The perils of nepotism have shown their true colours all around the globe, and in the last few years, many have spoken about its vile existence. However, in Pakistan, it seems it continues without much questioning.
Yes, it exists – and it destroys careers more than one would like to admit.
It has been a culture of silence, and a trend to choose people already in the limelight for the countless film and television productions, and that is once again showing adverse effects within the industry.
But in what exact ways is nepotism affecting our nascent entertainment realm? Diva has the lowdown…
Creating a Dearth of New Talent
Despite countless Pakistanis proving their talent outside of the limelight, many will probably never get to a major position to prove their prowess. The industry very much so works with the people who already are within the industry, and are harsh in their treatment of newcomers and those who want to enter. The culture of asking which ‘talent agency’ has sent that person has NOT ended.
Shunning New Content
If you constantly can’t stop ridiculing the content seen on television and films, well, blame it on the fact that there are hardly any fresh faces behind creating these narratives. There’s a preference for the same ol’ names to write content that have been writing it for years, and new talent is kept at the peripheries of the project(s).
Inducing Clique Culture
One of the worst things that could happen to an industry is the inner politics of creating cliques. We see it happen massively within our industry, where on the forefront everyone’s a ‘big happy family’, but in reality, each has a clique to represent. You have people divided upon lines of metropolises, cultures, regions, and even TV channels. Go, figure!
Monopolising Talent Pools
A huge responsibility in curbing nepotism lies in the hands of television conglomerates and production houses, yet they are the ones who end up creating more trouble than peace. There’s a large concept of monopolising on talent and creating ‘camps’ of actors that would only work with a certain channel. This has continued for a while, and without taking names, you can clearly see this when you search how many dramas the top celebs have done with WHICH channel, each.
Destroying Credibility
One of the worst things one can do is destroy the credibility of award shows and platforms that were made to recognise talent. Well, that happened to our award shows a long time ago and nepotism hasn’t left since. We’ve all seen the same people win again and again – AND AGAIN, proving that when nepotism is behind you, then what should you be scared of!
Do you believe nepotism exists in the Pakistani Entertainment Industry? Tell us in the comment section below.