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Giving it a ‘filmi’ treatment
Many people have, for years, tried to merge cinema with television in Pakistan in the form of tele-plays, but most of these efforts have failed so far. Still, the people behind these ventures are bent on proving their theories right. One should not object to any creative endeavour, but when too much money and time goes into producing these ventures without giving viewers any satisfaction, then it is time to rethink the policy.
The attempts to merge cinema with television go back two decades. PTV started a series of long plays called Drama ‘81, which continued up to the late eighties. This was an attempt to emulate the ‘made for television movies’ experiment in the US, but as the experiment mostly failed in America, so was the case with long plays in Pakistan. The adaptation of the techniques of the big screen failed to translate to the small screen, with a few notable exceptions.
One successful play was Apnay Log, written by Amjad Islam Amjad in 1984, while the other which won plaudits was Mirza & Sons by Anwar Maqsood. How can one forget Raggon Mein Andhera by Younus Javed? These plays got the viewers’ nod only because the writers and the directors kept themselves within the parameters of television. These ventures catered to the TV grammar, which is simple, racy and entertaining, and the socio-political themes that these plays were based on were well received by the viewers. This doesn’t mean that the other plays shown in that period were not good. They were, but the techniques applied to those plays were more influenced by the cinema of that period than of the ‘idiot box.’
TV is a medium for general use, and every member of the family has access to it. Therefore, the selection of the theme should be made carefully. Suggestive material is completely out for prime time. The majority of our viewers are from the lower and middle classes and comprise mostly women, so cultural affiliation is a must
When a person goes to watch a movie in a theatre, he does so by selecting the type of movie and the time that best fits his schedule. Once he enters the theatre and the movie starts, the viewer gets detached from the world, even from the person sitting next to him as the lights are off and the larger than life images moving on the wide screen suck him into the plot. In this situation, the viewer can give one hundred per cent of his attention to the story and acting, thus absorbing the heavy ‘dose’ offered to him. But the reverse is true for TV as it is a part of your furniture and many distractions abound around the house. There is no paucity of time and it is accessible to all and sundry so any member of the family can switch it on at any time to view whatever they please. Remember, we have yet to discuss the presence of video cassettes or VCDs.
Another important feature of television viewing is the intrusion by guests, phone calls or breaks for meals. One can do all of these things and more while watching a serial, concert, news etc on TV, so the approach for any presentation on the small screen should cater to all of these factors. Showbiz pundits have now reconciled themselves with the idea of putting this small electronic box in its place, which is distinct from other mediums of entertainment.
Recently, some programmes went on air which were termed ‘art house’ productions and went on to garner critical acclaim. One such production was the tele-film Daira based on a novel, Moth Smoke. The theme and techniques used in this project were ideal for the big screen, but not well suited for TV. As mentioned earlier, this medium is for general use, so every member of the family has access to it. Therefore the selection of the theme should be made very carefully. Suggestive material is completely out for prime time in a country like Pakistan. The majority of our TV viewers are from the lower and middle classes and comprise mostly women, so cultural affiliation is a must as the viewer should relate to the characters and the environment being shown. This factor is responsible for the success of the American television industry. Put simply, one cannot disassociate New York from Friends or Seattle from Frasier. These cultural statements are the key to any TV show’s success.
The ideal television software was provided by writers and directors in the 1960s and ’70s. Haseena Moin is often accused of presenting ‘shallow’ work, but this is what the medium requires. Right from her first play Happy Eid Sweet Eid in ’72, her projects were roaring successes only due to the fact that she presented plays which were light and entertaining, with the commentary on human behaviour cleverly disguised in humour.
The writers from those days knew how to write for television. Writers such as Jamil Malik (Jug Beeti in ’78 and Raat, Rail Aur Khat in ’81), Amjad Islam Amjad with his groundbreaking Waris in ’79 and Asghar Nadeem Syed with Piyas in ’88 and Chand Girhain in ’92 have shown us how sensitive issues can be handled keeping in mind the requirements of the small screen. It would be unfair not to mention the efforts of directors like Yawar Hayat, Nusrat Thakur, Kanwar Aftab and Mohsin Ali who guided these writers in the arena of tele-play writing.
Looking across the border, the Indian channels have discovered the ‘magic formula’ after much trial and error. Star TV started it off with ‘radical’ and ‘bold’ themes, but market forces forced them to cater to the needs of the lower and middle classes. That is how they got the Saas Bahu formula which pulled Star Plus out from the red and into the black. No matter how regressive or conservative these plays are, they are looking after the entertainment needs of the Indian masses.
This discussion is not at all aimed at curbing the creative urges of writers and directors. But for a medium like television, they have to take their viewer along with them instead of leaping ahead and leaving the common man entertainment starved. With so much experience behind us, why are our media managers trying to re-invent the wheel?
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