OP-ED: 2014 - As Seen on TV
Published in Daily Times (Pakistan) / 5 Jan 2014 Sakina Samo is quoting from T S Eliot, Shanaz Ramzi checks off milestones, there is some talk about a new channel and disagreements over love. Pakistan’s premier entertainment channel (Hum TV) recently unveiled a fresh lineup of dramas and called journalists over for a preview of coming attractions. However, the press conference quickly devolved into an amusing standoff of sorts. Here, those who craved change kept a scoreboard of love stories while glowering at the ones cradling tired premises. Writers, producers, and actors-turned-directors were on hand to justify the recurring motifs of la amour, derivative plotlines, cases of realism deficiency and pacify the resistance. While the new quarter offers a visual feast featuring extravagant set pieces and on-location shoots, it has to avoid being classified as a cluster of clichés that lacks imagination. Sakina Samo, who prefers directing — “ acting is emotionally draining ” — may ...