Why not original Pakistani dramas and movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime?

BBC News

 December 18, 2021

There was a time when the streets became deserted at night as soon as PTV dramas like 'Waris' started.

The dialogues, stories and actors of such dramas used to captivate the people. But then there was only one channel in Pakistan and it was the only drama of the day.

And today there are over a dozen Pakistani entertainment channels with twenty to thirty daily dramas.

Then, instead of changing time and television dramas, young people started watching movies and dramas on web platforms (or OTT services) like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Probably this is the reason why the series that Pakistanis searched the most on Google this year was not a Pakistani drama or film but Netflix series 'Squid Game' made in South Korea.

If a Pakistani turns to Netflix or Amazon Prime, he can find dramas and movies from all over the world. Just desolation in the box of Pakistan. What is there is either old or not original content.

There are some good dramas from Pakistani channel Hum TV on Nick Flix but there is no Pakistani drama or movie made by Netflix. Which begs the question, why is that?

Actress Sarwat Gilani says that actors, directors and writers have more freedom in web series

"We do not have freedom like India."

Some people think that just because dramas and movies are good doesn't mean they're available for streaming on Netflix or Amazon. Well known director and founder of Hum TV Sultana Siddiqui says that Pakistani dramas have the potential to compete with the content available on Netflix.

"Life is a flower on Netflix," she says. Which means people love watching Pakistani dramas. I think people will love TV dramas these days, such as 'Fairy Tales' and 'Where We Were True', if they were on Netflix.

But in Sultana Siddiqui's opinion, there are other reasons why big platforms like Netflix do not create Pakistani content.

They think we can't make bold plays, but the problem is the restrictions on us. We made 'Udari' on the topic of child sexual abuse which was appreciated all over the world but I received a letter from PEMRA. We talk about competition with Indian dramas and films but we do not have the same freedom.

Pakistani actress Sarwat Gilani has not only acted in TV dramas but also recently appeared in the lead role in the popular OTT platform Zee Five's popular Pakistani web series 'Sparrows'.

She believes that in a web series, actors, directors and writers have more freedom.

You can talk about any of the topics in the web series that are considered inappropriate to talk about. In addition, the actor has more freedom to act.

In the near future, another series of Sarwat, 'Killer of beautiful beauties' is also going to be released on Zee Five.

He says it was too late for Pakistan to realize that its content should also be on platforms like Netflix. Many Pakistani actors, directors and others are part of these productions, even though the material is not Pakistani."

India is far ahead of us in that respect. They started delivering their content at the right time to a place where more and more people around the world could see it. But Pakistan is also working on it now. And Pakistan is building a good web series. "

According to Anwar Maqsood, the situation is the same in our country as it is in our dramas

Looks like the same drama is playing on every channel"

For decades, Anwar Maqsood presented the harsh political and social realities to the people with a touch of humor and received much acclaim. But his pen has been silent for a long time now. He says in his traditional way, "There are so many plays happening in the country, so why do I need to write plays."

Anwar Maqsood believes that the reason for the declining quality of drama in Pakistan is the proliferation of channels and dramas.

Where will so many actors come from for so many dramas? When you switch channels, it looks like the same drama is playing on the channel. The actors are all the same, even the bedsheets sold on the beds are often the same.

According to Anwar Maqsood, many actors and directors in Pakistan are doing a great job. The problem is with good scripts. Have a good dialogue. Nowadays, the conversation that takes place on mobile at home, is written in the script as a dialogue in the script.

He says that drama reflects the situation in your country. Just as the situation is in our country, so is the situation in our dramas."

But Madiha Saeed, who has been involved in entertainment journalism for 16 years, says there are other reasons why there is no Pakistani content on Netflix.

If you pick up any Pakistani drama or film and watch a Netflix series, the difference is obvious. The problem is not just the good story or the acting. There are also technical issues, such as sound and video quality. "

According to Madiha, another important reason is the Pakistani market.

Even today, most Pakistanis watch dramas on TV and the number of Pakistanis watching content on Netflix is   much less than the rest of the world. Netflix has around 180 million users worldwide, compared to just 100,000 in Pakistan. Pakistan ranks last among the last two countries in Asia Pacific in terms of access to smartphones and internet. So we are not as big a market for Netflix as India or Korea. "

Madiha says that despite having so few Netflix subscribers in Pakistan, Netflix earns Rs. Will go