Scriptwriting needs work in Pakistan: Imran Abbas | The Express Tribune

Model-turned-actor Imran Abbas was at the peak of his career in the 2000s and was seen in various roles in local telefilms and dramas. While the Tum Kon Piya star had worked in local dramas and international movies, his appearances in Pakistani feature films have been rare.

In a recent episode of The Mirza Malik Show, Abbas was asked whether he plans to make a comeback to Pakistani films, to which he responded that the country still lacked “quality scriptwriters.”

“We have seen you in numerous Bollywood movies, but not in a Pakistani film, why is that?” questioned the co-host Shoaib Malik. Hearing this, Abbas immediately corrected him, “I haven’t starred in any Pakistani film ‘recently’.” He then continued, “I do get many offers; almost 50% of the films you see being released in cinemas have their scripts in my drawer back home. However, I just feel like we have a long way to go in terms of quality scriptwriting in Pakistan—or perhaps I’m not capable enough to be part of these beautiful films.”

Speaking about his upcoming work, Abbas revealed he had been working on several foreign projects. “None of my upcoming films are from Pakistan; one is from America, the other from India, while another is an Indian-Punjabi film. I’m most excited about the latter as it’s for the Punjabi cinema, which is quite popular all around the world,” he shared.

The Amanat actor also appreciated the Punjabi language due to its “rich” and “beautiful” characteristics. “This language has a rare quality that just touches your heart,” he added.

When Malik requested Abbas to choose an actor that he would love to collaborate with in the future, he said, “Well, I’m not that keen on watching television these days but Alia Bhatt is a fine actor. I’m from the time when Madhuri Dixit and Rani Mukerji were considered the divas of Bollywood, so I would still label her as a contemporary performer.”

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