Accepting the dubbed film culture

A low-key premiere of Pakistan’s first Turkish film marks the beginning of a new era in film.

LAHORE:

The premiere of Mohabbat Eik Ittefaq, on February 13, marked the release of the first Turkish film in Pakistan. Initially, people were apprehensive, however, the film proved to be an interesting experiment for the local market.

Earlier this year, The Hindu did a feature written by Muralidhara Khajane, on the impending crisis surrounding the move to dub Bollywood films, being faced by the Kannada film industry. The issue was also faced by Tamil, Punjabi and other film industries who protested the influx of dubbed films.

In his opening paragraph, Khajane asks: “The dubbing row has a divided house. While the anti-dubbing lobby fails to give answers to practical questions, the pro-dubbing group cites only have economic reasons. Are languages and culture no longer important questions?”

The reality is that the shift towards multiplexes has changed the context in which cinema is approached. This is the advent of cinema-going culture, bred on a certain commercial ethos that looks at films as form of retail —­ something you can experience as part of the economic liberalisation.

The move towards dubbing in smaller markets is about economics and the drive for high-quality films, which, at times, the local industry fails to provide with consistency. Therefore, over the long-term, the local industry will have to ultimately accept dubbed-film culture.

The dubbing trend has been used all-over the Middle East, Europe, Russia and even South America. It’s a trend that has faced considerable opposition from local industries and will continue do so. In places such as Germany, voice-over artistes of A-listers such as Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson and others, can establish themselves as stars in their own right.

One insider of Bahria Town’s Cinegold operation said that there is political dimension to this phenomenon — an agreement has been made to have more Turkish films dubbed in Urdu for the local market. The officials specified that the experiment was based on the success of Turkish dramas in the country. Interestingly, it also coincides with government’s initiative to promote a shared heritage with Turkey.

“We think to explore Turkish film industry will be a very good opportunity, because it’s close to our country and its culture. The common religion also plays a role. I think a wave has taken over because of the dramas; it’s a great prospect,” said a senior official.Mohabbat Eik Ittefaq has been dubbed over by local radio jockeys who have attempted to make the film more accessible to the local market. Before the premiere, RJ Dr Ejaz Waris admitted he had done several shows condemning the dubbed television dramas and was wary of the impacts of this ‘new trend’.

“I have spoken out against Turkish dramas on my show, but now my gut feeling is that a film has come along and we should try to experiment with it. My only concern is that it should not be at the expense of Pakistani films,” says Waris. His radio channel’s radio jockeys, such as Fatimah Khan and Muaz Raja, have done the voiceover for the film. Others include Tariq Rao, Mazhar, Areeba Sohail, Denials Sohail, Shazia Shahid, Shama, Naghnama Tahir, Umer Saud, Usama Bin Hijazy, Habiba etc. Waris adds that the challenge of dubbing was to ensure that the films integrity is maintained.

“It’s interesting because you want to see how they are able to maintain the emotions or integrity of the characters — it will be fun to see that,” adds Waris.

Overall, the laws of the market suggest that if more dubbed films are introduced in the market, provided that high quality is maintained, people will certainly be watching.



Published in The Express Tribune, February 15^th, 2014.

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