TCM removes viral interview hitting out at Ehd-e-Wafa

A digital news network, The Centrum Media (TCM) Originals, has removed a video featuring actor and social media activist Adeel Afzal criticising the script of the drama serial Ehd-e-Wafa.

The video was removed from all social media platforms days after a short clip from it went viral online.

In the video, the social media activist launched a scathing critique of the drama’s script, arguing that Ahad Raza Mir’s character, army officer Saad Faraz, was glorified while the other main characters were downplayed. Afzal declared the script a biased narrative with an unbalanced portrayal of characters.

The drama's main story revolves around four friends, Saad, Shahzain, Shariq, and Shehryar, who pursue careers in prestigious fields after completing their education at Lawrence College in Murree.

Ahad Raza Mir’s character, Saad, is depicted as a disciplined and courageous army officer dedicated to the defense of the nation, while Osama Khalid Butt’s character, Malik Shahzain, is portrayed as ambitious yet flawed. Later, he steps into politics.

Wahaj Ali’s character, Shariq Habeeb, becomes a journalist who is ambitious about uncovering the truth and passionate about using his words as his weapon. Ahmed Ali Akbar’s character, Shehryar, hails from a lower-middle-class family, clears the prestigious Central Superior Services (CSS) exams, and becomes an Assistant Commissioner (AC).

Storyteller Adeel Afzal sharply criticised Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) for allegedly funding the drama, which, according to him, portrayed politicians, journalists, and bureaucrats as inferior.

He objected to the script for painting the politician character as “negative” and uninterested in education, while politician grandfather’s character was portrayed as “funny.”

Afzal further highlighted that the drama depicted the journalist’s family background as mediocre, pointing out that “the journalist's sister was shown as a nurse" who had a court marriage, and Shariq himself was portrayed as a cunning boy before entering journalism.

Taking a dig at the drama’s script for portraying the army officer, his family, and even his dog as noble while depicting other characters as unintelligent and inferior in status and respect, he asked, “Ye drama aap banayenge? Ye investment aap karenge? Kin se likhwa rahe hain, kin se banwa rahe hain?” ("Will you make such a drama? Will you invest in it? Who are you getting it written by, and who are you getting it filmed by?")

"Hum aap ki is game se tang aa chuke hain (We are tired of this game of yours),” he concluded.

Later in the day, the interview in question was reuploaded with said part trimmed out.