Don't like it? Don't watch it

In a recent interview on Gup Shup with Fuchsia, actors Khushhal Khan and Ramsha Khan sat down for a candid chat to discuss their upcoming action-packed drama DuniyaPur. In his recent comments regarding the criticism of explicit scenes and violence in television dramas, Khushhal took a firm stance: if you don't like it, don't watch it.

His point comes amid the buzz surrounding DuniyaPur which has been criticised for its high levels of violence, with many questioning the need for such graphic content on screen. Yet, for Khushhal, the outrage seems misdirected, particularly at a time when viewers have unprecedented control over what they consume.

"The thing is, you can say that something is very explicit and there's a lot of killing," he said, acknowledging the concerns that have been swirling. "Now that everyone's watching it, people who haven't yet watched are being told about what's in it. So, kids who are underage shouldn't watch it. If it's explicit and someone is sensitive to that kind of stuff, that's okay, don't watch it."

The abundance of content available today means viewers have more options than ever before, and rather than spending time critiquing what one dislikes, there's always the option to simply switch off. "If I had a problem with something I would not watch it, but I wouldn't crab about it either," he added, directly addressing those who feel the need to vocalise their discomfort rather than opting out.

Khushhal also highlighted the importance of discernment. "I'm sensible enough to know that I don't want to watch something if it's making me feel a certain type of way," he said. The implication here is that viewers should be able to recognise what content aligns with their personal boundaries and adjust their viewing habits accordingly.

"There's a lot of content out there and we have easy access to all of it. I wouldn't want to watch all of it," he said, making it clear that the responsibility lies with the individual to curate their own media consumption. He believes that just as he is selective, others should be as well. "If they're sensible enough they can judge it by the trailer and the teaser and choose for themselves."

Moving on to the topic of co-star chemistry, the pair revealed that in order to get into the heads of their characters, both were clear on one thing: reading the script together to bash ideas off one another. Khushhal elaborated, "It's so important to be comfortable with each other, because otherwise you won't know what the other person's boundaries are. Before our scenes, we would read them together and know how reserved to be with each other or not."

The actor added that gauging the level of comfort of a fellow actor is crucial even if they are going to be on set for a very short amount of time. "It doesn't matter if an actor is coming for two or three days," he noted. "We know that they are there for a short amount of time, but the audience doesn't."

Khushhal was last seen alongside Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed in the year's most contentious web series: Barzakh, picked up by Zee Zindagi. The show has been a magnet for controversy since its debut, drawing both admiration and ire for its bold themes. Due to this Zee Zindagi announced the removal of the hit series from YouTube Pakistan in August. If only Khushhal's advice to viewers had come a month or two earlier.