Hanif HangamHanif Hangam is a writer and comedian who puts his life on the line with every show that is aired. He is most famous (or infamous) for his starring role in the prime-time weekly satire ‘Alarm Bell’, a show that lampoons Taliban rebels, warlords, UN diplomats, pilgrims to Mecca, and petrol pump attendants. Despite complaints and threats after every broadcast, the producers, and Hangam, maintain that ‘Alarm Bell’ is crucial for the political health of the country.
In 2006 Hangam was forced to flee Afghanistan after a film in which he starred, ‘Kabul Express’, cause offence to many in the country – particularly the Hazara community.
To see an Al-Jazeera report on the phenomenon of ‘Alarm Bell’:
Saad Mohseni
Saad Mohseni is an Afghan-Australian, who along with his brothers Zaid and Jahid and sister Wajma, set up Moby Group, Afghanistan’s largest media company, in 2002. Prior to establishing Moby, Mr. Mohseni was the head of the equities and corporate finance division of an Australian investment bank.
Moby’s interests include Tolo TV, Afghanistan’s most-watched television channel. Tolo TV is best known in the West for ‘Afghan Star’; the series that followed the pop idol talent-show format, and gave many Afghans their first taste of democracy via a mobile-phone voting system.
Despite its relatively short lifespan, Moby Group has developed a reputation for quality productions which address issues facing ordinary Afghans, including The Kite Runner (in collaboration with Dreamworks and Paramount Vantage) and the drama series Raaz Hai En Khana (“The Secrets of This House”). These both explore issues of family, tradition and change within the context of contemporary Afghanistan. (Held from 2009)
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