Alpha Bravo Charlie
Encyclopedia
Alpha Bravo Charlie (Urdu
script: الفا براوو چارلی) is an action and thriller drama series
, produced by ISPR
and directed by acclaimed Pakistani drama and film director
Shoaib Mansoor
. It was hugely popular and set a record for TRPs (Television Rating Points) in Pakistan. It is a sequel to drama series
Sunehre Din (Golden Days) with some of the same cast. The series ran on PTV
during the first half of 1998. The events in the drama involve romance and comedy, while reflecting the Pakistan Army's military operational involvement in the Bosnian War
and Siachen conflict
.
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
script: الفا براوو چارلی) is an action and thriller drama series
Dramatic programming
Dramatic programming in the UK, or television drama and television drama series in the US, is television program content that is scripted and fictional along the lines of √a traditional drama. This excludes, for example, sports television, television news, reality show and game shows, stand-up...
, produced by ISPR
Inter Services Public Relations
Inter Services Public Relations is an administrative military organization within the Pakistan Defence Forces that coordinates military information with the media and the civil society...
and directed by acclaimed Pakistani drama and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Shoaib Mansoor
Shoaib Mansoor
Shoaib Mansoor , PP, SI, is an acclaimed Pakistani film and television producer, director, writer, lyricist and composer.-Career:...
. It was hugely popular and set a record for TRPs (Television Rating Points) in Pakistan. It is a sequel to drama series
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Sunehre Din (Golden Days) with some of the same cast. The series ran on PTV
Pakistan Television Corporation
The Pakistan Television Corporation is Pakistan's national television broadcaster. The first live transmission of PTV began on November 26, 1964, in Lahore...
during the first half of 1998. The events in the drama involve romance and comedy, while reflecting the Pakistan Army's military operational involvement in the Bosnian War
Bosnian War
The Bosnian War or the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina was an international armed conflict that took place in Bosnia and Herzegovina between April 1992 and December 1995. The war involved several sides...
and Siachen conflict
Siachen conflict
The Siachen Conflict, sometimes referred to as the Siachen War, is a military conflict between India and Pakistan over the disputed Siachen Glacier region in Kashmir. The conflict began in 1984 with India's successful Operation Meghdoot during which it wrested control of the Siachen Glacier from...
.
Major characters
The script involves 4 characters, three of them army officers, and the only female who is an educator in a public school.- Faraz Ahmed (Faraz Inam): A Captain in the army, and a son of a rich landlord of Fatehkot in PunjabPunjab (Pakistan)Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, Faraz graduated from the 80th PMA Long CoursePakistan Military AcademyThe Pakistan Military Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service military academy. It is located at Kakul near Abbottabad in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan....
with a Sword of Honor— Imtiazi SanadImtiazi SanadImtiazi Sanad is the fifth highest Pakistani military award for gallantry or distinguished service in combat. It can be conferred upon any member of the Pakistani Armed Forces or paramilitary forces who is mentioned in the dispatches of a senior commander for actions that do not warrant a gallantry...
. He belongs to the 32nd Cavalry Lahore of the Armoured CorpsPakistan Army Armoured CorpsPakistan Army Armoured Corps, , is an active military administrative combatant branch of Pakistan Army, tasked with the armoured warfare...
. He is a confident, ambitious man - a Mr. Perfect who is well-built, good looking and wealthy to go along with his excellent academic record. He owns his own Mercedes, a Black C180Mercedes-Benz C-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a compact executive car produced by the Mercedes-Benz division of Daimler AG. First introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 range , the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's lineup until the 1997 arrival of the A-Class...
. Ahmad, unlike his friends, was not assigned to any of the combat actions. He uses its resources to open a charity school for the special children with Shahnaz. As time passes, Ahmad was made a general officer (3-star rank) in the army.
- Kashif Kirmani (Captain Abdullah Mehmood): An active duty army captain and son of a senior Army officer, a two star Major-General, Kashif graduated from the 80th PMA Long CoursePakistan Military AcademyThe Pakistan Military Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service military academy. It is located at Kakul near Abbottabad in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan....
and belongs to the 32nd Cavalry Lahore of the Armoured CorpsPakistan Army Armoured CorpsPakistan Army Armoured Corps, , is an active military administrative combatant branch of Pakistan Army, tasked with the armoured warfare...
