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Slowly but cautiously
Veterans of any institution imbue its culture in their personalities. Ali Rizvi is a veteran PTV producer with almost 30 years of plays and serials, which include quite a few hits, under his belt. His extremely cautious demeanour is complemented by a sharp mind that seeks to tabulate all pros and cons before answering even simple questions. So how would he defend the dwindling viewership of PTV?
“With so many channels bringing an onslaught of choices into people’s living rooms, PTV has suffered. But one has to see how we have managed to keep our culture intact by depicting Pakistani life as it is. You don’t see over-glamourized beauties decked up in the finest jewellery with fake expressions, like you do in Indian soaps. You see the common man on PTV with his tales of joy and sorrow. No wonder the national network is watched in more areas of Pakistan than any other channel. Conversely, the beauty of drama has died with this onslaught of soaps. The growth of the genre is only in terms of quantity and not quality.”
Ali Rizvi emphasizes that PTV dramas have retained the quality of the golden days.
“Seasoned writers like Haseena Moin, Abdul Qadir Junejo, Kamal Ahmed Rizvi, Taj Haider etc., are a cut above the novices writing tele-plays nowadays. They have a strong grip on the common man’s feelings, their characterizations reflect a deep insight into the human psyche. This is where PTV wins. PTV producers, including myself, have always insisted on quality scripts.”
Rizvi is most proud of his stand in maintaining the quality of serials he has directed.
‘One has to see how we have managed to keep our culture intact by depicting Pakistani life as it is on PTV. You don’t see over-glamourized beauties decked up in the finest jewellery using fake expressions, like you do in Indian soaps. You see the common man with his tales of joy and sorrow’
“I have always cast actors who are of the same age as the character they have to play. I have never compromised on that, which is why one would never see my actors sporting fake grey hair or beards to portray an elderly character. This is what you see on other channels, where a woman young enough to be an actor’s daughter would be playing his mother. It is quite bizarre when you don’t see veins and wrinkles on a young actor who sports a white wig.”
His favourite actors include Talat Hussain and Shafi Muhammad Shah, whom he enjoys working with.
“The best actor is the one who completely understands what the role means and why and how it was conceived and how they fit into it.”
Married to producer Zartaj Ali, who is a specialist producer at PTV for children’s programmes, the couple has three children. Ali Rizvi seems to be content with his domestic life, as well as his professional career. To him, his biggest achievement is when someone calls him up at home to praise him for his serials.
“It is a gratifying moment when someone from the general public manages to find my number and takes time out to call me to appreciate my work. After all, it isn’t the producer who first comes to mind when a serial becomes a hit. It is usually the cast and then the writer. So when people remember me, it is indeed a pleasure.”
A producer, he says, has an immense responsibility to society.
“I have to educate society through my frames. I have to be a writer as well as an actor and a visualizer in order to produce a hit venture. A producer can convey incisive truths very subtly and tactfully.”
PTV has ingrained self-censorship in its producers through the years. With changing policies on censorship, the producers themselves refrain from taking any chances. “We exercise caution and say things where we can say them without crossing any limits.”
The toughest hour for Ali Rizvi is when his serials go on air.
“It is the most painful night when I see my work on television! I have so many regrets, such as that shot could have been taken in a better way or this dialogue could have been delivered in a particular way.”
Rizvi’s most enjoyable serials that he has produced are Aansoo and Des Pardes. Both were written by Haseena Moin and became quite popular. Aansoo, with its picturesque Scottish locale and superb cast, was a breath of fresh air for viewers. He, however, still prefers long plays that are issue-based. His popular plays Agar Aur Jeetay Rehtay by Anwar Maqsood and Your Obedient Servant won several awards and are still remembered by viewers.
“A lot of my inspiration came from the late Shahzad Khalil. I did Panah I and Panah II with him, which were based on the miseries of Afghan refugees. Shahzad had a tremendous sense of innovation and a great working style,” reveals Ali.
In the end the veteran producer has a small wish.
“When I retire from work and eventually move on to the next abode, I hope people will say that I have done well.”
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