Nabeel Zafar calls for royalty system for actors, cites ongoing reruns of 'Bulbulay'

Actor Nabeel Zafar in a recent interview discussed one of the entertainment industry's most persistent grievances: the absence of a royalty system for actors, even as their work re-airs for years after it first premiered.

Zafar said the lack of royalties remained one of the industry's most painful gaps. Shows such as his own long-running sitcom Bulbulay were being broadcast multiple times a day across various channels, he noted, yet none of the repeated airtime translated into income for the people who made the show.

“If I were receiving royalties for these broadcasts, my children and I would be well provided for,” he said. "Think about it, digital has become an entire platform now. But as for the channels we work with, they say, 'Don't even think about it; you should lose your memory regarding this,'" the actor added.

Zafar also pushed back on the perception of acting as a lucrative career in the country. "Globally, show business is known as the highest-paying profession, but in Pakistan, if your pay cheque is delayed by even two days, you are finished; you have nothing left. Then you are left fighting a battle for survival," he said.

That, he claimed, was also why so few artists spoke up publicly about the industry's problems. "Let me tell you, we are very helpless people," he said. The actor added, "The battle for survival is so extreme that while everyone is aware of the situation and knows the mindset, no one wants to speak out publicly, because the issues that exist in our industry are real."

Zafar also discussed his own career journey, sharing how he went from serious dramas to long-form comedy. 

The actor noted that Bulbulay, now past 800 episodes since it first aired, had been running long enough to grow up alongside its viewers. Keeping the sitcom fresh after nearly two decades, however, was the hardest part of the job, he said. "It might look easy that I'm standing at over 800 episodes after 17 years, but behind it lies massive effort, especially regarding content," he stated. "The hardest part is keeping the content engaging with just four or five characters. And you can't repeat yourself," Zafar added.

The actor also discussed how he came to produce his own work, after starting without the funds to hire other actors. "I felt I needed to step into production, so I created my own production company," he said. "I didn't have enough money, so to save costs, I played the character myself," Zafar shared.

He also noted that his move into directing came in 2003, with the serial Waada. "I got bored in between, so in 2003, I directed my first major serial called Waada with a huge ensemble cast," he said. "I didn't act in it; I only directed," the actor added.

On the acting side, Zafar said he now prioritised the strength of a character over anyone who was attached to the project. This standard, he said, had made him choosier with age. "The characters offered to me now are always 'strict father', 'angry father', 'mild father', or 'soft father'," he said, adding that he had returned many scripts recently. "Give me a proper character with substance so there is something to actually perform," Zafar stated.

His goal for acting, however, remained the same: making an audience believe in the world on screen. "My philosophy as an actor has always been that whatever you do, whether tragedy, comedy, or anything else, you must bring the audience into a state of make-believe so they truly believe in what you are doing," he said.

Moving to discuss how he evaluated newcomers hoping to break into the entertainment industry, Zafar drew a firm line between genuine talent and casual interest, saying, "There is a big difference between passion and real talent." He added, "In our country, 90% of people just have a hobby-level passion, but there is definitely a distinction between having a passion and possessing talent."

That distinction, the actor said, is why he was careful about how freely he offered encouragement. "I certainly encourage people, but my concern is that if you encourage the wrong person, you could end up ruining their future," Zafar shared.

Even with his own children, the actor revealed that he had pushed for a professional degree. "I haven't stopped my own children from anything, but I explicitly told them: 'Get a professional degree first,'" he said. "It's a rare blessing if your passion becomes your livelihood, but you must have a solid foundation."

Starting out in the early 1990s with serious, heroic roles in serials such as Din and Daldal, Zafar later starred in Dhuwan which brought him overnight fame and recognition in Pakistani television. He has since become a household name for his role as Nabeel, the central male lead who tries to manage his chaotic household, often finding himself in funny, stressful situations with his family.

With a line of work on-screen and even behind the camera, Zafar's message was clear: the industry had grown, but the system around it hadn't kept pace.