Actor Shaan Shahid was unreserved in a recent television interview, criticizing a prevailing culture of complacency and insular networks that, in his view, has limited the growth of Pakistani cinema.
"Everyone is very good in their own areas. Some are strong in rom-coms, some in films, some in dramas and shows—they all have their own complete package. In my opinion, most actors prefer to stay in their own comfort zones and they like to live in their own Disney World," Shaan stated. He argued that this mindset prevents artistic growth, adding, "They don’t want to challenge their craft. When you work with another actor, you have to challenge your own craft."
He did not stop there. Shaan went on to highlight how the writing community in Pakistan’s film industry operates in a similarly self-contained way, with projects rarely moving beyond familiar circles.
“The people who write these films usually write only for their own circle,” he said. “Most rom-coms and comedy films are created within the same groups, they write together, produce together, and take these films to 80, 90, or even 100 crore.”
Shaan was quick to clarify that he holds no grudge against the model, but argued it creates an artificial economic structure within the industry.
“That’s fine, I’m not against it,” he said. “But it feels like they’ve created a kind of artificial balance or economy. You can clearly see it. For example, if a film like Bhulla is made on a budget of 7 crore and earns 26 crore, it can lead to 10 to 15 new films being made. But when a big hit like Maula Jatt happens, no wave of new films follows. Even if Karachi-based films do well, it doesn’t lead to more films starting in Punjab,” he said.
He also pointed to ballooning production budgets as a growing problem, laying much of the blame on the crossover of TV and commercial directors into cinema.
