In sync: ‘Babuji’ to release collection of comic skits after hiatus

Zahirullah is famous for his parodies and dubbing of Mr Bean, Shrek and Nana Patekar, among others.

PESHAWAR:

Famous Pashto comedian Zahirullah is set to release a new collection of skits and parodies after a lull of more than two years. The comedian, who is famous for his parodies and dubbing over videos of Mr Bean, Shrek and Nana Patekar, has been working out of a small but well-equipped studio in Baghdada, Mardan.

The popularity of Zahirullah, better known as Babuji by most, with previous collections has been such that thousands of copies have been sold in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Afghanistan and the Middle East. Most of his work featuring only him has left Pashto-speaking audiences in fits of laughter with its wit and creativity.

“It is a one-man show,” the comedian told The Express Tribune. “I can record several kinds of voices, both male and female, and in a few months, I manage to take out a complete album by myself.”

Voice over

Zahirullah has come up with over 20 voices for different characters in a single album. Using computer software, he writes the scripts to synchronise his words with those spoken on film, a lip sync of sorts, after which he mixes and edits on his own.

“The completion of a single collection of work can take up to one year, but people demand releases in quick succession,” he said. “I was doing this just for fun, but I started taking it seriously as a profession when I got such an overwhelming response from the public.”

The artist has released 20 bodies of work so far, with which he has had huge success among Pukhtuns at home and abroad.

Besides Mr Bean, Zahirullah has dubbed chunks from various television series and from the Shrek films. Some of his more popular albums include Khrash Prash Durha Dabao, Ma mah shmera dar gad yam, and Garza us mazay kawa. His most loved characters include the dubbed versions of Nana Patekar, and Shrek and Donkey from the animated movie Shrek.

Zahirullah’s work gained prominence after his CDs made their way to the villages in K-P. He has since also held premier shows in K-P, Afghanistan and the Middle East, however, Zahirullah still complains there are very few events and cultural shows where artistes like him can perform live.

Although he has been active since 2002, Zahirullah says the delay in the new album was due to personal reasons. However, he is confident the demand for his work has not fallen.

“With the release of each album, I have sold over 100,000 copies in Pakistan,” claims the comedian. “However, with no concept of copyright protection in the country, the CDs are pirated and sold in the thousands.”

Zahirullah stressed on the need to curb piracy in Pakistan. He complained his own work is pirated but second-rate material is also sold using his name.

“I have great respect for Rowan Atkinson, Nana Patekar, and all those whose work I have dubbed,” said Zahirullah. “This is for those who cannot understand English, but even those who do prefer to watch the dubbed versions now.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2014.