Pakistan’s answer to Simon Cowell angers TV viewers

By Rob Crilly

Pakistan Idol’s acerbic judges attract huge audience but prompt accusations that they are humiliating contestants and are too brash for local tastes

Pakistan Idol is everything you would expect from the familiar global franchise. Young hopefuls sing their hearts out on stage under the watchful eye of a panel of judges who then offer their thoughts – some constructive, some less so. In a country where politeness is an art form and saying what you really think is the height of vulgarity, the judges’ “Simon Cowell” moments have brought an angry backlash.

In one notorious exchange, Ali Azmat, lead singer with the band Junoon, mocks a male singer’s high pitched voice and then starts dancing with his head and hands in a style more generally associated with troupes of performing transvestites across South Asia.

Social media have been abuzz with condemnation and a public petition has attracted almost 1500 signatures demanding a public apology from the show’s makers for humiliating contestants. “Also I would require an assurance that such behaviour will not be repeated in future, and if at all a contestant does not fit the criteria, he/she would be given positive criticism which helps him/her grow,” runs the petition. In a country riddled by Islamic extremism, Pakistan Idol was hailed as a crucial opportunity to reclaim the country’s cultural heritage from conservatives and give traditional music a chance to flourish among a new generation of wannabes. Auditions ran in some of the most troubled parts of the country, including Swat, a region overrun by the Taliban as recently as 2009 and where Malala Yousafzai, the schoolgirl activist, was shot last year. The show’s first run in Pakistan began earlier this month and producers say their viewing figures make it a smash hit. In part, they say, the attraction is down to the acerbic approach of the judges. In one of the early episodes they mock Naveed Ali, a student, for his squeaky voice. “Leave it, do you remember some nursery rhyme, Oh frog, oh frog jump in the water) or sing twinkle twinkle little star. That would suit your voice,” said Mr Azmat, before asking why he thought he could sing. The exchange prompted viewers to complain that the judges were trying too hard to ape the brasher attitude of the American show - and Simon Cowell in particular – without the humour and without regard to Pakistan’s rather genteel sensibilities. “Here, it seems that the judges are trying overly hard to channel the mocking nature of their American counterparts, especially Simon, but failing miserably,” wrote Noman Ansari, a blogger. Not that the criticism has affected Mr Azmat, who has been baiting his critics on twitter this week.

And the producers are unrepentant. A show insider said: “It’s a bit of a culture shock. This is not a place where people say what they think - well not in public, at least – but it’s all part of the show.” Imran Aslam, the president of Geo TV, the channel that bought the rights to the Pop Idol franchise, promised not to tone down the criticism. “There’s certainly been some criticism of the judges but it should be taken in the spirit of the show,” he said. “If someone can’t sing, well then they can’t sing.”