkish playwright Kamal Takdan and Turkish actor Jalal Al.
During the meeting, the possible TV serial ‘Turk Lala’ to be co-produced by Pakistan and Turkey was discussed in detail and the Prime Minister was briefed about the project.
In this regard, the Turkish news agency Anadolu reported that during the meeting, Shehryar Afridi informed the Prime Minister that the two countries would make a joint serial on the Turkish subcontinent’s mujahid ‘Turk Lala’ who helped the Ottoman Empire in the war.
During the meeting, Turkish playwright Kamal Takdan thanked the Prime Minister for praising Turkish dramas and briefed him on the role of ‘Turkish Lala’.
Kamal Takdan told the Prime Minister that his day is also celebrated in Turkey on June 30 every year on the sacrifices of ‘Turkish Lala’ and the drama about the said character will start a new history of cultural relations between the two countries.
While praising Turkish dramas, the Prime Minister clarified to the Turkish delegation that in the past, Pakistani dramas were popular not only in the subcontinent but also in the Middle East and Western countries.
Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the plan of Pakistan and Turkey to jointly make a historical drama on the role of ‘Turk Lala’ and assured the delegation that the government of Pakistan would extend all possible cooperation to the team.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said that during the meeting, it was discussed between Pakistan and Turkey to make a joint drama ‘Turk Lala’.
However, it was not made clear whether the play would be made with the cooperation of the governments of Turkey and Pakistan or whether the play would be produced by private production companies.
However, it is being speculated that private production companies from both the countries will make a TV serial on the theme ‘Turkish Lala’, which will probably be produced in Urdu and Turkish.
It is believed that ‘Turk Lala’ will be made into a serial by Takdan Films and a joint production company of Adnan Siddiqui and Humayun Saeed and the government of Pakistan will also provide financial support for the production of the play. It is too early to say.
Who was ‘Turk Lala’?
According to Anadolu, Turk Lala was a militant from the subcontinent and Peshawar, the capital of the recent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan.
Turk Lala was a Pashto speaker and was also called by his elder brother’s name.
Turkish Lala went there with his army in 1920 to support the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Wars between the Ottoman Empire and European countries.
Turk Lala led a caravan of subcontinents that sided with the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Wars.
Although the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire began only after the aforementioned wars, the role of ‘Turk Lala’ was crucial in these wars, on which Pakistani and Turkish production companies will soon make TV serials.