In a recent interview with Something Haute’s Aamna Haider Isani, renowned Pakistani actor Yasir Hussain didn’t hold back in criticizing the quality of dramas produced in the country, attributing their lack of appeal to foreign audiences to subpar content.
Hussain highlighted the discrepancy between the Pakistani and Indian drama industries, asserting that Indian dramas were “incredibly terrible” and that Pakistani productions were perceived as superior by Indian viewers. He humorously imitated the exaggerated sound effects commonly found in Indian serials to emphasize his point.
Addressing the reach of Pakistani dramas, Hussain expressed disappointment that countries like Korea and Iran were not consuming Pakistani television content. Despite suggestions of language barriers hindering international viewership, Hussain countered by noting that Pakistani audiences readily consumed content in languages foreign to them, citing the popularity of Turkish, Korean, Iranian, and English productions.
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According to Hussain, the lack of quality in Pakistani dramas is evident in their failure to captivate broader audiences, with only expatriate Pakistanis in countries like America and England, along with those trying to educate their children in Urdu, being the primary viewership.
Furthermore, Hussain critiqued the industry’s tendency to elongate storylines unnecessarily, resulting in substandard content. He emphasized the detrimental effect of stretching a 25-episode script into 40 episodes, questioning how such shows could be deemed successful.
Acknowledging his role as a prominent figure in the industry, Hussain stressed the importance of self-reflection and improvement within the Pakistani drama scene. While he maintains the right to critique the industry, given his multifaceted involvement as a screenwriter, actor, director, and playwright, Hussain also bears the responsibility of contributing positively to its development.
Yasir Hussain’s critique serves as a call to action for the Pakistani drama industry to elevate its standards and produce content that resonates both locally and internationally. With his influence and platform, it is hoped that Hussain will actively work towards fostering positive change within the industry, ultimately leading to the creation of compelling and high-quality dramas.