Recently, Nouman Ijaz appeared in a talk show and unveiled flaws of Pakistan’s showbiz industry. He even compared it with ‘animals in jungle’.
The 55-year-old said: “There is no actor or producer in Pakistan who can say their payment is not stuck. Even my payments are stuck.
“How can I talk about anybody else? One channel owes me Rs45-50 million and another channel owes me Rs20-25 million,” he continued.
“It’s been four-five years since one channel hasn’t paid me and three years since another. You go asking for your money and they make you run after several other people. A producer has to beg in front of the broadcaster for his own money and the broadcaster pays him the bare minimum from that amount just to shut him up,” he added.
Ijaz further went on and asked angrily “What ethics, morals, professionalism, contracts and laws are you talking about? Who will hold them accountable? Your own co-producer will not stand with you if he has a jugaar for himself. Whoever has a jugaar is not be bothered by the struggles of those who don’t”.
“Alhamdulillah we don’t need an outsider to ruin us. A broadcaster even blackmailed a producer despite having committed something to him. He threatened to blacklist the artist whilst crying about his own financial situation. These people will figuratively put a gun on the artists’ heads to make sure they deliver," he further added.
“If you refuse to comply or take a stand, as an actor, your future is destroyed. This is the gundagardi (mafia) of the entertainment industry. Jiski laathi uski bhens (the might is right)” the Ghamand star stated.
“There is no security; no one will even take responsibility for the money you’ll have to pay if you end up in the hospital. It’s like a jungle," the actor concluded.
