Pakistani comedians will roast Donald Trump

Shehzad Ghias, Ali Gul Pir, Akbar Chaudry to poke fun at US presidential candidate at T2F

KARACHI: Ever since Donald Trump entered the US presidential race and gained notoriety for his fiery and objectionable speeches, the business magnate and hotelier has become the butt of all jokes. Following his comments regarding minorities and Islam, the Republican hopeful has drawn a lot of criticism.

Banking on his bad publicity, a group of Pakistani comedians is set to poke fun at him. Taking cue from comics such as Trevor Noah and John Oliver, funny man Shehzad Ghias will be roasting the businessman at an event titled Muslim comics Roast Donald Trump, at T2F on Sunday.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Ghias said his motivation behind the roast stemmed from his fascination with American politics.

“The purpose of the event is to counter hate through humour,” explained Ghias. While the format of the roast is likely to follow the popular standard, it will obviously not be graced by Trump himself. Asked about how they will work the roast out in that case, Ghias joked, “We’ve set up a projector and Trump would be joining us via Skype.”





While a major segment of the evening will focus on Trump and Islamophobia, Ghias revealed he will also be drawing on his own experiences. “I’ve spent a lot of time in the US and so we will also be using our own experiences as comic material.”

Serving as the roast master for the evening, Ghias will be joined by Waderai Ka Beta singer Ali Gul Pir and Lol Waalay member Akbar Chaudry in this off-beat endeavor.

With Trump being the notable absence from the show, Ghias said the comics will also take aim at one another. “No one is safe at such events, not even the comics. We haven’t discussed this but we might indulge in some banter,” he added.

Given the nature of the event, the core comedy for the show is likely to stem from cultural references, stereotypes and racism. And since, Comedy Central already roasted Trump a few years ago, Ghias clarified the trio will be using new material in their routines. The three will give a spin to the jokes so that they translate better with local audiences.

“Not many are following the US elections right now so it is important that we localise our content,” explained Ghias. “For instance, we have jokes about how Trump would have behaved if he was a Pakistani uncle at a local wedding.”

Described as a no-holds-barred affair, the event already carries a cautionary message with it. “It is not adult comedy per se but it is advisable to keep minors away from this sort of a show,” said the comedian.

While we’re yet to see how the show is received, Ghias was skeptical about whether or no they will be performing more of such shows. He played down the possibility that the roast might land them in hot water the way Indian comedy collective AIB’s roast got them in trouble. “I’ve cracked similar jokes in the US and nothing happened,” he smiled.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2016.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.