By Shoaib Ahmed
LAHORE: Film starlet Meera will make her television debut in a lavish production of ‘Anarkali’, which is being made in collaboration with Indian artists, the actress told Daily Times on Wednesday.
Meera said she was very excited about her debut on the mini-screen. “I shall try my best to do justice to my role,” she said. She has wanted to appear on television for a while, but ‘Anarkali’ was the first really tempting offer to come along. “Aqeel Rubi actually told me that she wrote the part with me in mind,” she said.
The 39-episode series is currently being shot and is scheduled to air some time next February on a satellite channel. It has a huge budget for a television programme, Rs 17.5 million, no surprise when the cast includes big film stars like Babar Ali, Karachi-based veteran television star Talat Hussain and Mehar.
About Pakistan’s cinema industry, Meera felt it could benefit from the experience of film makers from across the border. “I whole-heartedly support co-productions between India and Pakistan because I think such cooperation will raise the standard of our films. Pakistan lacks the latest cinema technology and good movie subjects. Film is a now a universal medium so we could benefit from input from other countries, even if they are just next door.”
Indian film diva Tabu’s aunt Mehar will also act in the series, and Indian choreographer Pony Verma and composer Krishnan Moorti are also involved. ‘Anarkali’ is written by Aqeel Rubi and produced and directed by Afreen Baig.
Meera urged the government to take a greater interest in the movie industry and build new cinemas with the latest facilities. But it wasn’t just cinemas she felt the government should think about.
“The government should open discos and nightclubs in this country, like everywhere else in the world. The young here have a very limited choice when it comes to entertainment. There is no place they can just go and relax. We must tell the world that we are a liberal nation,” she said.
She said many young people, especially the rich ones, hold dance parties in their houses. “This culture should be more open for it gives people a chance to get together and enjoy their leisure hours,” she added.
Meera also spoke about the state of women in Pakistani society and what she is doing to change it. “Women are the most oppressed section of Pakistani society, particularly in the rural areas,” she said.
She is currently working on two welfare projects for women in Lahore. One is a vocational trust for women, the Shafqat Trust, named after her mother. The second is a gynaecology hospital that will employ only female staff. “Both concerns should be completed in the next couple of years,” she said.
I SUPPORT HER IDEAS TO BUILD DISCOS AND NIGHTCLUBS!
