The most popular show on Netflix these days which is currently trending all over the world is K-drama Squid Game. Interestingly, the action-thriller series has a Pakistani character — Ali Abdul — in it, however, like any other film or TV series of the world, it is played by a non-Pakistani actor.
This is quite a norm in Hollywood where they cast Indian actors as Pakistanis, but it was unpleasant to see that even Korean series, which are loved in Pakistan, didn’t make an effort to cast a Pakistani actor. Ahmed Ali Butt is also quite disappointed to see this lack of representation. In connection, the actor raised an important question about the casting of Pakistani and Muslim characters in international shows and movies.
He said that these casting decisions are “frustrating” and questioned, “why can’t these productions cast original Pakistani actors for such roles?”
Ali in Squid Game is a Pakistani but is played by Indian actor Anupam Tripathi, who lives in South Korea. Another character of Pakistani origin, Sheriff Omar Hassan in Midnight Mass, is played by Rahul Kohli, a British actor, who is a Hindu.
One reason behind Anupam’s casting would be that he has been living in South Korea since 2010 and must be familiar with the language. However, Ahmed insisted that “we really need to make new progressive film policies so, international filmmakers can use actual location and talent from our country.”
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Though Ahmed is pointing at some of the recent instances, this has happened multiple times before. British actor of Pakistani origin Riz Ahmed also felt this dissatisfaction and hence launched an initiative to change Muslim representation in world cinema.
Read: Riz Ahmed launches initiative to change Muslim representation in world cinema
“These stats are crazy. When it comes to #MuslimsInFilm we are either invisible or villains. So we assembled the #MuslimAvengers to try fix this. Will the industry now step up?” he tweeted, adding “I’m fed up of seeing Muslim characters on screen either negative or non existent. The industry must change. Our new study proves what many of us always felt about #MuslimsInFilm. The cost is measured in hate & lost lives.”
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