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KARACHI- Popular comedian and the host of Geo TV’s entertainment show Hansna Mana Hai, Tabish Hashmi, surprised the audience by disclosing an unexpected and humorous detail about his own name in a recent episode featuring an actor and director Ehtesham-ud-din.

The episode opened by Hashmi’s introduction of his guest, which was promptly corrected by Ehtesham-ud-din as he revealed that his generally known name is actually an abbreviation. “My full name isn’t ‘Muhammad Ehtesham-ud-din’,” he revealed and explained that his family, from Hyderabad Deccan, has a tradition for naming a child with two names — one to be used in official documents and the other when living among the family. “At home, everyone calls me Athar Pasha,” he said, prompting laughter in the audience.

Responding to the revelation, Tabish Hashmi joined in with his own anecdote of carrying two names since childhood-a fact he had “never shared publicly before”. He told viewers that his official and more commonly used name is Tabish Ahmed Hashmi, which is the name on his national identity card and the one his family uses at home.

He said he was also given another name at birth: Fakhr-ul-Aslam Hashmi. With his signature comedic timing, Hashmi joked, “My family later decided that neither Islam would be proud of this name, nor would we. So they changed it.”

The moment elicited enthusiastic responses from the studio audience and reflected a low-key, casual quality that has made Hansna Mana Hai a hit with entertainment programming. The show is known for its laid-back setting and comedic exchanges, often depicting candid conversations highlighting lesser-known facts about celebrities.

Hashmi, who recently took over prime time from Shahzeb Khanzada during a special segment broadcast, has grown into one of the most widely admired hosts for blending stand-up comedy with impromptu interviews. His ease on air helped him get impressive guests from drama, film, media, and politics. Ehteshamuddin’s feature focused on his work as a director and actor, but the light-hearted discussion that revolved around naming turned out to be one of the main highlights of the show and sent netizens, who understand South Asian naming traditions, into overdrive. Social media clips from the exchange started going viral shortly after the episode aired; many fans were amused by Hashmi’s witty reveal.

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