Celebrities
Why Indians are Hooked to Pakistani Content? Yasir Hussain Answers
In a recent appearance on a popular chat show, acclaimed actor Yasir Hussain didn’t shy away from expressing his opinions about the state of Pakistani content in the entertainment industry, specifically addressing the quality of local dramas. The actor, known for his outspoken nature, continued to question the standard of work within the industry. “Is this what we call work? What kind of work do we have? An actor’s job is to act and to act well. It’s a field where actors strive to get recognition for their craft.”
Lack of Quality Work in Pakistani Content
Hussain expressed disappointment with the consistently poor quality of work in Pakistani TV dramas. “We are consistently being offered poor work. There’s only poor-quality work on TV. The dramas that become ‘hits,’ from what aspects are they good? The actor is shown a drama of 25 episodes but it runs on air for 40 episodes. Tell me, how could it be good then?” When the host pointed out the large fan following of Pakistani dramas, the Taxali Gate actor pinned it down to a lack of accessible alternatives.
Indian Audience Hooked Due to Lack of Alternatives
Hussain questioned, “Do you think everyone has Netflix in their homes?” before insisting that Indian appreciation for Pakistani content is largely driven by the lack of quality of their dramas. “Have you seen the kind of dramas India makes itself? The countries which have the worst dramas are surely watching ours but no one else aside from them is watching our TV. I don’t think our dramas are being watched by Koreans or Iranians,” the actor maintained. While language barriers could be one factor limiting the cross-border reach of Pakistani dramas, Hussain begged to differ. He stated, “The dramas we watch, we watch despite the language barriers. You go to the US, the UK, only the most despondent Pakistanis who have nothing to do there and who also want their children to learn to speak Urdu are watching our dramas.” Ending the interview, the actor dismissed what he called a “bubble” of people believing the world is fascinated by Pakistani dramas. “It’s a bubble [of people] who believe the whole world is watching our dramas. Where is the world watching us? Let’s face the facts.”