In a heartwarming display of cross-border friendship, Indian comedian Johnny Lever heaped praise upon Pakistani actor and host Imran Ashraf, best known for hosting his comedy talk show Mazaq Raat.
“Imran Bhai, Mazaq Raat – you have done something amazing here!” begins Lever in a video shared by Ashraf himself on Instagram. Lever can be seen grinning from ear to ear, looking visibly impressed as he begins his take on Ashraf’s versatility and skills as a host.
“I’ve already complimented you on your dramas before and you are brilliant in them all, but this show is something else altogether!” continued Lever as he listed his favourite drama performances by the actor.
Peppering Ashraf with more compliments as he turned to discuss the comedy chat show, Lever added, “When it comes to Mazaq Raat, I was blown away. Anchoring is no easy task! You keep everyone engaged, and your presentation is remarkable. And you are musical as well!”
Complimenting the entire team on the show, Lever also highlighted Ashraf’s skills as a show in particular. “Your connection with the audience is amazing! You encourage them so well, and you get so much out of your guests! Your show Mazaq Raat is just wonderful, and I salute you and your team! God bless you, and thank you.”
Lever’s words of appreciation did not go unnoticed, with Ashraf taking to social media to boast that Lever’s praise was the highest award he could ever hope to be given. Posting Lever’s video on his Instagram handle, Ashraf captioned (in Roman Urdu), “This is the biggest award. The king of characters, Johnny Lever sahib. Love you.”
Adding that Lever’s video had inspired him further, Ashraf finished his caption with, “Because of this appreciation of yours, I will work even harder.”
Ashraf’s followers were quick to add their own words of appreciation, with one commenter noting, “Who better to comment on Mazaq Raat than the king of mazaaq!”
The ego-free interaction between the two actors serves as a poignant reminder that cross-border appreciation is alive and healthy. Widely recognised for his natural wit, Lever made his breakthrough in Indian cinema with Baazigar (1994) and has appeared in comedic roles throughout his career with more than 300 films to his name.
Ashraf, meanwhile, is best known to viewers as the host of Mazaq Raat, and was most recently seen in the film Kattar Karachi (2024). He is also slated to appear in the upcoming Punjabi film Enna Nu Rehna Sehna Nai Aunda, a comedy depicting the problems of international students.
