Mustansar Hussain Tarar’s talent is not confined to one particular genre. Those who have gained consciousness in the ‘90s or even late ‘80s may think of him as an enlightened anchor person.

who appears on the small screen every time there’s significant national event happening. No, not at all. In the ‘70s we saw him act in many of television play, some of then written by him.

With drama series like Aik Haqeeqat Sau Afsaney and a memorable serial like Hazaron Raastey, his credentials were established as a playwright. And a good one too.

But those who are into literature and have a penchant for reading books must be aware that Mustansar Hussain Tarar is an excellent travel writer as well.

He has so far written not less than a dozen travel accounts of various countries as well as a variety of picturesque and interesting locales of Pakistan.

Hunza Dastan, an account of his travel to the heavenly valley with his son also delighted the readers with his tongue-in-cheek remarks about anyone and everyone he came across the journey.

Not that this was his only forte, also trying his hands at novels, his Des Huay Pardes was an insightful peek at the problems faced by the rustic Punjabi community.

that had settled in England earlier and the dilemmas their off springs faced; confused of their original identity.

At present his literary activities are limited to a weekly column Karavan Saraye for the popular Urdu weekly, Akhbar-e-Jahan.

However, what he has been able to achieve for PTV is sufficient for us to make him the ‘Flashback’ personality of this week.

Tarar sahib has given a lot to our local idiot box. Be it comparing or drama writing (even his acting) he has had his personal indelible stamp on it.

One look at his plays like Parinda or Hazaron Raastey would make us realize that well-defined characterization in his forte. Take for example Hazaron Raastey.

Not many drama serials in the history of Pakistan television can claim to have touched upon the infirmities and paranoia of newly rich class, as well as the pride and self-assuredness.

of the middle-class that never compromises on principles and long-held traditional beliefs. What Firdous Jamal, Abid Ali, Munawwar Saeed and Rubina Ashraf were able to accomplish in the serial was something that they couldn’t manage to achieve again.

Prior to that, perhaps what brought Mustansar Hussain Tarar to public limelight was the character of Amjad that he played in Aik Haqeeqat Sau Afsaney. He played.

a forthright journalist working under the fidgety Nisar Qadri (at his edgy best). Who can forget Nisar Qadri’s famous takya kalam, bhaee Amjad, maachis ho gi tumharey paas?

Although one sees Mustansar sahib hosting shows, few and far between, and doing a good job at that, but his drama writing seems to have taken the back seat.

And bearing in mind the kind of stuff that’s being churned out these days, perhaps there wasn’t a time when his plays were needed on the idiot box than now. One can only hopes that he, in this era of mediocrity, comes up with something as poignant as Hazaron Raastey.