Art knows no boundaries, says Shabnam Gosh

Author: Ashban Dass

LAHORE: Veteran actress Shabnam Gosh has said that international boundaries cannot restrain art and that she will not mind working anywhere in the world if a captivating script knocks at her door.

Speaking at a session titled ‘NayaSavera’ hosted by Sarmad Khoosat at the Lahore Literary Festival (LLF) 2017 the other day, the actress took a stroll down the memory lane and talked about her debut in Lolloywood, and the golden era of the Pakistani film industry.

“Waheed Murad was the first person who offered me a film. I never thought that I would be a star on day. Unaware of the indigenous language and culture, I worked hard and audience also acknowledged my work,” she said.

Giving a glimpse of the golden era of Lollywood, she said: “Producers and directors at that time knew how to make great films with such scarce resources. Even our counterparts were far ahead from us in technical aspects, but we knew that the content was the king.”

Narrating the reasons behind the downfall of the film industry, she added, “We were never a stable industry. Aaina was the film that prolonged the era; otherwise we were always on the edge. Moreover, the government had played a big part in suppressing the industry. It is one of those few industries, which was never subsidised by the government; yet high taxes were imposed that led to low returns and eventually good filmmakers pulled out thus creating a vacuum, which was never filled again.”

The legendary actress also talked about the Bengali film industry, saying: “The biggest tragedy I feel is that Bengali literature – both east and west – was never aired on big screens. We could capitalise on the themes of suppression, war and independence, which foreigners did.”

When asked whether she preferred Bengali or Punjabi cuisine, she replied, “During my time in Lahore, I never had the privilege to enjoy the food. I was restricted to fruits and one-time in the day. However, now I have had the opportunity to enjoy the delicious cuisines and I will not hesitate in saying that they are at par with the Bengali food.”