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Actor and filmmaker Shamoon Abbasi has come out against a rumoured drama project based on the life and crimes of Karachi drug queenpin Anmol — known popularly as Pinky — whose arrest and subsequent court appearance went viral last month..
In a Facebook post on Monday, the actor asked why such an idea was even being entertained, especially when many other women-centric stories exist that could be put on TV to motivate and inspire audiences instead.
In response to reports Saba Qamar was set to star in the project as Anmol herself, Abbasi said it was guaranteed that she would “perform so well that people will fall in love”.
He said Qamar’s earlier project Case No. 9 was a “fantastic drama” that left a “positive impact” on audiences that watched it. He said even he was inspired by the legal thriller that raised much-needed awareness on harassment and the avenues available to survivors seeking justice.
Abbasi questioned why she was then being used to portray such a negative character. He said he didn’t agree with the idea of popularising Anmol’s story by using Qamar’s fame, or anyone else’s.
The filmmaker argued that if the story had to be told, cinema would have proved a more appropriate vehicle as audiences have greater choice in what movies they watch and with whom. He said beaming the story of a criminal into living rooms with young girls watching was “tricky”.
Abbasi decried the drama as an opportunistic ploy to capitalise on the virality of Anmol’s case and said he knew the people behind the idea. He also said he wasn’t earning any favours with them by asking such questions, but that didn’t worry him. “I already am not in their good sacred books anyway,” he said.
The filmmaker was responding to reports a biographical drama serial based on Anmol’s life was in the works at 7th Sky Productions. Alongside Qamar, Case No. 9’s writer Shahzeb Khanzada is reportedly joining the project to write the script.
True-crime entertainment has been somewhat of a hot topic in Pakistan, with some previous attempts being struck down. In recent years, the film Javed Iqbal: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer was denied a nationwide cinematic release in 2022. The film finally reached audiences on Wednesday with a release on YouTube.