Death of Stage Drama

Punjabi stage drama is one of the major cultural aspects of our culture. We had an audience that come to stage for a healthy entertainment but now a days it has become a place for the an adult dance and I cant find a better word for Juggat Bazi. First we had a drama that had a story and entertainment but now it has nothing in it. We still have person like Usman peerzada who are trying for the survival of stage and producing some great work but there viewers are specific set of people.
My point which I want to raise here is that who will come up and do some work. It is very easy to sit and hold responsible but difficult to actually do something about it. If we see Punjabi stage drama they are able to attract audience in halls. They are making something for which people are willing to buy tickets of three thousand and five hundred in the last row which is at least the twentieth or after that. The ones who critique them then come up with anything which makes there halls empty and I want to mention one thing here that they have a very committed fans and will not them so easily. I know they are not making the best but still they are earning for themselves and many others. Now they have even gone beyond Pakistan and had shows in England, Canada and US which is a great achievement. So to all those who just play blame game, either come up with something creative or go sit at home and stop doing this.

Written By: Ahmad Saeed

Is pakistan media working ethically?

There is a big question raised from a couple of months that isPakistan media working ethically or according to the universal rulesof journalism. In the recent past there are few incidents which werecritiqued alot among every social class. There is a view that media iscrossing the lines and they had shown or tried to show programs orfootages which are unethical or vulgar from all aspects. Some peoplesay that one will always get out of control when he gets somethingmore than what he deserves, they must not forget the time before 2000when there was only one channel ptv which was more of a governmentpersonal channel.The first time when i got dissappointed from our media and turned offmy television set was when the FIA building mall road lahore blasthappened. For complete one hour they showed the video of a carcrashing a guard into pieces and then going into the buildingpremisis. Now i agree it was a very useful video and showed the keymoments but why are you showing it on TV when there is an audiencebelow 18 or even 12-10 who can get affected with this type of footageand there mind can have a very bad perception about it. Give thisvideo to intelligence or law enforcing agencies who use it to traceany responsibles or find any clue about the incident and then aboveall just think once about the family or loved ones of that guard whowatcheed that video again and again on TV. Those moments must ve takentheir lives or atleast souls out of them. We all must have somerespect and integrity for others and in showing or breaking news wehave to be careful that we are keeping justice and fair value witheveryone. As i talked earlier there is not one incident there arealot,quickly giving you a few example the second worst was when afamous news channel reporter got murdered in swat and there cameramantook live in the postmartem room and next you can all imagine, thatwas the worst footage one can show on there channel and then they donthave the descensy to show a warning that what is its rating. Than inpakistan we have a culture that if we warn children to stay away fromone thing they get even more attracted towards it so media has to bevery careful and respobsible about it. other than that we have veenaasif case meera case in which media had shown vulgar pictures andvideos with adding background music to it to create a spicy story orusimg the media term sensational news. Here also i think that why areshowing them in every hour news dont u have any thing better to showor there are thousans of issues to raise but you keep on showing themand have made them heroes. at end my question is still that to getahead in the race of breaking news or fighting for trp's have we gonewrong or missing some point yes we are missing ethics!

Written By: Ahmad Saeed

Khuda ke Liye...

