Ignite 3.0: Laughing Along with Junaid Akram
Pakistani social media’s funniest guy gives life lessons to Nustians
NUST- On 24 March, 2017, the Nust Debating Society (NDS) conducted a session called “Ignite 3.0” to which popular comedian Junaid Akram was invited to address the audience with a motivational speech (with a few laughs) at the National Institution for Transportation (NIT) Seminar Hall.
Although the students arrived at the hall on time, Mr. Akram did not arrive until 3 pm. However, he made up for his tardiness by starting off with one of his signature funny stories: “I had just arrived at the Rawalpindi Daewoo station looking for the Careem cab that I ordered. While waiting, a bunch of taxi drivers were trying to offer me a ride. One particular driver was pretty eager to give me one. He said; ‘Bhai, aap ko kahan chorrna hai? Main app ko wahan lein jaaunga.’ I refused politely, telling him my car is just going to arrive. The next minute, he goes all like: ‘Soch le. Mehran hai mere paas!”
Mr. Akram kept the mood light with his jokes and anecdotes, speaking about his life and how, after many tribulations and trials, he managed to achieve the success that had earlier eluded him.
Born in Karachi, Mr. Akram had a hard time in his early years. He worked in numerous jobs after completing high school and for some time, he had to go through very tough obstacles. It was when he went to Dubai, however, that he began to consider becoming a stand-up comedian, and started posting his funny videos on social media.
“I was never really into the 9-to-5 job. But I had to hide it from my family for 5 years. When I revealed what I did, my mother didn’t seem too pleased. Questioned my sanity the first thing!”
But he never gave up in his quest for success, giving the students a very valuable motto that he lives by – “Yours troubles are only temporary. They will all pass eventually.”
During his seminar, Mr Akram also encouraged the students to think critically about social issues, and develop themselves as thinking, feeling, empathic human beings.
“It was a full house” said Ali Osja, the event’s co-head. “Lots of people sat on the stairs. He had a very good opinion about Nustians in general and he loved Islamabad as well. We were a good enough reason for him to come here, in his own words.”
“He was pretty funny about the things we dislike about our society. His life lessons were pretty good, too,” says Aysha Mati, who attended this event.
However, unfortunately Mr. Akram had to leave an hour before he intended, which some audience members disgruntled.
“He came late and left early,” says a rather surly engineer student. “We waited for him for a long time. He came late, so he could have stayed back a little longer.”
However, Mr. Ojsa believes the event was a success. He even said that there will be another session of this kind. The speaker will be somebody else, though, but that person will be equally good as Mr. Akram.
Edited by Shehzil Zahid.
