Intense competition in games, changing relationships inside the house, difficult challenges and the hope of winning until the very last moment! In the fifth season of Pakistan’s popular reality show Tamasha, film actor Babrik Shah delivered an outstanding performance and won the trophy.

Broadcast on ARY Digital, the show saw Babrik Shah’s victory bring a new reason to celebrate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Esra Ayesha finished as the runner-up. This marked the second time the Tamasha trophy went to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, once again drawing viewers’ attention to the abilities of Pashtun contestants.

Babrik Shah’s victory is not just the success of an individual contestant but also part of a broader discussion about how Pashtuns are represented on Pakistan’s major entertainment platforms. Pakistani dramas and entertainment content have often faced criticism for restricting Pashtun characters to specific traditional or negative roles.

On Tamasha, Pashtun contestants showcased different aspects of their personalities through games, conversations, poetry, humour and their interactions with others. This gave viewers an opportunity to see the abilities and individual personalities associated with Pashtun identity more closely.

ARY Digital provided contestants from different regions and professional backgrounds with an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities on a shared platform through Tamasha. A total of 18 contestants participated in the fifth season, living together in one house while facing physical and mental games, nominations and various challenges.

These competitions required not only physical strength but also quick thinking, patience, strategy and the ability to manage relationships with fellow contestants.

This season, Babrik Shah, Dr Zee Khan, Esra Ayesha, Hamza Johar and Zaib Khan, all from Pashtun backgrounds, made their presence felt. Among them, Babrik Shah, Dr Zee Khan and Esra Ayesha reached the final six contestants. Their participation highlighted Pashtun representation on the show, with all three attracting viewers’ attention in their own ways.

Babrik Shah demonstrated his abilities in several challenging games throughout the competition. He faced tough contests inside the Tamasha house and succeeded in several difficult challenges. 

One of his notable achievements was a challenge in which he had to retrieve a Tamasha card frozen inside a large block of ice by melting the ice to reach it. For this reason, Babrik Shah received the Best Player award for Tamasha Season 5. His performance in challenging games and strategic tasks helped him reach the final and ultimately win the competition.

However, Babrik Shah’s popularity was not based solely on his performance in the games. He was also seen encouraging fellow contestants, offering them advice and bringing life to gatherings through his poetry and conversations.

His positive attitude and good behaviour towards others also attracted viewers’ attention. As a result, fans gave him the title of “the player of hearts”, while some viewers described him as the life of the Tamasha house.

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His personality demonstrated that winning viewers’ support in a reality show is not just about winning games but also about one’s behaviour and conversations with others.

Dr Zee Khan won viewers over with his distinctive style and humorous conversations. His popularity earned him the Best Entertainer award for Tamasha Season 5.

His connection with his Pashtun identity and his presence on the show made him stand out among fans. Meanwhile, Esra Ayesha also demonstrated her abilities throughout the competition and reached the final.

Esra Ayesha’s journey to the final alongside Babrik Shah was among the season’s significant moments. Babrik Shah won the trophy, while Esra Ayesha finished as the runner-up.

The strong presence of Pashtun contestants also brought back memories of the fourth season of Tamasha, which was won by Saif Ali Khan.

Saif Ali Khan, who belongs to Peshawar, was also admired by fans for his performance, his approach to the games and his interest in Pashto music. His popularity extended to fans living outside Pakistan as well.

The achievements of Saif Ali Khan and Babrik Shah gave viewers an opportunity to see Pashtun contestants through the lens of their individual abilities, personalities and performances.

In this way, Tamasha provided people from Pashtun society with a place on an entertainment platform where they could connect with viewers through their personalities and abilities, without a predetermined script.

At the grand finale held on October 10, Babrik Shah won the prize money of Rs4.7 million, while Esra Ayesha finished in second place. His victory, Dr Zee Khan’s popularity and Esra Ayesha’s journey to the final highlighted the presence of Pashtun contestants in the fifth season.

According to some viewers, ARY Digital provided an important platform through Tamasha to showcase the positive aspects of Pashtun identity, allowing audiences to see Pashtuns through a range of abilities, behaviours and personalities.

Babrik Shah’s victory is the outcome of an entertainment competition, but the question of representation associated with it is also significant. When major national platforms give people from different regions and cultures opportunities to showcase their abilities, viewers get to see different aspects of their personalities.

Pashtun contestants achieved this opportunity through their participation and performances in this season of Tamasha. The important question now is whether Pakistan’s entertainment industry will expand this representation further and continue to provide Pashtun and other artists with opportunities to portray diverse characters and appear on major platforms.