Of all the things we can buy on Daraz, we never thought a Pakistani movie would be one of them. Yesterday, filmmaker Nabeel Qureshi tweeted his dismay with Daraz after he came across a seller on the app selling a pirated version of his latest movie Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad. Nabeel lamented over the damage this would cause to the Pakistani cinema which is still struggling to get back on its feet ever since the pandemic hit.
“This is criminal !@darazpk is selling our film #quaideazamzindabad pirated version Officially on their website, while the film is playing in cinemas across pakistan, this is damaging the cinema and film industry, its alarming @FilmwalaP going to take strict action against it,” he tweeted.
The film’s main leads, Fahad Mustafa and Mahira Khan also expressed their disappointment.
“Beyond furious and hurt to see a pirated version of Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad making rounds on @darazpk ! Piracy is a serious offence, and we really need to nip it in the bud before it ends up destroying the hard work of hundreds of people and our cinema,” Fahad Mustafa tweeted.
Mahira Khan also responded to Nabeel Qureshi & wrote, “Oh my GOD! This is absolutely ridiculous!!”
Daraz took notice of Nabeel’s tweet and quickly removed the pirated version of the movie from the platform. “Hi Nabeel! This was allegedly uploaded by a seller and has been removed from the platform as soon as our compliance team picked it up. Daraz, in any way does not support plagiarism and any such violations,” tweeted Daraz.
This Twitter exchange garnered a multitude of reactions & concerns from netizens. Some are of the view that it is extremely difficult for an average person to pay so much for a movie ticket, some said Pakistani movies take too long to air on our tv screens while others condemned piracy and argued in favor of the Pakistani cinema. Scroll down to view the different points of view.
“Atleast they are selling it & not uploading it for free. In an era of online streaming, you r expecting people to go2 cinema and pay 1000+ PKR to skip watching A+ Hollywood movies and watch this? They could have earned better if they sold the movie to a streaming platform. Adapt!” Do you agree?
” Why @darazpk picked it up after Nabeel’s tweet? There is no check and balance ?” Even though Daraz claims it’s an independent cell, shouldn’t it be aware of what is being sold on its website?
“Bhaijan, aap loog bhi tau aik film ka telescreen kerny mein 2 saal laga kety ho. Tv premier after 3 months ho jaana chaahye”
“They don’t even hv the rights to@sell it at all – its a pirated version they are selling.”
“Well I do agree on that faizan, but here try to understand my point. Not everyone can afford ticket of rs 600 plus popcorn deal of 600. Pakistan awaam wants entertainment. Yes should be given credits and permission”
Daraz is a recognised and established selling platform in Pakistan, perhaps one of the biggest in the country, hence, it should have stricter checks and balances and be more vigilant. All arguments aside, selling a pirated version of a Pakistani film is not acceptable, especially when Pakistani filmmakers are trying their utmost to revive our cinema.
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