Veteran actor Aurangzeb Laghari, who received the Pride of Performance award for contributing to Pakistan’s entertainment industry, revealed in a recent interview that he had to change careers because of the severe lack of acting opportunities. Multiple news outlets reported that Laghari has opened a furniture showroom in Lahore.
In response to this news, Actor Yasir Hussain, took to social media to highlight the diminishing opportunities for drama actors who do not live in Karachi.
The ‘Karachi Se Lahore’ actor shared his disappointment on Instagram. He reposted the news and wrote, “All the dramas are made in Karachi, and they don’t invite anyone from Lahore to join. PTV used to give work to people from all cities, but now they don’t.” He also criticised the channel for not producing good-quality dramas. “PTV hasn’t made a good drama in the last 20 years. It’s such a shame. Where are shows like ‘Tanhaiyaan,’ ‘Dhuwan,’ ‘Aangan Terha,’ ‘Waris,’ ‘Angar Wadi,’ and ‘Guest House’?”
In the same interview where Aurangzeb Laghari revealed his new career, he also confirmed that he hasn’t found acting work because the industry has moved to Karachi. “All the main offices for channels are in Karachi. There is little work in Lahore, so I work very little,” said the actor. He added, “I feel like Punjabis aren’t given the same encouragement because we aren’t in the same city.”