If over-the-top, completely illogical and absurd Bollywood-inspired dances in Pakistani adverts aren’t enough to make you question the purpose of your existence in this world then this should. Actor Hameed Sheikh, who was last seen in filmmaker Jami’s critically-acclaimed Moor and was lauded, in equal measure, for his emotionally gripping performance, took to Facebook on Wednesday afternoon to share his recent encounter of an advert that has turned his life upside down, quite literally.
This particular shot of Hameed Sheikh, that has been aired across various TV channels as part of a paid government advertisement, is in fact a scene from his upcoming film, Abdullah.
Actor Hameed Sheikh speaks to Instep about the life-altering commercial that he never signed up for.
If over-the-top, completely illogical and absurd Bollywood-inspired dances in Pakistani adverts aren’t enough to make you question the purpose of your existence in this world then this should. Actor Hameed Sheikh, who was last seen in filmmaker Jami’s critically-acclaimed Moor and was lauded, in equal measure, for his emotionally gripping performance, took to Facebook on Wednesday afternoon to share his recent encounter of an advert that has turned his life upside down, quite literally.
In the video, Sheikh shares how he has landed himself a nefarious role in a recent commercial, being aired on behalf of the Pakistani government, without even signing up for it. The paid advertisement, which is more or less a moral service message by the government in wake of the Lahore bombing that took the lives of over 80 women and children and left hundreds scarred for life, shows Sheikh as a terrorist, handcuffed to a train, in an attempt to highlight the consequences of being radical. The catch, however, is that this wasn’t Sheikh lending his acting skills to the government for the betterment of the society. Instead, it was a shot from the trailer of his upcoming film Abdullah and was included in the advert without first seeking his permission. The ad has since then been aired on various leading news channels across the country and Sheikh, who recently returned to his hometown Quetta after an international tour, has been having a hard time getting out of his house and is unable to breathe free.
Produced and directed by Hashim Nadeem, Abdullah stars Hameed Sheikh in the lead along with Imran Abbas and veteran actor Sajid Hasan.
“I returned about three days ago after a tour abroad and a fellow actor from Karachi messaged me saying ‘there is a commercial running which includes one of your shots. Are you aware of it?’ I said no I don’t know anything about it. He then asked me that I should watch it and immediately take an action because it’s portraying me as a terrorist,” Sheikh shared in a telephonic conversation with Instep. “Now, I live in Quetta and have my own business here which limits my access to television. Later that night, Sajid Hassan called informing me of the same and so did Rehan Sheikh. Finally, I managed to watch the ad myself and I was shocked. This was a shot from the trailer of Hashim Nadeem’s Abdullah that I am playing the lead in and which is set to release soon. I did not permit them to use any of this content.”
Lack of originality has long been a shortcoming of the Pakistani ad world but to lift footage off a film, without prior permission, and portray it in a completely different light in the name of creativity is totally uncalled for. What makes it even more alarming is that this is an ad sponsored by the government. But a bigger responsibility falls on the shoulders of the creator. Sheikh revealed that once the news got out through his video, a representative from the creative agency that was behind the ad contacted him and tried to ease him off with an apology.
“This guy, who didn’t reveal the name of the agency at the time, called me the same day and said that their editor got the footage off the Internet and just used it so it wasn’t really their fault. He tried his best to convince me with apologies but I will take them to the court because they destroyed my image. I have been working in the industry for the last 30 years and I have never been part of any unnecessary controversy or even a mainstream project for that matter because I am very selective. I work to promote art. I didn’t ask Jami for a penny because I trusted his work. So I don’t think their words will change my mind,” asserted Sheikh.
Sheikh’s co-actors and associates from the film industry have also encouraged him to file a lawsuit and according to Sheikh, actress Zeba Bakhtiar has arranged a lawyer for him in Islamabad to help with the case. Sheikh has also spoken to the chairman of PEMRA, who has ensured that the ad will be taken down with immediate effect.
This incident is as much a case of lack of accountability as it is of unoriginality and sheer disregard for another
individual’s work. Most creative web content in Pakistan is still not protected by law and the laws that do exist, exist only on paper. Whatever has happened with Sheikh needs to be taken as a lesson for future and should prompt institutions to start holding individuals accountable for such actions.
