It’s like creative writers are barred from entering media houses: Mustansar Hussain Tarar

Famous Urdu writer, TV host looks back at contemporary content creation and its limitations
Entertainment Desk | November 02, 2020

Famous Urdu writer and TV personality Mustansar Hussain Tarar is a face synonymous with both Urdu travelogues and Pakistan television. His contribution to the language and Pakistani pop culture is both unparalleled and unique. Despite enjoying his fair share of glory and relevance, the writer who doesn’t frequent the screen anymore, has reasons for distancing himself. He feels creativity is dead and even the residue of literature has been funnelled down the gutter.  Tarar opened up about some hard-hitting topics relating to the media industry in a recent episode of Rafay Rashidi’s web talk-show.

“Things have drastically changed in the past 50 years because they had to change. While we should appreciate the improvements we must also be very skeptical about the places where the quality declined as a result of conscious decisions,” said Tarar.  

Speaking on the positive aspect of this change, Tarar was quick to highlight that now it is far easier for artists to sustain themselves.

 “The opening of private channels was a welcoming change as it led to more and better-earning opportunities. Even though I was affiliated with major shows back in the day, it was still not enough to run the kitchen.”

However, the economic growth of the media industry according to Tarar has taken a toll on the content that is produced. “Capitalism in its full form prioritises market expectations over quality and that is exactly what happened with TV,” said Tarar. “The return-on-investment is now the only criteria to decide the content, not the aesthetic.  But do I blame the stakeholders? Not really, because what you are witnessing is the culmination of the capitalist dream”.

Posted by Rafay Rashdi Productions on Thursday, October 29, 2020

In his criticism of the contemporary TV-drama industry, Tarar asserted that script writing is given the least importance. “There is no sign of literature. It’s like media houses have hired guards to ensure not a single creative writer enters their premises,” he quipped

At the same time, he admitted that if the acclaimed writers from before were to return they wouldn’t be able to write successful programming. 

 “Interestingly if they were to return their dramas would’ve flopped. If you see any senior writer today, their content hasn’t done well with the masses.  We, the so-called seniors, and I am saying so-called because we are aged not because we do things better, we are from our own era. We used to write according to our own actors,” he said.

On the positive change in dramas, Tarar noted that acting and direction have seen a drastic improvement. “Acting has vastly improved. I am not familiar with their background but it feels that they have gone to acting schools. The performances have indeed improved, and this has a lot to do with the new crop of performers being aware of what they are doing.”

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