"Films are not released except on Eid."
Veteran Pakistani actor Shaan Shahid has delivered a sharp and unsparing critique of the country’s film industry in a recent podcast interview.
He did not hold back during the candid conversation, addressing everything from seasonal release patterns to the industry’s failure to crack global streaming platforms.
One of his most pointed observations concerned the deeply troubling habit of releasing films only during Eid and leaving the rest of the year empty.
“Today, you see that films are not released except on Eid.”
He went further, noting the obvious absurdity of an industry that ignores most of the calendar year entirely when it comes to releasing content.
“Apart from that, there are twelve months in a year, but no one puts out a movie.”
Shaan argued that this pattern prevents a sustainable and healthy cinema culture from ever truly taking root in Pakistan consistently.
His frustration extended beyond release schedules to the quality and variety of content being produced and put before Pakistani audiences year after year.
Shaan believes this creative stagnation stems from the industry’s growing disconnection from ordinary people and its obsession with chasing a narrow demographic.
He took particular aim at what he sees as the misguided and divisive modern obsession with targeting Gen Z audiences to the exclusion of everyone else.
“We have put a label on Gen Z.
“Are you looking for the masses, or are you just going to go for that one or two per cent?”
For Shaan, entertainment is not and should never be a luxury reserved only for those with money and social standing in society.
“You can’t deny people entertainment just because they have less money or a lower status.”
This deep commitment to his roots and his own industry is also what led him to famously turn down major offers from Bollywood.
He revealed that he had rejected the iconic villain role in the Bollywood blockbuster Ghajini.
Shaan addressed the romanticised idea that art and music transcend national borders, saying:
“See, there are no boundaries, but the boundary between India and Pakistan exists today.
“All those artists who used to say this should go and show their visas now.”
Shaan also revealed that he had not watched The Legend of Maula Jatt, the massive hit that redefined box office expectations for Pakistani films.
He explained that he prefers to look forward rather than revisit or celebrate remakes of older cinematic material.
For him, genuine progress in the industry must come from bold and original ideas rather than from repackaging stories that have already been told.
His critique then turned to Pakistan’s persistent and deeply frustrating failure to make any meaningful inroads into the global streaming landscape despite years of opportunity.
“Netflix has been around for so long, but nobody could crack the code.”
“You are so tightly controlled that they aren’t even taking your dramas, let alone films.”
Shaan Shahid also criticised the tendency to create unnecessary and entirely self-made obstacles that block progress before it can even begin.
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