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Humayun Saeed, Fawad Khan lack star power: Syed Noor

Humayun Saeed, Fawad Khan lack star power: Syed Noor

The director strongly believes Pakistan needs to produce at least three superstars
18 Oct, 2018

Pakistan’s veteran film-maker and writer Syed Noor believes that although the film industry has seen a revival, it still needs at least three powerful ‘stars’ to give film-making a boost.

He says that artists are performing well, yet they lack star power and there is a dire need for having “cinema for masses”.

In an interview with Dawn on Tuesday after attending the Sindhi film festival currently under way at the Institute of Sindhology in Jamshoro, Noor says: “In our film industry we don’t have a superstar. We need to have at least three powerful stars to give boost to films.

“We have to have stars to keep our films going and only then we will have a star-specific audience. Current audience visit cinemas for entertainment alone. There was an era when fans used to go to cinemas for films of Waheed Murad, Mohammad Ali and Nadeem. It is not the case today,” he said.

He says it was cinemas that declined first and then came the decline of films.

Cinemas had fallen prey to insanitation, untidiness and broken infrastructure and that was enough to keep families away from cinemas. The number of cinema-goers dropped to a great degree, though they were interested in any ordinary and Punjabi movie, he adds.

Then, he says, cinemas’ numbers dropped. Later came the initiative of Nadeem Mandviwalla in Lahore, where he converted an auditorium into a cinema, which attracted students and upper class who would love to have popcorn with a soft drink while watching movies. This marked beginning of cineplex culture followed by multiplexes.

Syed Noor is one of Pakistani cinema’s veteran film-makers and known for making issue-based films. He produced some of Lollywood’s blockbusters like Choorian, Jeeva and Deewane Tere Pyar Ke.

When modern cinema culture was introduced, he recalls, Indian movies flooded cinemas making film enthusiasts return to theatres. “This is how our film industry was revived [without] our movies,” says Noor whose career spans over 47 years.

During this period, he says, cinema witnessed digitalisation. “Some Kara­chi-based people who were busy in drama production with digital technology planned to produce film but they initially transformed their ‘drama serial’ into two-and-a-half-hour film,” adds the film-maker, who has written 300 plus and directed over 50 films.

While critics came down hard on them, he says he took a different line and said they were contributing to film’s revival, which was a positive sign so they shouldn’t be discouraged.

“I had then said these guys will produce better films. And it is happening today,” he says.

He refers to noted artist Humayun Saeed and says that Saeed has been very passionate about film. He discontinued his television career to become a film actor. His films are among the best.

Content vs entertainment

“Right now we don’t need content-wise anything special as people just require entertainment,” Noor says.

He observes that mainstream cinema needs to be just entertaining and if content-based cinema is to be focused on then a parallel cinema be created.

Current films do need improvement in terms of execution, characterisation and songs. “We need songs to force people to watch movies,” he says. Today, he adds, Pakistani films are doing greater business as compared to the past when businesses revolved around Indian movies.

“Indian movies were need of our cinema earlier and that’s why Indian movies were credited with our film’s revival,” he states. He says there is a huge gap between Pakistani and Indian film-making as the latter involves a budget of Rs1bn against Rs30m-Rs80m expenses locally.

However, he adds that modern cinema has excluded grass-root level viewers from watching movies, who couldn’t afford a Rs500 ticket after earning Rs700 a day to eke out his living.

“Cinemas are needed for these people where expenses of cinema are low. If this happens then it will be a huge contribution to whole industry,” claims Noor, a recipient of Sitar-i-Imtiaz.

Star power

He strongly believes Pakistan needs to produce at least three superstars. “Humayun Saeed, Fawad Khan and Ahsan Khan are performing well but they lack star power that was the hallmark of past film stars. They host shows on television and appear in dramas too. We need heroes like Waheed Murad, Mohammad Ali, Nadeem, Shan, Moam­mar Rana, Ghulam Mohi­y­uddin and Shahid to give a boost to films,” he asserts.

He was critical of young film-makers who are obsessed with Indian cinema. “They hate their cinema and tend to follow Indians when it comes to dresses of artists, colours and execution in films. Young film-makers have to pay attention to it and promote their values,” he says. He adds that regional cinema, like Punjab’s, has taken a back seat as Punjabi films are no more produced.

“Film-makers based in Karachi have tried to portray Pakistani Punjab but they couldn’t present it,” he says and adds that production houses and channels are mostly based in Karachi.

He says technological issues hit film-making as film-makers have to get these resolved in India or Bangkok as we lack sound technological hands. He says that Sindhi film has a rich past and he is seriously thinking about producing a Sindhi film without any payment if some serious brains get together in Sindh.