I am not talking about the movie khuda ke liye but for the whole pakistan cinema that "khuda ke liye" do something about it. We are witnessing the worst phase of our cinema with audience like rikshaw drivers, panshop owner or cutting the chase we are catering illetrate people.Our cinema industry says that we are competing the indian cinema but on ground realities we are atleast twenty years behind them. They are making movies like black, rang de basanti, taare zameem par and what are you making humayeun gujjar or wahishi badmash which have no story no nothing except meaningless fights and vulgar dance. Now adays movie has gone beyond the definition of entertainment, you can raise social issues, political problems or anything that has a meaning or value attached to it but our movies are not even fulfilling the basic definition of movie which is entertainment but they are just three hours of nonsense with some dances and dialogues that keep our lower class paying twenty or thirty ruppe of ticket to witness our mockery of cinema. From the decades we have very few producers, directors and above all storywriters who are working in this industry to only make money but not good movie. Those people have made movie on almost every cast present in Pakistan but not a single movie on any cause or better issue.Sometimes i feel that they are not only to be blamed but our government and ministry have equal responsibility they had not given any incentive or taken any action to improve it. They need to work on it on emergency basis but they are doing opposite and have left the industry on his own.Then there is another debate that fifteen years back we were equal to indian movies but i dot agree, even that time they were making alot better cinema. Yes if they say thirty years then i would agree when we had actors like waheed murad, muhammad ali,zeba and list goes on. We need to rethink that what had went wrong when we had a good history a good audience few good people in industry than why are we facing this cinema. What has indian cinema done right or where they had excelled and why we are left out until these questions are answered we can never prosperous like them.Using this forum I want to appreciate shoaib mansoor here who come up with a brand new idea with even better execution. The idea which is now adays followed by many other directors even across the boarders. He made a movie which bought people back to cinemas, he just picked the right idea and found a better team. All the major crew was from Pakistan so we need to see that if they can come up with a project like khuda ke liye than why not others. We need few more like him and i think we will be back on track and secondly we need sponsors like geo group to believe in them and help them make it. Then the responsibility also comes on us, we also need to support them, this blame game will never end we have to appreciate what they are doing because atleast they are keeping us in business and have kept our industry live. We have to consider it as an industry and give respect to everyone involved with it. Once we do it , our cinema will start growing itself.

Written By: Ahmad Saeed

Media and entertainment in Pakistan

Pakistani dramas during the 60’s till the late 90’s were a novelty amongst the Urdu speaking community not only in Pakistan but all over the world. This was the time when theatre in Pakistan was also booming and we had stage dramas like ‘janam janam ki maili chadar’ which broke the record for the longest run stage play and we had artists of the caliber of Umer Sharif doing theatre which not only provided entertainment but also possessed the ability to educate and spread awareness amongst the masses.

With the influx of foreign media and cross border influences, television dramas have been reduced to mere second rate copies, losing the cultural element which endeared them to the viewers. Entertainment on television is presently confined to unoriginal productions which vary from soaps to sitcoms and music shows; all of which lack inventiveness. If the present trend continues we will lose market for home grown talent.

The query at hand is what needs to be done to revitalize our industry. Many new channels have sprung forth which have created an insatiable demand for media personnel, but there is a dearth of professionally trained individuals in the field. Entertainment companies such as Mastermind productions have taken the initiative and are working on producing dramas which take queue from the traditions laid out during the glory days of PTv. With the expanding market there is a need for trained actors, directors, producers etc unless this demand is met the standards cannot be raised, for this academic institutes need to be set up with media professionals trained in the field educating the aspiring media enthusiasts.

This brings us to stage dramas; television due to competition from foreign channels has hopes of sustaining itself as demands for quality increase. Whereas theatre is Pakistan has become synonymous with perverted humor, lewd remarks and obscene dances. The content is strictly adult and not a family entertainment by any standards. The excuse of the theatre producers is that they cater to the ‘market demand’, which is preposterous, as there is always demand for quality. Rafi Peer theatre is breath of fresh air in an otherwise dreary theatre industry; they have been bringing to the masses performing arts from all over the world and promoting young local aspirants to showcase their talents. The event has been met with vast acceptance which ensures that the society in general ‘does’ appreciate quality.

Pakistan is a cultural hub, a conglomerate of ancient arts, cultural values and talented individuals. The entertainment media needs to open up to new ideas and creativeness, youth should be given a chance to come forward and the audience needs to make intelligent choices. Focus should be on content rather than quantity; target audience surveys should be conducted to meet public demand yet at the same time moulding this demand to higher standards, only then can the media entertainment industry can serve both facets of its purpose i.e. entertainment with a purpose.

Written By: Saqib Shami

Media: Will it reform in Pakistan?

There is no denying the fact that media is powerful tool and has great potential to bring change but will it ever stand for truth, justice and dignity for the poor masses? In my humble opinion, the chances are slim, and because it’s always the weak and poor who suffer, and not the rich and wealthy.

. Here are some guidelines to be kept in view, while running a successful media.

• Recognize your responsibility & Reform yourself. Claiming to be fourth pillar of the state puts an enormous responsibility on your shoulders. That heavy burden warrants a lot of responsible behavior. Rise up to the great challenge and play your role.

• Never compromise the country’s interests for your monitory gains. If the West’s so called “freedom of expression” inspires you, have a closer look at what CNN & BBC are doing to cover up for the criminal exploits of their nations.

