The producer questioned the absence of royalties as Humsafar heads to Spanish-speaking audiences
Filmmaker Sarmad Khoosat drew attention to the lack of royalty payments for Pakistani television artists after the hit drama Humsafar was announced for a Spanish-language release, highlighting concerns over how creative professionals benefit from the continued success of their work.
Khoosat, who directed the popular drama, shared an announcement by HUM TV on his Instagram story on Tuesday, revealing plans to dub the series into Spanish. Reacting to the news, he wrote, “If only there were royalties,” accompanied by a blank-faced emoji.
PHOTO: sarmadkhoosat/Instagram
The remark has renewed discussion about compensation for artists when their work reaches new audiences through international distribution, repeat broadcasts and re-releases.
Royalties allow performers, directors, producers and other creative contributors to receive payments when a production is reused or redistributed. Depending on the agreement, these payments may continue over multiple broadcasts, although the amounts can decrease with successive screenings.
Pakistan’s television industry, however, has long struggled with the absence of a consistent royalty system. The practice was discontinued in the 1990s, when several prominent actors reportedly agreed to give up royalty rights in exchange for higher payments from the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV).
In interviews in 2021, veteran performers expressed regret over the decision, saying it had deprived artists of a potential source of continuing income. The arrangement also helped establish a precedent that private television channels have largely continued to follow.
Khoosat is not the first prominent name associated with Humsafar to raise concerns about the issue. Actor Mahira Khan, who starred in the drama alongside Fawad Khan, spoke about royalties in March while promoting her film Aag Lagay Basti Main.
Khan pointed out that established stars such as herself and actor Fahad Mustafa might be better positioned to manage without royalty income. Junior performers, technicians and other crew members, however, often face greater financial uncertainty and have fewer opportunities to secure long-term earnings from their work.
The debate also gained wider public attention in 2021 when actor Naila Jaffery spoke about the financial difficulties she experienced while battling cancer. She argued that royalty payments could have helped cover medical costs and provided greater financial security during a particularly challenging period.
Her appeal brought renewed focus to the vulnerability of artists who may contribute to successful productions but receive little or no additional compensation when those projects continue generating commercial value.
The planned Spanish release of Humsafar has once again raised a central question for Pakistan’s entertainment industry: should the people responsible for creating enduring television hits continue to benefit financially as their work finds new audiences years after its original broadcast?
For Khoosat, the international expansion of a drama remains a milestone, but the absence of royalties highlights a longstanding gap between the global reach of Pakistani entertainment and the financial protections available to the people behind it.