. He is a 3rd generation army officer who initially dislikes being in the Army, but later proves himself. He is the main character responsible for providing humor through his funny mischief. He is a first cousin to Shahnaaz, the series' leading female character. Captain Kashif Kirmani was stationed in the high-altitude mountains of Siachen Glacier and commanded a mountaineering unit there. Brig. Hashim observed an Indian Army's troop rotation further along Pakistan's border via an army helicopter, belonging to Pakistan Army Corps of Aviation. Captain Kashif Kirmani volunteered for the operation to divert the military movement made by the Indian Army, was and thoroughly briefed with the dangerous mission. Captain Kashif Kirmani and his companion , Fida Ahmed from SSG, was dropped off at a cold, unknown area, covered with heavy snow, where the team performs the mountaineering climb and stunts on a high-altitude cliff. During climbing Fida was hit by the firing of the Indian Army. Captain Kashif reaches the top alone before the Indian Army and killed the whole team of the Indian Army alone . However, an Indian Army soldier, the only one left during battle, succeeded in climbing to the top of the mountain but was intercepted by Captain Kashif Kirmani. After inquiring about his unit, Captain Kashif Kirmani decides to let the Indian army soldier go. Captain Kashif Kirmani tried to contact his commanding base but the communication is disabled due to a heavy snow storm. Captain Kashif Kirmani is eventually picked up by the Pakistan Army, after three days of being exposed in the snow storm, and was taken to a military hospital. There his shins and arms were amputated. Captain Kashif Kirmani received an honorary discharge but at his insistence to stay in the army, he was transferred to the Science and Technology Division of Pakistan Army. Captain Kashif Kirmani later learned about the fate of Captain Gulsher Khan, who went MIAMissing in actionMissing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
in Bosnia.
- Gulsher Khan (Captain M. Qasim Khan): a Captain in the army and son of a JCOJunior Commissioned OfficerJunior commissioned officer is a term describing a group of military ranks found in the Indian Army, Pakistan Army, Bangladesh Army and Nepal Army. Those soldiers holding JCO rank receive a commission from the President,...
, he graduated from the 80th PMA Long CoursePakistan Military AcademyThe Pakistan Military Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service military academy. It is located at Kakul near Abbottabad in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan....
and belonged to the 9th FF Battalion, Lahore of the FF RegimentFrontier Force RegimentFor Pakistan's Border Guard see: Frontier CorpsThe Frontier Force Regiment is one of six Infantry regiments in the Pakistan Army. At present, the regiment consists of 67 battalions and has its regimental depot at Abbottabad in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. For that reason Abbottabad is also known as Home of...
. Mild mannered, modest and humble, he married Shahnaz Sher and settled in a luxurious apartment. A few days after his marriage, Khan was sent to Bosnia on a U.N. peacekeeping mission. While a commanding officer of his company, Khan harbored and launched a number of rescue operations to protect Bosnian Muslims, held by the Serbian forces. There, he was among those who received a respectful reputation within the Bosnian community. He befriended a Bosnian woman who fell in love with him and asked him to marry her, which he refused. Khan witnessed the Serb forces' mass murder campaign while protecting the Bosnian Muslims, a mission that he was assigned to lead. In a reconnaissance military operation at an unknown place in Serbia, Khan and his unit was ambushed by the Serb forces. Both sides made contact and Khan's team tried to evade the battle which, however, was unsuccessful. Khan then tried to launch a counter-operation against the Serb forces. The long battle ended when his unit was brutally murdered by the Serbian forces. Khan was taken by the Serbs as POWPrisoner of warA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
. He was the only officer to be captured by the Serb forces and was given treatment. The Commanding base and the United Nations assumed that Khan' was also dead during this mission. Meanwhile, Khan tried to contact the UN Headquarters, proving the that he was still alive. After days of being captured and held, Khan attempted an escape from the hidden camp where he was held. The team of Serbs followed Khan, and quickly intercepted him before he reached a forest. After receiving orders, the Serbs opened fired on him and shot him in the head. Khan was buried in an unknown place, and was searched by the Serbs before being buried. One soldier found a torn 500 rupeesPakistani rupeeThe rupee is the currency of Pakistan. The issuance of the currency is controlled by the State Bank of Pakistan, the central bank of the country. The most commonly used symbol for the rupee is Rs, used on receipts when purchasing goods and services. In Pakistan, the rupee is referred to as the...
and examined it. While they departed, the soldier put the 500 rupee note on Khan's grave and gave it a final look while leaving with his unit.
- Shahnaaz Sher (Shahnaaz Khawaja): Sher is a niece of a retired Lieutenant-General and a Corps CommanderCorpsA corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
of IV CorpsIV Corps (Pakistan)The IV Corps is one of military administrative corps of Pakistan Army. Having established in 1965 after the Indo-Pakistani September War, it is currently stationed in Lahore, Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its current core commander is Lieutenant-General Rashad Mahmood.-History:The corps was formed...
. An educated woman, Sher is a Cambridge educated elementary school teacher of special children and has a very straightforward personality with her own philosophy of life. Bold and confident she is the love interest of Faraz, and is also first cousin of Kashif. She later married Captain Gulsher Khan. Sher visited Bosnia, with Kirmani and Faraz, to find Khan as he sent a letter to her proving he's still alive. She interviewed many of the Bosnian Muslims who were rescued by Khan. Sher also interviewed Khan's Bosnian friend who had once asked him to marry her. Unable to find Khan, Sher returned to Pakistan with Khan's friends. In the end, Sher's only son is also seen becoming an army officer, who graduates from Kakul Academy.