In the ongoing Karachi Theater Festival at Karachi Arts Council, “Theater Talk, Can Theater help Regain TV / Film lost glory?” Was organized at the Karachi Arts Council. Film-maker Nabeel Qureshi, Director Nadeem Baig, actor and director Yasir Hussain, senior actor Saifi Hassan, Ali Rizvi, and Mohsin Ali were the panelist whereas the talk was moderated by the leading journalist Rafay Mahmood.
Speaking on the topic, director Nabeel Qureshi said, “I have never done a TV drama. I used to do only promotions at the beginning of my career in 2004. I loved doing telefilms on TV but I didn’t get a chance, the things that were going on TV weren’t the stories I wanted to hear, I didn’t want to hear the stories that were already happening. I believe, people who studying acting should get the maximum chance”
Expressing his views through the discussion, actor, and director Yasir Hussain said that the struggle for survival has become difficult for the actor in the theater. This is the reason why people go on TV. We encourage good theater performers. But it needs to be strengthened economically.
Expressing his views on the occasion, writer Mohsin Ali said that theater plays the role of a bridge to go to TV and movies. Finding a good director is no less than a blessing, I work less but I do what the channel rejects firstly and later they own it and now you have a lot of freedom.
Director Ali Rizvi said that when he went abroad to study, he was excited that he would go abroad and change the world. The scripts that were available in the theater did not have much time to prepare and rehearsals took place for a week or two and then slowly he realized that this is a cycle on which the entire economical market has developed.
Director Nadeem Baig said that the channels that are needed nowadays if you are producing them, it is very good where you want to do something a little different, you have to do it very wisely so that it does not fail because when a different idea fails, it doesn’t get a second chance. Unfortunately, we producers, directors don’t create opportunities for theater artists that we should do.
Actor and director Saifi Hassan said that no producer has ever stopped me from doing something different. If the producer’s drama goes well, the producer is happy. He gets the money. He is selling it for a fixed money. If the drama does not go well, he does not get any extra money.
