‘Politics, not quality’ keeps Pakistani content off Netflix: Mehreen Jabbar | The Express Tribune

Director Mehreen Jabbar believed “politics, not quality, is the biggest obstacle preventing Pakistani content from reaching global streaming platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video and HBO“, arguing that commercial and regional considerations shape the platforms’ decisions.

Speaking on a recent talk show, Mehreen shared her two cents on why Pakistani content had not made its way onto global streaming platforms.

Mehreen was asked why Pakistan still didn’t have a strong footprint on international streaming platforms, especially given how much the industry had grown technically and creatively, and given that a fair amount of what already streams on these platforms was not exactly award-worthy either.

“I think the main thing everyone knows is that it’s politics,” Mehreen said. “Their head offices are in neighbouring countries, and obviously, their population and subscriber base are much bigger. That market is still developing here; a lot of people don’t pay to subscribe to Netflix or Amazon Prime. So these companies go where it’s financially beneficial for them.”

Still, she isn’t without hope. “I hope this changes,” she said. “Hopefully, our first show will come on Netflix next year, and that’s when I hope the doors will open.”

The conversation moved to a topic that’s been stirring unease within the acting community: the government’s move to remove the foreign drama tax, particularly Turkish content, from local airwaves. Due to this, people in the industry fear that it will open the floodgates to more competition and could hurt homegrown productions.

Mehreen wasn’t convinced this was a real threat. “Turkish dramas used to be very popular, but if you notice, hardly anyone talks about them anymore, because our own industry has grown so much,” she said. “In the last two or three years especially, our industry has really taken off among the diaspora and South Asian audiences, so I don’t think we face that threat.”

“Personally, I think competition is a healthy thing,” she added. “When there’s competition, you focus on improving yourself.”

Mehreen was also asked about recent criticism from writer Dr Yunus Butt, who aimed her directorial pacing, specifically calling out how a 26-episode drama can stretch to 32, and describing her style, along with actor Shuja’s performance, as slow.

Her response was measured. “Honestly, this is their opinion, and good for them,” she said. “I’ve never really been the type to respond to statements like that. It’s their opinion, the way critics have theirs and audiences have theirs. That’s what freedom of speech and freedom of thought mean. You liked it, or you didn’t, that’s okay. We can’t please everyone. There isn’t a single project in the world, out of billions of people, that everyone likes the same way. No one can pull that off.”

Having previously sat on the Censor Board herself, Mehreen said she understood the fine line broadcasters must walk. Since television entered every household, she explained, channels have to use their own judgment about what fits their audience and internal policy, a responsibility she didn’t take lightly, even if she personally leaned away from restrictive censorship.

Mehreen didn’t hold back on one of the industry’s most persistent complaints: delayed payments. She described a chain of blame that’s become almost routine: production houses blame channels, channels blame advertisers, and advertisers blame their own vendors and retailers. By the time the money doesn’t arrive on schedule, she said, it’s often the makeup artists, electricians, and the crew who bear the brunt of it.

“Unfortunately, I’ve said this many times; it feels like I’m on a repeat record,” she said. “It really comes down to figuring out where and at what point it needs to be fixed. Project management isn’t proper in our industry, and I honestly don’t know when that will change.”

She also pointed to a lack of unionisation as part of the problem. “I think the real issue is that people don’t unionise,” she said. “Unions exist, but they have no real power, because there’s no unity behind them.”

On a more hopeful note, Mehreen pushed back on the idea that Pakistani dramas were only now becoming progressive in how they portray women. “In the 90s and 2000s, in the plays I did, it was very common. But at one point, we were influenced by a certain kind of Indian soap opera, but now we’re coming back to our own history. We’ve always had so many strong female characters, going back to the classic PTV plays, and you’ll find them full of strong women. So it’s not like this is happening for the first time. It’s always been there. We’re just coming back to it.”

For Mehreen, it seems, the story of Pakistani television isn’t one of catching up; it’s one of returning to strengths the industry has always had, while it waits for the world to catch on.