Coca-Cola partners with Mehreen Jabbar for a sitcom

Karachi, November 01, 2012: Coca-Cola Pakistan and internationally renowned director Mehreen Jabbar, have partnered to produce a creative 13 episode sitcom for television, based on an important social message. The series promote the value of shared meals with family and friends, with this unique initiative being a part of Coca-Cola’s larger Coke & Meal campaign. The primary objective of the campaign and of the sitcom, appropriately titled Coke Kahani, is to rejuvenate the spirit of shared meals; building on how the simple act of eating together, rather than by oneself, serves to strengthen bonds, encourages sharing and caring, and instills a ‘live positively’ attitude towards life in people. The first episode will be aired on Saturday, November 03, 2012 on Pakistan’s eminent entertainment channels.

“Coke Kahani” has been directed by one of Pakistan’s leading female directors, Mehreen Jabbar, and has been produced by Adeel Farhan. The script has been written by the notable writer, Syed Muhammed Ahmed. Adding further weight to the sitcom is a cast of leading actors like Faisal Rahman, Syra Yosuf, Yasir Hussain and Sonia Rehman. The distinctive feature of the sitcom is its sophisticated cinematography; the colors, framing, lighting and especially Mehreen’s talent of illustrating stories within stories by employing the narrative style of diegesis. The sitcom explores the complexity of modernity and the paradigm shift in family and friends relations with regard to personal interaction. The sitcom being light-hearted in nature will aim to revive the spirit of eating together with family members and with friends, by weaving in the narrative; the importance of meal time conversation.

Speaking about this creative initiative, Rizwan U. Khan, General Manager, Coca-Cola Pakistan and Afghanistan stated: “Family is the bedrock of society, and family meals eaten together is the binding force that keeps the bedrock strong over time; this is what Coca-Cola believes and as a socially responsible corporate entity, we decided to take this message to the people in an entertaining way through Coke Kahani, in partnership with a really talented young director, Mehreen Jabbar who has already proved her mettle both nationally and internationally.”

The sitcom has been developed by MCONTENT (Pvt) Ltd. Like Coca-Cola, Mehreen too believes in the power of shared meals with family and friends; eating together gives a sense of identity, resolves internal conflicts and tension, and most importantly, gives family members precious moments and memories that stay forever.

Mehreen is a noted Pakistani filmmaker and television director/producer. Her full-length debut film Ram Chand Pakistani won the FIPRESCI PRIZE from the International Federation of Film Critics and received Honorable Mention by the 13th Annual Satyajit Ray Awards at the London Film Festival, 2008. Her drama serials have also received numerous national awards.