· Promote unity, harmony amongst provinces as a national responsibility, for that’s the primary target of Pakistan’s enemies.

• Stop promoting endless vulgarity & obscenity. For this is the poison that pollutes the hearts & minds of youth. Give them worthy ideals to look up to, and they can do wonders. Trying to compete with Indian channels in nudism will lead you nowhere. We have our own set of morals and values that is far more superior and worth following.

• Encourage and promote the bright students/workers who, despite hardships, stand out in their own fields or do worthwhile projects, as talent and thrive on appreciation.

• Honor your National Heroes. Give more of your airtime & space to them

• Unveil the Social Evils like corruption

• Uphold your Faith in Islam. Project it, protect it and praise it, for this is the strongest of our support here, as well as in the hereafter. It is only by sticking to its belief that Allah’s divine help descend

Written By: Mohsin Saeed Khan

As we all know, nowadays people don’t need to be talented, genius or especially pretty to be famous. Everyone who is confident and controversial has big chance to be famous if they want to.The media is strength of last centuries. It easily can make a mediocre someone famous. Other people are famous for scandal and for them popularity was created by various media: TV, newspaper, radio etc. The media needs new programs, so it employs well-known people. People who lie to be popular and who want to get control over the mass media must be careful.

What is more, the media detect every little skirmish. They use it to make a sensation.

To sum up, the circle is closing. Somebody manipulates the media, invents a story or glosses over the real facts. Then the mass media add something from themselves to manipulate our views.

Journalists look for more and more public attention. They do not care about people but only about a good story which is likely to be described in the newspaper or shown on TV. What is more, and what is really makes me disappointed, is the fact that truth is not the most important thing for the media. They show what they want to show, and write about the things they want to. This news which we see every evening is just half true, or sometimes it even has no connections with it. The media, which are thought to be a source of information, are in fact a big stage for the journalists’ abilities to create scandals.

From the very beginning of their existence the mass media exert huge influence on people: their behavior, views and lifestyle. For many of them tugging the public is more important than showing true information. Newspapers, radio and television, by all possible means, manipulate public opinion. The mass media is the fourth power because for many people they are the main source of assimilation outlooks. People stop thinking and they base only on what they hear or read in the media.

It is said that the media manipulate public opinion. The Media write things which we want to read, things which are catchy. Dry facts are boring, so TV and newspapers exaggerate their stories to be more attractive for the masses. But have we ever thought why it happens? We want such modified information because it can be a topic for a good talk or it will be a pretext to do something exciting. So it also works the other way round. We do manipulate the media! By our behavior we suggest which type of news we desire. We want scandals and affairs and we get them.

Thus I think it work both ways. We manipulate media and it manipulates us in return by giving us what we want and in between taking advantage from it for itself.

Written By: Mohsin Saeed Khan

"Insight Of Pakistani Media"

Stating the same fact in an altered manner changes its impression on the listener. This principle is applied by the international propaganda machinery of super powers and media is used to do the brain washing of the people – especially of the third world countries.

Today when we have hundreds of TV and radio channels, newspapers and magazines and all of them portraying news in their dissimilar manner the common man is confused and does not arrive to the conclusion. It’s a dilemma of the third world that western media is considered to be the standard and trustworthy. And the local media is either conquered by the authorities or mostly such people are managing them that have no vision of national interest. In this scenario if the local media initiates campaign for their selfish interests it can make the situation worse for the government. This goes perfectly for the Pakistani Government as well.

To get rid of such situations it is essential that the young generation must be politically conscious, they must know the national interest and they must have the power of analysis of news. To understand the role of media and how to set apart facts and rumors, it is necessary that one must know how media works, how it is financed and what factors influence it. Some channels are sponsored by the government like PTV of Pakistan. Mainly these organizations are given funds by collecting license fee from the public. But private media is mainly run by advertisements.

As most of these private media groups are run on commercial basis so there are always chances of conflict between national interest and their vested interests. These incentives are not given directly but in shape of ads of multinational companies.

Half truth is even more dangerous than a lie. To mold public opinion some times media highlights only some aspects of the news while some are kept hidden. Sometimes the statements of certain political leader is given preference and published on main pages or broadcasted repeatedly. And the idea is injected in the people that particular leader is popular and most of the people support him.

