Exclusive| Sanam Saeed says ‘the whole of Pakistan’ lifted Bollywood: ‘We know Madhubala to Deepika Padukone, but India doesn’t know what’s going on in Pak’

Amidst all the elation and attention, Pakistani star Sanam Saeed feels proud of what the country has managed to achieve. One of the biggest names in the industry and a beloved name in India, thanks to his hit show Zindagi Gulzar Hai, Sanam Saeed says the Pakistani industry is “thriving” right now.

The actor’s jubilation is also supported by awards: his original Zindagi show Qatil Haseenaon Ke Naam won gold at the 2022 Promax India Awards and the Asian Academy Creative Awards for Best Anthology, which it received alongside Pakistani actor Sarwat Gilani, Indian producer Shailja Kejriwal (Chief Creative Officer Special Projects, Zee Entertainment) and British-Indian director Meenu Gaur.

In an interview with indianexpress.com, Sanam explains the importance of greater collaboration between India and Pakistan, how politics can shatter the beauty of art, the kind of Indian content she grew up in watching and how India learned very late – and perhaps still hasn’t, completely – what life in Pakistan is like.

Edited excerpts:

What does this victory mean to you?

It was a huge victory because it was a collaboration between India and Pakistan. Two mentalities, cultures, similar countries that come together to tell a universal story, made mostly by women. The fact that he hails from these two nations is proof that when great minds come together, great things happen. You can accomplish so much together, it’s a huge support for both players on the team… It was amazing, satisfying and humbling.

Does it sadden you that we don’t have more of these collaborations. Apart from Zindagi, there is nothing.

Honestly, we’re over it. There was a time when a lot of things happened. We had the Kara Film Festival, Indian actors came to Pakistan, our actors went there, Bollywood opened the doors. It’s always been a hot and cold situation. We are finally at a place where we do not place our hopes too much. Each party is very comfortable with where they are in terms of the work they do, respectively.

It’s a bonus point when you give them the opportunity to collaborate, because it’s different, out of the box; there is another challenge and another risk. We were definitely saddened at first. The politics to come in the midst of art is always overwhelming, for any artist, human being. It’s like, ‘Yaar ye kyu beech mein aa raha hai, we love these people, we want to see more collaborations.’ So everyone feels this universal attraction and sadness. This is why it happens and for what reasons. What’s the good of it, we don’t know.

How did you overcome the sadness?

You have to accept the situation as it is. Always be proud of what you are doing in the present, wherever you are… Good things will happen in their time.

But not holding out too much hope, isn’t that heartbreaking?

It was in the middle. When the doors opened, it was exciting to think, ‘Oh maybe one day we’ll be working with our favorite directors, producers, actors. The world will open up and it will affect our talent. It was exciting to think that all these opportunities were there, even the Indians were excited and looking for who to throw from here.

But I guess once, twice, three times you get shot, so you accept the situation and work with what you have. So keeping hopes high was for the first times… But we’re talking about seven or eight years ago. Now we have all grown up and understood the ways of the world.

How much Indian content do you see?

Personally, I’m more of a Hollywood binge watcher. But all of Pakistan was raised in Bollywood, from our grandparents to us, we know Madhubala, stuff from Kareena Kapoor to now Deepika. We have seen all generations. We literally grew up consuming Bollywood, the song, the dance, the culture, the way they eat, the way they do poohHum sab jaante hai Indian mein kya hota hai (We know what is happening in India).

But India does not know what is happening in Pakistan. Kuch bhi nahi pata, hum log kis tarah daal chawal khaate hai, woh andaaz alag hota hai (Indians don’t know how we eat, how we are). The way we wear the salwar kameez, tie up our hair, there are these little differences. We know the difference between what an Indian choti (braid) is, but I don’t think India knows what Pakistani choti looks like. Those little nuances are there. When ZEE Zindagi was launched, India saw “Oh, that’s how they wear their clothes, that’s how they interact”, how independent women are here too. It was interesting to see.

Where is the Pakistani industry today? There’s Maula Jatt, Joyland, Ali Sethi tops the music charts…

There are always ups and downs, but I think we’re on top right now. Pakistani artists are celebrated and recognised, whether it’s Arooj Aftab, who was nominated for his second Grammy, Ali Sethi’s Pasoori with Shae Gill, Joyland and Maula Jatt’s Oscar trip – that’s a lot of Pakistanis who make waves in the world. We are definitely booming and thriving. Drama is at its peak, music wise Coke Studio will be entering its 15th year, many web series are happening. It is booming for sure.

What is it like to be an artist in Pakistan nowadays?

It’s an incredible experience. The amount of love and respect you get from the public, the number of opportunities that are available to you… We are spoiled for choice, if we should do movies, TV series or web series. The love and adoration that you receive from the public, I think has kept us all alive and alive. Unlike Bollywood, we are not inaccessible movie stars. We are with them, every day, in their living rooms, with their families. We are part of their families. There is a very deep connection that the public has with us artists, because of the intimacy of the connection thanks to the theater industry.