Where heroes aren’t respected, they aren’t born: Sohail Ahmad

Veteran actor and satirist Sohail Ahmad has made a reputation for himself with his blunt critique of the powers that be, especially when it comes to issues pertaining to arts and culture. In a recent session at the 13th Global Urdu Conference organised by Arts Council Karachi, the Hasb -e-Haal performer lambasted the government’s treatment of artists in the country.

Giving the example of the UK government’s generous financial assistance plan for artists losing out on work due to of covid-19 restrictions, Ahmad stressed that great artists are produced in societies that value art. “When Covid-19 started, I read in the news that the UK Government had pledged around £160 million to be distributed among British artists since they won’t be able to work due to the pandemic. Nations that are alive do this,” he said.

“Those societies that respect their heroes are the ones that give birth to them. In places where heroes aren’t respected, they aren’t born. When something doesn’t hold value in your house, how do you expect it to be there? If I borrow your car and return it to you in a terrible condition, you might not express anger towards me but would never lend it to me again”

Ahmad pointed out that idols are created by the collective effort of society. “Heroes are a gift from God. If you don’t take care of them, don’t love them, then Allah will stop bestowing this gift. Even if you look at it psychologically, when you idolise someone, you do so on the basis of that person’s value in the eyes of everyone else and the government,” he explained.

Giving his own example, Ahmad revealed that he became interested in acting after watching those before him attain a certain amount of respect. “I was doing my graduation at Government College Gujranwala and the moment where I felt a craze was when Muhammad Ali visited. Seeing how the whole college was following him…it was then that I decided that I wanted to be an actor.”

While he continued to stress that the government should up its efforts in helping the artists of the nation, Ahmad also believes that there is a role artists themselves should play in this regard. “In our country, whenever an actor or anyone else becomes a public figure, they don’t realise that they have become a product. In other countries, when actors reach a certain level of fame, they immediately begin to market themselves as a product. There are countless examples of this all over the world,” he said.

Elaborating on this further, the icon lamented the fact that even a legendary singer like Noor Jehan ended up in financial troubles during her later life. “It pains me a lot that Noor Jehan had to sell her house in order to meet her medical bills. Her house was situated at one of the most expensive plots in the country. This is a huge slap on our face,” he said.

Concluding the topic, Ahmad said that the authorities should at the very least introduce laws that ensure that artists are not exploited. “I am not saying that you make extra efforts to help artists. But at least give them what is rightly owe,” he said.

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