Keeping in view all these aspects of media the western governments have taken preventive measures. For example there are laws that keep check on media’s foreign relations and its political affiliations. News that is conflicting with the national interests is not published. Scenes of violence and injuries are avoided to broadcast. But over here in Pakistan beheaded corpses are shown on the TV screens.

Our people are illiterate and those who are literate, are not politically aware of the consequences of uncontrolled media. As our political parties are not organized and they don’t have strong roots in the people so public can be very easily misguided by the media.

Instead of unbound media Pakistan needs a strong, independent and politically conscious media that does not make suspense of the news. Our journalists must realize that what is our national interest and what are the negativities. Media must disclose those names that have exploited the youth of Pakistan.

Written by: Mohsin Saeed Khan

Pakistani Drama

Pakistani drama has a very great history as Pakistani media produced lots of unforgettable dramas. Pakistan television is a pioneer television in Pakistan so it is also considered as a pioneer in drama making; Pakistani dramas are very popular in the world in many different countries videos of Pakistani dramas are played in their art academies to teach how to make classic dramas. Pakistan has got many intelligent writers who have been writing dramas and Pakistanhas got lots of versatile actors and actresses who have been performing those characters which have been writing by those intelligent writers. Pakistani dramas are made on social issues, mellow drama is also a very popular kind of Pakistani drama, and some dramas are based on novels or short stories. Nowadays tele-films are made inPakistan, and trends have changed so people are concentrating on making "soaps" rather than serials and series. Popular dramas of Pakistan are: Dhoop Kinaray, Samander, Andhera Ujala, Jangloos, Ghareeb-e-sheher, Chand Girhan, Pas-e-aaiena, Sunharay din, Waris, An kahi, Shezori, Kiran kahani, Uncle Urfi, Alpha Bravo Charlie, Wajud-e-Laraib and others are included.

Written By: Farhan Shamir

The Road to Glory..

Pakistan television industry formally started in 1964 with the commencement of the very first television channel i.e. Pakistan Television Network (PTV). At that time, the only objective of the industry was to provide education, information and some sort of entertainment to the viewers. Till 1988, the industry was out of any sort of competition but PTV hit by competition of another channel namely Network Television Marketing ( NTM ) which was the first ever private sector channel and soon got popularity due to its plays and music shows. The whole television industry took and enormous move due to the inception of cable operators in Pakistan. More and more international channel started reaching the viewers. This gave boost to the business activity relative to media industry and in the years 2007, 2008 rain of Pakistani channels was witnessed. Now the number of Pakistani channels has reached up to 81. This rapid increment in the number of channels has raised the problem of the competitiveness of electronic media in Pakistan. New and upcoming channels are using vast resources in order to gain popularity and sometimes they do not take into account the boundaries which define the effective aspect of electronic media. Now the question arises whether this intense competition is catering to the customer’s needs and demands or not. Whether the competitiveness of electronic media relates to customer satisfaction and if the answer is yes, then which way , positive or negative.Broadcast Television is going through an extraordinary time of change and challenge. It is still one of the most popular forms of entertainment and information, with the average Pakistani viewer still watching 81 different national channels and international channels, twenty hours or more per week. But the rapid growth of the internet and interactive media is competing strongly for audiences and revenues generated by the media industry. The emergence and evolution of the TV industry has been recognized, as more and more channels are entering the industry. The role of industries comprising media industry has been deeply observed. The entire process from the content creation till the delivery has been scrutinized and compared to the expectations of the general audiences. Further the content analysis provides details on what and how the content is ultimately viewed by the customers. The unique customer demands and viewing habits is also a huge contributor in bringing new forms of channels distribution. They are also a reason which is further compelling peripheral industries to bring about changes in how they operate and make financial deals. Such emerging and rapidly changing trends of the media industry help us to discover the loopholes that are prevailing in our industry and how much they can improve to be more competitive and more profitable.

Written by: Farhan Shamir

Cinema in Pakistan and the rating system

Pakistani cinema from its glory days fell to depths of irrevocable decline in the 90’s despite recent efforts to resuscitate it, it is next to impossible to restore it to what it once was…what is needed is reinventing and erecting a diverse industry based on altogether new foundations. To facilitate this, the CBFC recently allowed import of foreign films to be showcased in local cinemas after due censorship. This brings us to the point of discussion… what exactly are the censorship policies pertaining to the Paki-cinema?

