Jasim Abbas, 29, is now an established film director in Pakistan and believes he is still struggling to make it in the entertainment industry. The constant unethical practices of nepotism often lead people with strong ties to walk in the door, but for Jassim, the struggle was real, and it continues to this day. and adolescence in the UK, Jassim returned to Pakistan, determined to express his creativity through storytelling, but all he experienced was rejection.
“fact [is] In Pakistan, if you are an actor, a producer or a director, if you try to come up with a new idea or try to make some changes, all you face is rejection,” Abbas said. image.
Luckily, hard work and consistency have landed him some decent projects. He has directed popular dramas such as Yeh Ishq Samajh Na Aaye Starring Zanish Khan, Mikal Zulfiqar and Sheroze Sabwari. dill e benum for Owl Life TVHe recently wrapped a new drama Rafta Rafta You have three projects in your pipeline. green entertainment, express entertainment When A plus.
According to Abbas, the hardest part was getting his first big break as a manager. “No one is going to give you a big break,” he said. He believes part of this shortcoming is that Abbas does not recognize any qualifications or qualifications by the head of the channel, even with his 2018 master’s degree in filmmaking from the University of Westminster in London. I’m here.
“In Pakistan nobody cares what you do. Nobody! They are the only [TV channels] Ask who they are related to and where they are from. For a new actor, producer, director, or anyone in the show business, it can be very difficult to earn your spot. “
Nepotism is a deep-rooted problem, especially in the Pakistani entertainment industry, and actors with strong ties justify it by claiming that nepotism is also prevalent in other areas. However, Pakistan’s entertainment industry in particular is filled with established actors such as Rubina Ashraf, Javed Sheikh, Bhushra Ansari, Asif Raza Mir, Saba Hameed, Nauman Ijaz and Zeba Bakhtiar. The forefront of TV planning. Humayun He is even Said’s younger brother involved in acting. Nepotism leaves little room for emerging talent to shine and thrive in the fierce entertainment business.
“If you have relatives or are related to khans in the industry, that’s how you take a break! It’s the best way to enter.
The 29-year-old director has revealed that casting for projects often takes place at high-end parties made up of big names in the industry. .
He believes that regardless of talent, actors are cast in projects because they are backed by strong names. “We have a monopoly of three to four big production companies that just want to work with hand-picked actors. They don’t care who they’re casting,” he claimed.
“Such individuals are the sons and daughters of powerful celebrities, so it’s easier for them to land leading roles. Can’t you see what’s going on in Geo Entertainment, Ally Digital When humming tv? Same lobby system.? The downside is that they suffer like us and are easily overshadowed by these people.
He shared that people in the industry will shut you out if you try to talk openly about nepotism. ”
According to Abbas, channel heads observe celebrities’ Instagram followers and social media engagement and make calculated decisions accordingly to cast them in key roles. These actors are classified into A, B, and C grade actors. According to him, characters are assigned based on these categories. “When he claimed the role wasn’t right for the actor, the head of the channel said, ‘Can you tell me? We have to look at the market value. You just stand there and be quiet.’ ‘ he said.
“You have to sacrifice creativity for them.” The director also revealed that channel heads will review and provide feedback after filming the pilot episode. “They would call and say, why did he give a new actor one minute of screen time? Nobody wants to see new talent. Everybody wants to see big stars on screen.” I think,” he said.
“If you try to pitch a new artist to a channel head, they will respond by saying they have no market value.” If the channel refuses to give newcomers a chance, how will they grow as artists? And, he believes, certain channels reserve good roles for established actors who leave new artists on the sidelines.
Abbas recalls that it was difficult to arrange a meeting or even get in touch with hydrographic officials. Once he did, he discussed his novel ideas and they appreciated his thought process, but senior actors told him they didn’t want to work with a novice like him. .
Many Pakistani actors want to work with more established directors, so they completely deny the quality and demands of the script. It’s the bigger names that are on the rise,” Abbas says channel officials would tell him. Nevertheless, they experience severe rejection.
“We need bigger names as writers, cast members and directors. If you were to direct, who would your cast be?” .
He also argued that well-known actors would work with new directors only for the money, not the creativity. He said he would charge the amount, and A-list celebrities told him he was working on his project just for the money.
The Islamabad-based director revealed an insight into another pressing issue facing the Pakistani entertainment industry: casting couches. Silence rather than action may be what makes this practice so prevalent. “I’ve seen celebrities in the industry asking actors for so-called ‘favorites’ in exchange for bigger roles,” commented Abbas.
In showbiz like Pakistan, it is important to socialize and network at events and parties. Abbas not interacting with these people put him at a more disadvantage as a novice director. “A lot of my friends in the industry told me that I wouldn’t get a good job from a channel head if I didn’t party, smoke and drink with them,” he said.
Abbas was fairly new to the industry at the time, so he decided to attend the party to see how things were going. “We can do this favor for each other,” Abbas said in the words of an unnamed woman who approached him at the party. But in return, let me take on the role of main or second lead on your project,” she said.
Many young actors also attended the party, seeking work from filmmakers, directors and producers. Abbas said he openly accepted an invitation to spend the night with them in exchange for a role. “I said okay, but I’m not going to go and ask people for a job.”
Abbas was committed to his work ethic and personal beliefs that helped him grow steadily in the industry. If you like, I got a call from Pakistan to work on a project which is his debut drama. R&WafaRecently, Abbas has worked with a number of artists who foresaw a change in the industry and understood what it was all about. “If the A-Star writers aren’t together, they [the channels] I don’t even talk to you
Pakistan’s drama industry is lagging behind precisely for this reason. Established writers call the shots, and their stories eventually become television “gold.” Written by ace writers, these scripts repurpose monotonous stories about the struggle of the Pakistani television industry to grow.
According to Abbas, channel heads are still stuck at a point debating who gets the most attention on the drama’s poster.
“A fair-skinned actress gets the lead role, and a darker-skinned artist gets the second lead role. he asked.
While working abroad, Abbas felt that actors were treated as actors. “In Pakistan, if the call time is 11am, an A-list actor will arrive at 3pm. No professionalism or anything. But why? “
Pakistan’s entertainment industry will remain stagnant unless these ingrained practices are permanently halted. But with new channels and a new team, Abbas hopes things will turn around.
