United Producers’ Association
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United Producers’ Association
(UPA)
A United Stand
By Shanaz Ramzi
It’s a pleasure to see professionals working collectively towards a common goal. Usually, jealousies and intrigue proliferate among competing individuals rather than a spirit of camaraderie.
The United Producers’ Association (UPA) comes across as a breath of fresh air. Founded two years ago in Lahore, with the Karachi office opening some eight months ago, UPA’s aim has been to promote television production by bringing together TV producers on a unified platform.
The organisation — now comprising some 125 television production house owners — gives the producers as well as media companies across the country a formal structure to rely on, and handles in confidence their various issues such as rates, contracts, trade, copyright, broadcasting and film. It also has an active web site which allows people to get in touch with their members, and tries to bring members together at relevant events. In fact, the ultimate plan is for the platform to operate as a trade body that will help producers reach out to the global market. The UPA also takes out a newsletter which it hopes to convert into a trade magazine in time.
The UPA gives local producers and media companies a formal structure to rely on, and handles in confidence their various issues such as rates, contracts, trade, copyright, broadcasting and film. It also has an active web site which allows people to get in touch with their members. In fact, the ultimate plan is for the platform to operate as a trade body that will help producers reach out to the global market.
In a moot organised by the Karachi office recently at the Governor House, Atiqa Odho, the chairperson, threw light on the objectives and achievements of this young body. A non-profit organisation with a functional General Executive Committee (GEC) in both cities, Odho claims that they enjoy “balance of power”, which is probably the reason for its success. Furthermore, she suggested that producers should start thinking of subtitling their plays, so as to have greater outreach. She also took the opportunity to announce the UPA’s decision to open memberships to channel owners and producers working in channels as well, albeit as non-voting members.
Surprisingly, although the event was hosted at the Governor House, Ishratul Ebad turned up an hour late. He made no mention of any support the government would be willing to offer to production houses or private channels, but instead focused on what the media should do for the country. He stressed on the role the media has been playing in promoting a negative image of Pakistan and urged that it should rather enhance the potential of the country and contribute to its economic development. On a more general level, he advised every person to be cognizant of their surroundings so as to be able to deal with security issues.
Considering that this was the first get-together of its kind called by the UPA, the turnout was encouraging and included Satish Anand, Sanya Saeed, Humayun Saeed, Sultana Siddiqui, Sahira Kazmi, Abdullah Kadwani, Arif Bahalim, Owais Khan, Misbah Khalid, Rashid Sami and Sohail Hashmi — with the latter also compering the programme.
It is hoped that the organisation will continue to do good work and bring some much-needed boost internationally to Pakistani plays.
