Begum Nawazish Ali

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Ali Saleem (Urdu: علی سلیم) is a Pakistani television artist who has shot to fame as the most famous television personality of the country by donning a silk sari and adopting the alter ego of a flirtatious widow hosting a chat show, called The Begum Nawazish Ali Show on Aaj TV. Posing controversial questions that most journalists routinely avoid, Pakistan's Dame Edna Everage tackles taboos as if they were routine matters. His mother, a former government official and his father, a polo-playing army officer, both applaud his success.

Contents

[edit] Childhood

Even as a child he used to fantasise about growing up to be a woman, he admits. "My friends all said that I am like a 60-year old woman. I am a woman in a man's body." Born biologically male, he frequently prayed to God to make him a girl.


[edit] Popularity of the show

Saleem is called "The Begum", which is an honorific title meaning "Lady". He has ruffled feathers in a country where, despite the existence of a marginalised group of transsexuals, called hijras, who perform at weddings and birth blessings, cross-dressing is generally frowned upon.

[edit] Opposition

Such is the popularity of The Late Night Show With Begum Nawazish Ali, that Pakistan's military leadership has threatened to take the programme off air. In addition, an online petition urges that Aaj TV cancel the show as it "goes against the very values that this society holds dear". [1]


[edit] External links

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