This heartwarming video of 'Pabbo Badmash' delivers an important message for Eid-ul-Fitr
May 25, 2020
Eid-ul-Fitr has provided a welcome relief to the grief-stricken and exhausted Pakistan but that in no way means the ever increasing threat of COVID-19 is over. The novel coronavirus, even if it may have slipped into the background, still very much exists and still needs us to take all the necessary precautions, inlcuding social distancing.
That very message forms the gist of a new Pashto-language animated video named “Pabbo Badmash Eid 2020” released by Studio Rokhan.
The coronavirus awareness video, subtitled in English, shows the titular character Pabbo Badmash being chased down by a bunch of Eidi-seeking kids. Upon being told that coronavirus is wreaking havoc, the kids come up with hilarious justifications, with one saying: “Don’t worry I wash my hands 20 times a day ... even my palm lines are gone.”
“All of my father’s salary goes into buying soap,” another chimes in but Pabbo remains unimpressed.
He finally agrees to dole out Eidi but only on the promise that the kids would maintain a distance of at least six feet in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
In the business end of the video, Pabbo urges his viewers to “not get in contact with your loved ones and pay your respects from afar”.
The story does have an obvious moral but it does more than just preach. The entertainment value alone makes it a must watch.
Studio Rokhan, the video’s creators, are of course no strangers to highlighting important social issues with a dash of entertainment. The channel, which counts Zeeshan Parwez as its director and Fasi Zaka as its brain, operates out of Peshawar/Islamabad and was created roughly a year ago.
They have produced at least two other videos on coronavirus, which when combined with its other videos on water conservation and aerial firing, make for a stellar collection.
