American TV with Pakistani flair

This Saturday Case Western Reserve University’s Pakistani Student Association (PSA) will have its biggest event of the year: a cultural show called Pakflix. This annual event involves skits and dances from other student organizations, food from a local restaurant called Jaipur Junction and homemade trailers made by the association’s members. These trailers put a twist on common TV shows, such as “How I Met Your Mother” and “Friends,” by creating a Pakistani version of the trailers. Previous inspirations for these trailers included “Batman” and “Paranormal Activity.”

The executive members, including Minhal Gardezi, Sasha Ali, Hasaan Majeed, Farah Rahman and Faraaz Hussain, organize this event, but the whole organization pitches in to help with the skits, dances and general collaboration.

Hussain, the PSA’s public relations chair, explains that these trailers and the skits will incorporate Pakistani culture. “Even if a person is not familiar with Pakistani daily life and culture, the skits are based on American shows as well, just adding a flair of Pakistani culture to it,” said Hussain.

Pakflix not only involves funny trailers and delicious food, but the event raises money for a good cause. The organization will donate this money from the event to 141 schools in honor of the Peshawar school attacks.

“We always donate to support the mobile schools in Pakistan, but this year’s cause was in honor of the school attacks, because it was a tragic attack where a bunch of children were killed for literally no reason,” said Rahman, a PSA executive member.

The event will also involve a moment of silence and a speech about the Peshawar attacks.

The organization will finish selling their tickets at Nord today, Feb. 20, and will also sell them at the door for $5 for undergraduates and $7 for others. The event will start at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 and will be held in the Thwing Ballroom.

Event: Pakflix
Location: Thwing Ballroom
Date: Feb. 21, 6:30 p.m.
Price: $5 students, $7 others