Pakistani dramas have built a loyal audience beyond the country's borders, but their limited presence on major international streaming platforms remains a subject of debate. For actor and producer Humayun Saeed, the reason may have less to do with the quality of local productions and more to do with the way Pakistani stories are told.
Speaking in an interview with Ali Salman, published on Monday, Saeed offered his perspective on why Pakistani dramas have yet to secure a stronger foothold on platforms such as Netflix. He suggested that the industry's traditional storytelling techniques differ considerably from the kind of content that global OTT services typically seek.
“Our dramas have a unique style of their own. [Our] writing has a style of its own,” Saeed explained, pointing to the way dialogue is written and delivered in Urdu. He noted that the language brings its own rhythm and performance style, which may not always fit the expectations of international streaming platforms.
He described OTT content as edgy and different, admitting that the Pakistani industry has not been particularly successful in producing that kind of material on a wider scale. However, he was careful to distinguish between the industry's overall capabilities and the opportunities available to its creators.
According to the producer, there are people in Pakistan who understand how to develop stories suited to streaming platforms. The problem, he suggested, is that the country lacks suitable platforms to support such work and give it the space to grow.
Why Pakistan Needs Its Own OTT Platform
The conversation eventually turned to Netflix and Pakistan's absence from the global streaming giant's market. Saeed acknowledged that political considerations could be among the factors behind the situation, although he did not expand on the point.
Rather than relying entirely on international companies to open their doors, he believes Pakistan should first focus on building its own streaming infrastructure. A domestic OTT platform, he suggested, could give local filmmakers and writers an opportunity to experiment with different storytelling formats while helping the industry develop content that appeals to wider audiences.
