During an interview on Nadia Khan’s Rise and Shine show, Ismat Zaidi opened up about the way senior and supporting actors are treated on set. She stated that there is no respect for craft or artists anymore; it’s only about money now. She added that in a span of 25 days, 20 days are wasted due to the requirements of the main leads.
Ismat added that the drama is shot according to the availability of the main leads; instead of the whole cast, the support cast is forced to attend shoots without realizing they may have given their dates to another project. She said that time is being wasted on the set because the leads are not ready for the shots on time, and long breaks stretch into hours.
She said that worldwide, shifts are no longer than eight hours; however, in Pakistan’s drama industry, shifts are as long as twelve hours or more, with most of the time wasted between shots. She said no one is obligated to answer any questions; no one can question delays and mismanagement. Even after working all night, one is expected to be back for an evening call time. She further added that in a contract, the only liable party is the artist, who is given no favor.
