Having
immortalised
strong
women-oriented
roles
on
TV
screens
across
the
border,
young
and
multi-faceted
Sanam
Saeed,
known
to
Indian
audiences
as
Kashaf
Murtaza
of
"Zindagi
Gulzar
Hai",
says
that
while
India
makes
the
most
of
its
filmmaking
capacity
to
tell
stories,
the
medium
in
Pakistan
is
TV.
The
29-year-old
is
ecstatic
and
"grateful" that
"Zindagi
Gulzar
Hai",
one
of
the
most
popular
ongoing
shows
in
India,
has
turned
out
to
be
the
"first
drama
to
have
broken
the
ice
across
the
borders
in
current
times",
Sanam
told
in
her
distinct
baritone
over
the
phone
from
Karachi.
"India
uses
Bollywood,
rather
cinema,
to
tell
its
stories.
It
is
one
of
the
largest
filmmaking
nations
in
the
world
and
so
your
talents
get
to
tell
stories
about
politics,
love
and
drama
through
films.
In
Pakistan,
our
medium
is
the
small
screen.
"We
don't
make
many
films,
and
hardly
have
theatres.
A
majority
of
people
seek
entertainment
while
sitting
at
home
and
TV
gives
it
to
them,
so
we
excel
on
that
part," Sanam
said,
stressing
that
since
their
command
over
language
and
gift
of
the
gab
are
"strong",
they
have
some
prolific
writers.
Shows
from
Pakistan
are
high
on
content
and
quality
and
Indian
audiences
are
gradually
coming
face
to
face
with
them
courtesy
new
channel
Zindagi
-
Jodey
Dilon
Ko,
a
first-of-its-kind
initiative,
beaming
entertainment
and
content
from
that
side
of
the
border
here.
The
line-up
on
Zindagi
channel
bears
testimony
to
Sanam's
contention.
Her
own
show
"Zindagi
Gulzar
Hai",
based
on
prolific
writer
Umera
Ahmad's
novel
of
the
same
name,
is
a
romantic
drama
focussing
on
women,
portraying
equality
of
the
girl
child
and
importance
of
a
career
for
women.
Another
show
"Aunn
Zara",
now
over
thanks
to
the
finite
nature
of
most
Pakistani
shows,
was
based
on
Faiza
Iftikhar's
novel
"Hisaar-e-Muhabbat"
and
caught
the
viewers' eyes
as
it
dwelt
on
family
ties
and
strong
female
characters.
There's
also
"Kaash
Main
Teri
Beti
Na
Hoti"
highlighting
the
struggles
of
the
underprivileged
and
"Kitni
Girhain
Baqi
Hain",
a
gripping
line-up
of
tele-films
focussing
on
women
from
various
walks
of
life.
As
an
artiste,
Sanam,
who
was
born
in
Britain
and
shifted
to
Karachi
with
her
family
when
she
was
six,
prefers
to
pick
parts
which
depict
a
woman's
struggle.
"I've
seen
the
effect
some
of
my
shows
have
had,
and
so
I
like
characters
that
can
be
role
models
for
young
girls,
roles
that
can
help
to
change
people's
perspective."
By
"people",
you
mean?
"The
masses.
The
middle-class
masses.
The
upper
middle
class
here
still
has
options
for
entertainment.
We
have
internet,
Hollywood
and
books.
But
for
the
majority
and
the
masses,
there
is
only
TV," said
Sanam.
"A
lot
of
them
sit
at
home
and
watch
TV
as
they
can't
afford
other
forms
of
entertainment.
So,
we
try
to
do
shows
which
have
inspirational
value,"
added
the
actress,
who
has
played
a
troubled
wife
in
"Mera
Naseeb",
a
Pakistani
British
woman
in
"Mata-e-Jaan
Hai
Tu"
and
a
Syrian
Christian
single
mother
in
"Talkhiyan".
Sanam
started
out
by
being
a
model,
following
which
she
became
a
video
jockey,
did
theatre,
tried
her
hand
at
stand
up
comedy
and
is
also
a
singer,
apart
from
being
an
actress
in
TV
shows
and
films.
She
says
three
of
her
past
shows
will
be
beamed
on
Zindagi
channel
soon.
In
a
recent
interview,
veteran
Pakistani
actress
Samina
Peerzada,
who
plays
Sanam's
mother
in
"Zindagi
Gulzar
Hai"
told
IANS
that
she
is
glad
that
through
these
shows,
India
is
getting
to
see
a
side
of
their
country
so
far
eclipsed
by
negative
news
coverage.
Sanam
has
another
view.
"I
don't
understand
why
we
are
considered
different.
We
were
one
nation.
We
are
not
different.
In
fact,
there
is
so
much
similarity
between
us
culturally,
in
terms
of
food,
clothes,
family,
bonds
and
language.
So,
I
have
never
been
under
the
impression
that
we
(India
and
Pakistan)
are
different.
Nevertheless,
I'm
glad
that
the
shows
are
having
a
positive
impact
on
people
in
India
-
it's
the
same
effect
that
they
had
on
people
here
(in
Pakistan),"
she
said.
(Radhika
Bhirani
can
be
contacted
at
radhika.b@ians.in)