Originally published in Dawn, October 18th, 2018

Comments

Mani Oct 18, 2018 10:21am
Please he’s the reason Pakistani cinema died in the first place. Even for Pakistani standards, his work stands obselete.
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YesDude Oct 18, 2018 10:25am
Yes, Humayun Saeed is NOT a movie star. In fact, he is old and an average actor. He is a hero because he himself is the producer of his movies!
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Adnan Mazher Khan Oct 18, 2018 10:25am
Syed Noor still wants to live in the era of Sultan Rahi and Anjuman. Cinema has changed and old film makers have not adapted and assimilated the change. Let's not forget the people like Syed Noor actually brought decline of Pakistani Cinema.
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Hasan Oct 18, 2018 11:07am
This is hillarious
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George Oct 18, 2018 11:59am
He is right on the money!
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Umair Oct 18, 2018 12:13pm
Keep on living in Past mister Noor. the world has moved on
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Ali Vaqar Awan Oct 18, 2018 12:23pm
Syed Noor kindly stop speaking rubbish and learn to behave yourself. Actually what you have given to Pakistan film industry, just chaos and substandard movies.
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Kashif Oct 18, 2018 12:44pm
Fawad Khan lacks star power!!!!Some one has to wake him up.
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Ali Vaqar Awan Oct 18, 2018 12:58pm
Syed Noor, you better must stop speaking any nonsense and rubbish. Actually what you have given to Pakistan Film Industry. To be precise you are responsible for down fall of movie standard in Pakistan. Your movies are worthless and pathetic. Think twice Syed Noor before you speak up.
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Shafi Oct 18, 2018 01:15pm
It is such a pity that our spectators lack the sense of gratitude in complimenting our Sitara e Imtiaz recipents. Syed Noor in his time has filled that gap by bringing people to there neighbourhood cinemas in difficult times.
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Shafi Oct 18, 2018 01:22pm
He is quite right that our stars failed to reflect in there public image and they need some Counseling to learn how to carry there Stardom for diverse national and international audience coming to cinemas from different background.
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sahib Oct 18, 2018 01:29pm
BTW who is he?
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Junaid Ahmed Oct 18, 2018 02:28pm
Look who's talking? the man who drowned our film industry.
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ProudPakistani Oct 18, 2018 02:39pm
So true Mr. Noor! Thank you for saying it!
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Morni Oct 18, 2018 03:10pm
Most Pakistani films are dull.
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Yog Oct 18, 2018 03:10pm
Need lots of patience to watch Pakistani films.
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Ali Oct 18, 2018 03:41pm
Said the person who portrayed saima as a teenage heroine when she was in 40s
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Pakistani Oct 18, 2018 03:44pm
@YesDude . But in USA, Tom Cruise, Denzel Washngton are in their 5os. Shah Rukh and Salman are also getting there if not already there. Then what is the issue with Humayun being a hero too.
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Zohaib Ahsan Oct 18, 2018 04:37pm
Star Power is a fact. In Bollywood, in recent years Shah Rukh Khan movies did not had good story lines but they were successful because of his Star Power. Shan still have more star power than our present day heroes.
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KAQ Oct 18, 2018 04:56pm
I'd say we have already gotten our true real movie star with Ali Zafar
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Chit Mantra Oct 18, 2018 06:40pm
Sir, People like you are the main reason of decline of Pakistani cinema industry. Stop living in past. It won't get you anywhere. Learn from Indians and their cinema making instead of finding faults with them and make appropriate changes in your film making as suitable to your conditions.
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Saad Razzaq Oct 18, 2018 06:48pm
Pakistani movies improved significantly in the last 5 years and I believe the positive momentum will continue. This guy should refrain from commenting, during his era, Pakistan has seen the worst of cinema.
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jiyala Oct 18, 2018 07:10pm
You had the chance to prove your point in your movie 'Chain Aye Na'. But instead, it failed miserably and became a joke in the industry. Kindly just keep quiet and retire with dignity.
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Arslan Oct 18, 2018 08:36pm
Problem with people like Syed Noor is that they think the audience are stupid. He says that audience do not need content, they only need entertainment. He thinks songs make good films. Stop insulting the intelligence of your audience. Even the poor people making 700Rs a day rejected your movie Chain Aye Na.
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Rafiq Ebrahim Oct 18, 2018 09:16pm
Syed Noor Saheb, please come to the world of reality. When you old guys dragged Lollywood to the bottom, it was the TV people who raised the industry, and are doing their best to further boost the image by making movies like Parwaz Hain Junoon, Punjab Nahi Jaoongi, Bin Roye etc. Humayun Saeed and Fawad Khan have more star power than any other actor of the past, as was seen by me at the Hum TV Award hosted in Canada. Are you making another flop?
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Adeeb Oct 19, 2018 12:27am
Shaan has that star power. He is comparable to any Hollywood's big guns.
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Ahsan Gul Oct 19, 2018 01:35am
But what about a good director? How many well educated people who have certified director abilities exist or people like Mr. Noor let them make a movie in Pakistan. It is easy to criticize but Mr. Noor himself is a failure as for our film industry is concerned and must stay away is better.
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N abidai Oct 19, 2018 08:39am
Seniors like him , what can you say, mr noor ,they say in show bizz ,you are as good as your last film! So ,what would you say about your self! Fawad and humayun are doing just fine! Pakistani artists , from tv are shining bright,on small screen and on big screen! Thus, mr noor,get therapy , for your insecurities about our super stars!
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Jawaid Islam Oct 19, 2018 08:58am
Who says Fawad Khan has no star power; I would go to any movie he is in. Syed Noor needs to accept the new players and how movie making has changed. He produced a dud like...don't even remember the name, the one with Sehrish and Shehroz...in these changed times.
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Amer Oct 19, 2018 03:34pm
All of Hamayun Saeeds movies were a box office hits. I remember Syed Noor only has 7 hits in total out of I don’t know how many.
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Babar Hussain Oct 19, 2018 04:11pm
Feel sorry for Syed Noor if he thinks that he can reclaim the film industry !!! he is the cause of declining the industry.
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N abidai Oct 20, 2018 07:32am
@YesDude jealous much, you still will not get a role in film! Love humayun saeed,awesome,actor !
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Ahmad Oct 20, 2018 12:35pm
@YesDude Yet his Movie Did 40 Crore, You Do not need a Super Star or some Magic Wand, You need A good Story, Great Acting and A Brilliant Director to make a Hit.
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