Hasan plays Major Asad’s father, General sahab, in Maalik. PHOTOs: FILE
Talking to The Express Tribune, the actor criticised the government and said banning movies is never the solution. While most of the film’s cast and crew members were seen at protests and media conferences following the government decision to take the film down, Hasan was nowhere to be seen in all these weeks. However, he clarified that he stands against the government decision in principle and his prior commitments kept him occupied all this while.
“The film was a piece of fiction,” said the veteran actor. “I played a small part in it. Banning sparks more curiosity. It is not conducive for our future generations. Freedom of expression should not be compromised at any cost.”
'Maalik' banned across Pakistan
Citing examples of similar films that are made across the border in Bollywood and in the United States, he said no government bans them. “I don’t see why they [Pakistani government] should,” he added.
Foraying into the film industry came as an afterthought to the TV personality. Hasan said that he has a very distinct taste when it comes to movies and spoke about how the Pakistani cinema is faring today. “People are interested in watching good films. Those who are making films are interested in the returns on investment. The way Pakistani films are being made today … this should have happened years ago but we never learn from our mistakes.”
He added that money in our industry does dictate most of what happens but the fact that films are being made once again, is still promising. He also highlighted a few things that film-makers still need to work on. “The basic thing is practice. Plus, a professional who specialises in making advertisements should ideally stick to that [his trade] instead of switching to film-making. There should be more to our movies than just visual stimulation; I certainly hope this evolves with time.”
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The actor is all for promoting Pakistani talent and establishing platforms to portray local culture. He noted that certain TV channels have been giving a lot of airtime to Indian soap operas that ultimately get more viewership than Pakistani dramas. “Indian dramas are televised more which I believe is not good for our own industry,” he said, adding, “I am not against it but I personally feel there should be a level playing field because in the long run, I see Pakistani actors, writers, producers and directors suffering the most.”
Hasan has also recently worked on singer Farhan Saeed’s latest music video titled Koi Rokay Na Mujhe, essaying a negative role as he had previously done in Ali Azmat’s Deewana. “Farhan Saeed sought me out for this project and I loved doing it,” he explained. “I hope the video does well. I am more than willing to do more music videos.”
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2016.
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