Director Sangeeta is at it. She wants to shore up the sagging morale of Pakistan's film industry that's on its last legs. She has formed, along with some of her colleagues, the Film Federation of Pakistan so that worthwhile, low-budget films could be made and the industry regains its lost glory.


In this regard addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club a week ago, Sangeeta said Pakistani audiences had rejected Indian films (when did that happen?) and it's time our industry came up with films related to our culture, with some government support, in order to facilitate the filmmakers to buy latest cameras and all. Now the thing is, madam, in order to make a good film first and foremost you have to have a good screenplay (do we have a screenplay writer in Pakistan?). Secondly, the director should be educated enough to execute that screenplay in letter and spirit. Thirdly, the actors should know their job like the back of their hands. Fourthly... the list is as endless as the story of the sister's dopatta in Punjabi flicks. And all of it pertains to the creative side of things; the technical aspect doesn't even feature here. The point is we don't have (if we do they're not in majority) creative individuals who know what the art of filmmaking is all about. It's good of Sangeeta, though, to make the right demands at the right time. Let's just hope that the film fraternity will not become what our cricketers have turned into.

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