We should not encourage gluttony and greed: Omair Rana finds game shows in Ramazan ‘distasteful’

Actor insists that content aired during the holy month has some relevance

Renowned Pakistani actor Omair Rana, known for his performances in various television dramas such as Pyar Kay Sadqay and Sang-e-Mah, recently voiced his concerns about the content aired during the month of Ramazan, particularly criticising game shows for promoting values inconsistent with the spirit of the month.

In an interview on a YouTube talk show, Omair expressed his displeasure with Ramazan game shows, stating, “I do have a distasteful aftertaste of the game shows or certain things about the game shows that have happened in Ramazan.” 

Delving into the particular nature of the content, he elaborated, “I think we have pushed a little anti-Ramazan spirit in those. That used to pinch me that don’t do this. That we should not encourage gluttony and greed, instead, we should talk about humility and empathy.”

The actor, who is set to grace the small screen with his first Ramazan drama Chand Nagar, stressed that this genre of content should have some relevance to the month. “It’s not taking away from the [drama’s] humour because humour has become a genre here and I am glad that we can do good comedy but somewhere, subliminally, contextually, there must be a Ramazan element and relevance.”

Entering television after a long familiarity with theatre, Omair has frequently put forward his two cents on storytelling. “It’s because of our expansive journey becoming actors, we have that respect for our craft, for literature, for adab. So, when we get a role that isn’t written nicely or researched properly, we feel that they’re disrespecting literature itself,” the actor acknowledged the wisdom he has acquired from this theatre training in a 2022 interview with host and actor Ahsan Khan. 

“At times, it has also happened that I’ve committed to a show and then when the character unfolds, it’s not what was communicated. And then all I can think of is where did I get myself stuck,” Omair divulged. “However, so far I’ve had directors and crew that have managed to make arrangements and adaptations accordingly.”

Upon what should be there in characters, he named three things. “A character’s arc, the character’s wants, and what does the character contribute to the show.”

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