Veteran actor and director Shaan Shahid critiques Humayun & Fahad in the Pakistani entertainment industry. During a recent appearance on the show Rise & Shine, the Bullah star didn’t hold back his thoughts on the current state of Urdu cinema, specifically targeting the industry’s two biggest titans: Humayun Saeed and Fahad Mustafa.
Living in a “Disney World”
While acknowledging that both Saeed and Mustafa are “great at what they do,” Shaan argued that they are hesitant to push the boundaries of their craft. He suggested that both actors prefer to operate within familiar creative boundaries—or what he described as their own “Disney World.”
“They want to stay in their comfort zones; they don’t want to challenge their craft,” Shaan remarked. “Everyone has their own area, they rule over it like their personal kingdom—that shouldn’t happen.”
Shaan emphasized that true artistic growth comes from collaboration and stepping into projects where there is “equal competition” rather than sticking to safe, high-budget formulas where they maintain total control.
Budgets vs. Brains
A significant portion of Shaan’s critique focused on the industry’s obsession with box office numbers. He noted that while Pakistani film budgets have grown significantly, the “minds” behind them haven’t evolved at the same pace.
- The Numbers Game: Shaan criticized the trend of measuring success solely by earning Rs 2 billion or Rs 6 billion, arguing that this hasn’t led to a sustainable increase in new projects.
- The Punjabi Cinema Model: He pointed to his most recent film, Bullah, which was made for approximately Rs 70-80 million and earned Rs 260 million in just 20 days.
- The “Mind” Over Money: For Shaan, Punjabi cinema remains the gold standard because it relies on substance and audience connection rather than inflated production costs.
The Karachi-Lahore Divide
Shaan also lamented the ongoing regional divide within the industry. He described the separation between Karachi and Lahore as “very sad,” noting that it creates a “territorial mindset” that prevents talent, wealth, and opportunity from flowing freely across the country.
Social Media and “Fake” Success
In a world increasingly dominated by digital metrics, Shaan warned that measuring talent through “likes” has taken a “wrecking ball” to the standard of content.
- Talent vs. Popularity: He argued that the current system rewards popularity over actual skill, leading to a surplus of “people who can’t sing, singing” and “people who aren’t funny, doing comedy.”
- Content Decay: Because social media success can be “fake,” Shaan believes creators have stopped caring about the actual quality of the content they produce.
Industry Reaction
As expected, Shaan’s comments have sparked a heated debate on social media. While some fans praised him for his “brutal honesty” regarding the lack of diversity in leading roles, others have fired back, telling the veteran to “grow up” and support his colleagues rather than pulling them down.
With Shaan’s upcoming film Psycho (co-starring Meera and Sonya Hussyn) set to release on Bakra Eid 2026, these remarks ensure that all eyes will be on him—and his contemporaries—to see who truly steps out of their comfort zone next.
