Finally, acclaimed drama writer and comedian Anwer Maqssod has broken his silence over the question of why he stopped writing dramas.
Giving the reason for stepping back from writing dramas he said that He took this step because what is happening on TV had left no room for writers like him. He revealed this reason during his interview with a TV channel.
“Now directors are very much concerned about the rating of the show rather than the content and actors are performing in line with their directions,’ said the eminent dramatist. Lashing out at the management of TV channels he said that now it was the marketing team that had to decide which actor would feature in their TV plays adding that the writer had no concerns with the team of actors featuring in the plays.
He said that; When Indian dramas paved their way to the Pakistani screens, we thought that they would learn something from our dramas, but on the contrary, our writers started learning from them. It was then that our drama industry began its demise.”
Digest writers had entered the drama industry who were ruining our decades-old legacy and as more than 70 percent of people were illiterate in this country writers were resorting to typical Saas-Bahu serials to become popular overnight and that was tantamount to playing with the weakness of our society; He said.
He said that when Indian dramas paved their way to Pakistani screens, we thought that they would learn something from our dramas, but on the contrary, our writers started learning from them
Anwer said that the current atmosphere of the TV industry was suffocating for the creative writers hence he and many other writers like him parted their ways. He further said that we were badly missing positive content on their screens that could change the mindset of our people.
Answering a question regarding flaws in today’s TV plays he said that Nowadays writers were in a hurry of writing plays to gain overnight fame, and for that, they were opting for topics that were not part of society ever. He said, “There is pressure on the writers. What is being written in one play is being repeated in the next. Nowadays, it seems that the playwrights do not have any books in their houses. I request those who are writing the drama, please shun the quarrels and conspiracies of the mothers-in-law.”
The legendary dramatist and humorist Anwer Maqsood is credited for giving us masterpieces like Angan- Tehra, Half Plate, 50-50, and loose Talk during the golden era of Television.
The article has been written and contributed by Kamran Khamiso Khawaja who is a law student and columnist. He can be reached at [email protected] and Tweets at @ZaibSha1