The Wolf and the Bat, anyone?

Remember wanting to die of shame or disappearing from the face of the Earth when Pakistani Idol came out? The feeling of utter disgust when well established channels chose to rip-off the Star Plus way of dramatizing and fake-glamouring our TV dramas? A forceful desire to completely disown Atif Aslam when he started coming out with commercial stuff that was nowhere near to the heart felt vibe that his original songs exuded? Yes, it’s exasperating when artists in Pakistan feel the need that they have to be someone they are not in order to be popular. Maybe that’s what they need to earn a little bling but slowly and gradually, people around you and talented at that just decide to give up on what makes them who they are. And that, believe me or not, is as painful to the fans as it is to the artists.

The youth today would much rather watch The Big Bang Theory, Dexter or even Gossip Girl because that way, they aren’t watching people who are not comfortable in their skin. They are not trying to copy someone, be who they are not, dissing their identity and as a result making their audiences uncomfortable which is essentially what our local scene is doing. Wonder why I’m bringing this up? Well, that’s because Kachee Goliyan is one thing that in an extremely long time, felt real. It exudes an honest vibe of people really trying to make an original effort. In a country, where people would much rather get shot in the head than be caught speaking Urdu, Punjabi or any other of our languages, that really comes across as a much-awaited feat.

Though appreciative of the originality of KG, their first comic book didn’t really find a fan in me. It had all the ingredients required to make it successful, though maybe not in the right proportions. Their second attempt at a comic book, however, titled “The Wolf and The Bat” really did hit the mark. Maybe, that was because I remember hating myself with a vengeance for reading Twilight in a day or because everyone around just kept talking about how it was such an ideal piece of literature. Well, it’s not and The Wolf and the Bat points out how.

For one, the comic bares Twilight of all its shashkas and depicts it for what it really is – a tale of too much insecurities. Amidst the humourous take (and taik) of the characters, it differentiates itself from being just another Twilight bashing narrative by giving it a desi spin. You find “Mella Swan” promising to make chappatis, washing clothes and scrubbing off dirt for her sparkling beau while finding time to update her Twitter, which mind you makes her pretty useful. Then comes the werewolf, the impending battle and … a twist and a turn and you know the comic has done it – slipped in a social commentary, kept your interest, made you laugh, and has convinced you that KG is Pakistani to the last bit. And the best part? It’s not a rip-off.

For those who have no idea what I just rambled about, refer to http://www.kacheegoliyan.com