Censorship in Pakistan is haphazardly applied, on the one side the censorship board has a strict official code of conduct and on the other side the film industry is producing B class movies which contain inappropriate content. How they get past the censorship board is a mystery in itself. Unfortunately these B class productions are the sole sustainers of the industry. Therefore what is needed is an appropriate rating system, and the ratings should be enforced by the theatre owners.

Internationally cinematic material is rated on the basis of content, following the international rating system. It is a voluntary system sponsored by the Motion Pictures Association and the National Association of theatre owners. This rating system is for local and foreign films alike, the purpose of this rating system is to restrict viewership, providing parents with advance information about a movie, creating a system of age appropriate stratification of privilege of viewing. In Pakistan the Central Board of Film Censorship (CBFC) is the regulatory body and the censorship board of Pakistan. The CBFC is governed by the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979 and rules made there under. Pakistan’s first R-rated movie was ‘Zinda Lash’ a horror movie starring the legendary Nadeem and the first adult rated film was ‘Neela Parbat’ released in 1969 which marked the end of the golden era of Pakistani cinema.

The rating system without the co-operation of theatre owners cannot be successful, at present cinemas do not restrict viewership of local or foreign films, you will find children watching adult movies at theatres, and the trend is prevalent even in the posh educated areas of cities like Lahore, take DHA cinema for example. This is careless media practice, robbing children of their innocence. There are an estimate 0.5 million street children in Lahore alone, these children spend mornings begging and evenings watching movies with explicit content.

Morality aside, this also affects the scope of cinema in Pakistan, limiting genres and a diversified demand. At present the film industry at national and provincial level churns out movie after movie with the same content, if the rating system was employed it would create demand for age specific cinema, e.g. we do not have children’s movies in Pakistan, even Bollywood has ventured forth and is focusing on children’s cinema. If the same was done in Pakistan it would open up new avenues for the industry and might aid in revitalizing the flaccid industry.

Written By: Saqib Shami

Role of Pakistani News media

Media is the watchdog of any society, the globalised world of today is linked together in a crucial web with its many conglomerates interlinked by the need of information, at the centre of which is media, and we are all part of this global knowledge sphere. The prime role of media as an information hub is the correct and speedy access to global and local news. The mid 1940’s marked the beginning of the awareness of the role of media in opinion formation, since than pressure groups all over the world use media, especially news media to mould the opinion of the masses; it is known both as propaganda and/or yellow journalism.

Pakistani media in the recent decade has developed at break neck speed; from being an institution with one state owned broadcasting corporation to a diverse industry. The choice of new channels has increased exponentially in Pakistan, and this is mainly due to the advent of cable TV - where as most viewers had only a state owned PTV to watch, their choices have now expanded to include more homegrown content as well as international news channels. The media boom has seen a rise in role of news media in Pakistan, from being an opinion medium through newspaper circulation to a pressure group giant. A testament to this is the role news media has played in the restoration of judiciary and the continuing critic of the policies of the Government.

Locally news media plays an important role, spreading mass awareness on crucial issues, uncovering the meanings behind various policies and highlighting the issues of people and bringing them to the attention of in charge authorities. At the same time internationally it is the responsibility of the media to develop a softer image of Pakistan. In the present day and age our region is in a state of flux; with terrorism and war at the forefront. The way media portrays these sensitive issues establishes the image of Pakistan and the region.

At present the most viewed local channels are the news channels, and news anchors the most recognized figures on television. With a dwindling literacy rate, talk shows on current affairs are for majority of the masses a prime source of opinion making, everything said and done on them is put forth for the masses at large to scrutinize and use to form ideas. Therefore it is important that the practice of journalism be refined and the canons of ethical journalism be followed. Undue criticism on part of the news personnel can destabilize the fragile state democracy, while at the same time if the news media plays a positive role it can help build the nation and promote the spirit of nationality. Pakistan is a developing country riddled in myriad of problems, at present media is the only institute which has the power to bring about an effective change in the form of mass awareness. Media is the mind and the people the limbs; whatever the mind thinks and says governs the actions of the masses. If the news coverage of a single event could bring millions of people to the streets there is no doubt that it can in the same way act as an agent of constructive change in our society.

Written By: Saqib Shami