Popular actor and producer Humayun Saeed has revealed that the distinctive style of Pakistani dramas does not align with the requirements of OTT platforms, suggesting that the country should first establish its own local digital streaming services.
In an interview with Ali Salman, Humayun Saeed attributed the absence of Pakistan’s drama industry from major global streaming platforms such as Netflix not to a lack of quality, but to differences in storytelling styles.
He explained that Pakistani dramas and scripts have their own distinctive approach. Since the industry produces content in Urdu, dialogue delivery follows a particular style, whereas OTT content tends to be “edgy” and different in nature, making it less suited to the traditional Pakistani drama format.
He added that although some people in Pakistan have the ability to tell stories according to OTT standards, there is currently no suitable local platform available for them.
Political Factors and Local Platforms
Speaking about Pakistan’s absence from Netflix, Humayun Saeed suggested that political factors could also be involved, but did not provide further details.
He stressed that Pakistan’s entertainment industry should prioritise establishing its own OTT platforms to attract the attention of major international companies such as Netflix.
Citing India as an example, he said local OTT platforms were established there first and had continued to grow over the past 12 to 13 years.
He also suggested that the Pakistani government should engage in discussions with Netflix to address the issue.
Views and Reactions from Other Artists
Other prominent figures in the entertainment industry have also shared their views on the issue.
Last week, actress Urwa Hocane said Pakistanis did not need to be overly obsessed with Netflix, arguing that the industry was already producing work that was even better.
Actors Faisal Quraishi, Shamoon Abbasi and Usama Khan have also expressed differing opinions, with most appearing to agree that Pakistani dramas have considerable potential to attract large audiences.
Government Initiatives
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal announced in July this year that the government was holding formal discussions with Netflix and other global streaming giants to improve and adjust the regional framework.
