From the desk of editor in chief, Meher Kashif Younis:
What is an entertainment industry? Entertainment is a forum of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure or delight. It can be an idea or a task but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousands of yeas specifically for the purpose of keeping an audiences’ attention irrespective of its duration being long or short.
The entertainment industry, informally known as show business or show Bizz, is part of the tertiary sector of the economy and includes many sub-industries devoted to any sort of entertainment to the people. As such, it applies to every aspect of entertainment including cinema, television, radio, theatre and music inclusive of the public and private sectors. The pandemic of Corona Virus has virtually brought the world to its knees and most of it, Pakistan included, to an economic standstill. It is an undeniable fact that the industries and corporations have suffered and continue to suffer a big blow.
As for the entertainment industry is concerned, production houses have suspended a major part of their films shooting schedule, which has quite obviously has directly affected daily workers more than other categories of employees associated with it.
Many people in the entertainment industry including electricians, carpenters, hair and makeup artists and stylists are paid hurly and work on a project to project basis; they are the one who have been hit the hardest. On an average, a decent sent comprises about 200 staff members and out of them around 150 or so are hired on daily wages basis. Their livelihood is now facing a huge threat due to pandemic which somehow continues to persist; in fact, many freelancers have seen their earnings disappear in this air overnight.
Unfortunately, even the best production houses that successfully operate in Pakistan do not offer any sort of unemployment insurance or any assistance to their daily workers. Internationally, associations have come forward with systematic ways to help the artists and workers in the entertainment industry.
The question which needs to be pondered upon is how we can have a systematic and consistent system of distribution of income among the local artists and their families, who have served the entertainment industry for many years together and know no other way of livelihood and source of income. There are people who have been impacted due to the situations like the current times or those who have lost their lives and have their families of dependents in the wilderness behind. We have, more than often, seen heartbreaking images of our aging or ailing artists, suffering away once their heydays are over. This should not be allowed to happen.
A consistent flow of income in times of health and economic crisis will certainly go a long way. We can learn in this regard from other countries also if we want to. We hope that someone is taking note of the prevailing situation and concerned representative bodies will come forward because we are as good as the people we work with.
Future of Pakistani film industry & need for an identity Not since a steady stream of films began populating our theatres has the Pakistani film industry has been at a more crucial stage. With Indian films banned in the country since the two neighboring nuclear countries nearly went to war in February 2019, there is an opportunity for Pakistani films to step up and prove their might and hopefully fill the void left behind by Bollywood big weights. Undoubtedly, this a daunting task, given the Indian movies were released throughout the year and Pakistani movies usually mounting the silver screens in the cinema houses throughout the county in bulk on auspicious occasions of Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Azha holidays.
Owning a cinema houses has over the years due to varying reasons has become quite a risky business and demolishing of the cinema houses or turning them into some other business houses has been going on though lately there has been a tend to build modern type cinemas with limited capacity and people are being attracted to going there for relaxation and entertainment ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their business will take some time to be revived and restored once Corona Virus threat minimizes to a great extent. As for the event management business is concerned, it is flourishing and booming with huge demand in Pakistan.
With the increasing status-conscious consumers’ demand, event management business is quite surprisingly booming in the major cities of Pakistan with their attractive packages, as modern citizens feel the need to go out more often, throw big birthdays and farewell parties, bridal and baby shows in big halls in shopping malls, restaurants and hotels. Over the past couple of years, the event management has witnessed huge growth in the country where event planning is becoming a lucrative career path for all particularly the youngsters. According to the young even organizers, events decorating and catering business is rapidly becoming an expanding industry and such services cater to all sorts of events from weddings to birthdays to corporate events.
For making memories well-cherished and remembered throughout the life time, the people are gradually becoming eager and enthusiastic to spend a certain amount of money in order to make their events successful, well-organized and blissful, a young event management and decorator and a young entrepreneur said on being contacted.
There are many wedding planners in Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and elsewhere in big cities or even otherwise who work as a team, these event organizers use different backgrounds, colors, fabrics and themes in a colorful manner so as to give a unique and aesthetic touch to the entire event. Apart from decoration they eve arrange for the power supplies, weather management, food and decoration of stages where marriages rituals take place. Another event management, decorating and catering specialist one being approached said that event management is a career full of opportunities for creative activities, it is a form of advertising which is quite glamourous and thrilling to say The event organizer is also expected not just ensuring provision of good and delicious food but also know how to make the event attractive to the maximum extent possible.
Employers who hire event planners and organizers include resorts, corporations, government agencies, sports clubs, trade show management firms, political, social and religious parties, associations and organizations, hotels, convention centers among others. Social media also has a massive impact on the events industry due to details being updated and published for events for increasing individual awareness about the forthcoming events. Both the film industry and the event management in Pakistan have a bright future ahead as young, talented and intelligent people are all set to enter these fields in coming days, weeks, years and decades overcoming the problems and difficulties facing them every now and then to say the least.