LAHORE – One day after stage artist Mastana passed away in Bahalwalpur, artists have been angered about the indifference shown by the government. The actor, who had been suffering from Hepatitis C could not afford treatment, eventually dying because of complications ending up with liver cancer. But the artist’s family says that no government official bothered to help them out or even visit him at the hospital. Public Relations Officer of the Al-Hamra Arts Council Subhu Sadiq told Pakistan Today that around Rs 0.12 million had been arranged for the family of the deceased actor.
“The money was arranged only a day ago,” Sadiq said adding that senior columnist Ataul Haq Qasmi had given the family the money on Tuesday. Dr Younus Javed, a literary person, said that it was unfortunate that stage actors suffered the most because of bad scripts and bad directors. This meant that they did not make enough money themselves, and ended up in a bad financial state. “Babbu Baraal is also now in hospital suffering from illness and Mastana also passed away in the same way, but the government hardly recognises this trend of artists ending up in this situation,” he said.
“Useless and talent less people are coming on TV to act in dramas, and many of those who are talented are living a life of financial crisis. Obviously for this reason several stage artists have left theatre and gone on TV instead like Amanullah and Sohail Ahmed,” Javed said. Although Javed acknowledged that Al-Hamra was doing its duty by giving out money to artists in need, still this was not the way it should be done. “Artists should not end their lives begging,” he said. “They should be given a job, and let them earn their own money. Charity is not completely right in every case. The government should form a department which should take care of these things,” Javed said.
He said that those who spoke up against Mastana’s condition had done right but in the end it was every man for himself. “No one wants to do anything for anyone else, and its all just lip service. It is up to the civil society and media to help these dying artists by reinstating their self respect,” Javed said.