'Talking Filmain' made their first serious effort into the world of filmmaking by producing a (commercial) documentary called 'Muslim Gear' and a short film titled "Paid in Full" (for a grant by the National Film Board, Canada) in late 2002.

Their next attempt, another short film called "Profile" was accepted to the Philadelphia, Vancouver and Kara film festivals. Among their more recent international exposure is their work on the 'international' feature film "Kashf" which is going for preview at the Berlin & Cannes Film Festivals.

However, critical acclaim alone doesn't feed a hungry belly, so 'Talking Filmain' in recent times has struck commercial gold with their (and perhaps Pakistan's) first non-game reality show "Pounds" (for GEO TV) which they shot in August 2005. Two of their serials 'Bus Yuhin' & 'Saath' have already been aired and their third serial 'Ye To Hona He Tha' is currently airing on HUM TV. Their first tele-film '14 Days' was recently selected and aired for HUM TV's Tele Film Festival 2008. They have also ventured into the field of music video production and produced a commercial-cum-fashion/music video for designer Saadia Mirza.
In the works for Talking Filmain are the video for a music single by Ali Sher, as well as production for their fourth serial. They are also currently editing their first documentary on Pakistan, which is rather aptly called "Made in Pakistan". They shared their views with Instep on the current disorderly state of affairs of Pakistani television industry and possible remedies...

What's up with Pakistani Television, yo!
Rizwan Saeed, Partner and Post Production Head at Talking Filmain says that "It's encouraging to see more and more players enter the market - be it in terms of production houses or TV channels. Additional TV channels mean additional avenues of distribution for the production houses, so that is a plus!
However, given the exponential growth that our industry is experiencing momentarily, the quality has really started to suffer. I mean, before this media boom, competition was quite tough therefore excellence was essential (everyone had one channel to sell to so content had to be good). Content was more original, actors were more dedicated to their projects and producers were more sensitive towards art.
But now with all the heavy advertising, commercialism is threatening to take over art. Everything must be "mega", include glitz and glamour and have an all-star cast. In this race of earning greater business, we've lost our original flavor- the true essence of the Pakistani drama, by adopting the Indian soap formula."
Nasir Khan, Partner and Producer/Director at Talking Filmain agrees, "The focus of most producers and directors has shifted from content to glamour. The most vital factor in the success of any production is the script and people seem to have forgotten this. What the majority fail to understand is that just casting huge stars will not make the show a success because those stars come in every other show, so how is your show different? "

Rizwan adds on about the quality of entertainment in Pakistan today - "While news channels are on a quality rise, it's becoming increasingly hard for most entertainment channels to maintain quality. Unwanted time checks are offered every 15 minutes and ad bars cover half the screen anyway, distracting audiences. So whereas, on the one hand, business is improving, it's the art that has started to suffer."
Adil Sher, Partner and Producer/Director at Talking Filmain has a more in depth perspective on where the problems initiated - "The first industry to suffer in Zia ul Haq's regime was the entertainment industry. As time passed, perception of people was changed and any association with media was deemed un-Islamic and disrespectful. Now two decades later our government has suddenly realized the importance of media. However the government's approach towards this industry is as senseless as it has been since long.
For any industry to prosper it requires a solid and efficient support system to take it ahead. In Pakistan, it is expected to prosper without any such system. We don't have enough qualified people and institutions to polish the immense raw talent which is being wasted as we speak. No initiatives such as scholarships to aspiring film makers to go abroad and get specialized degree in filmmaking or electronic media, no relief on import of equipment is given. We see all the channels running without above mentioned resources, which is why they fail to provide quality entertainment to viewers in Pakistan. Our government should now seriously look into the matter and do the needful."

Where do we go from here?
The key aspect is trying to understand what direction we need to go in - Talking Filmain has some useful insights for how to resolve the issues plaguing the entertainment industry in Pakistan today.
Rizwan says, "There are no short cuts in life, and it's the same for this situation as well. We must begin with the basics and the first step towards better quality production is skilled manpower. Be it writers, actors, light men or camera-crew - they all need some theoretical knowledge to back their talent. We need to have different workshops related to this field on a regular basis to train existing manpower as well as more and more film schools to train future talent. In fact, just like a debating society and sports club, schools must also include a performing arts society at primary and junior levels.

Quality check is another key requirement of our times. Again, this can easily be achieved if we have an independent organization like the Academy to recognize and appreciate deserving talent from all TV channels in Pakistan, and to judge them on a common platform. And for an unbiased and impartial award function to take place - all favoritism between Karachi and Lahore must be removed. In short, that's my take on it."

Adil Sher thinks the key is to change the people's perception so they don't feel hesitant in sending their children to a film school, and the youth should be encouraged to take up filmmaking as a career by offering scholarships in colleges within the country and abroad.

"Additionally, we should get help from professionals abroad (could be India for their geographical practicality) and convince them to come and teach in Pakistan. Schools should be opened up which cover script-writing, acting, direction, film & TV production in detail. These institutions should have enough resources to afford the latest equipment to facilitate this process.

Infrastructure needs to be developed to help existing talent pursue projects they believe in along with financial support from the financial and business communities. Another element is to develop a long term strategy which will protect local filmmakers from competition from abroad. For example, in Canada a certain percentage of the content seen on TV or in cinemas has to be made in Canada."

Nasir Khan talks about judging the 'success' of TV shows - "The most important thing we need right now is to have a barometer to judge the success of a show. There needs to be a system in which channels can find out how many people are watching which shows. In India they have the TRP ratings. This can give an honest evaluation of what is working with the audiences and what isn't. The more successful the show more money it will make and since majority of time good content warrants success the state of television will definitely improve.

As far as producers/directors are concerned I think they need to realize that content/script is the most important element in the success of any show. This is a lesson that can be learnt wherever they choose to look for inspiration. Although it might be easier to sell content now because there are so many channels around it is difficult to make that content stand out. The only way to have your name mean something or have the audience expect to be entertained when they see your name roll in the credits is by working hard. It is the key to having value attached to your name thus whenever you produce or direct something your aim should be to build on that reputation. You just cannot make content for the heck of it; make it because you believe it will inspire and entertain people like Pakistani dramas did in the past."
Wise words indeed! Here's to hoping more and more production houses focusing on quality emerge on the Pakistani entertainment scene.