Danish Taimoor and Sarah Khan's hit TV show Sher was a blockbuster streaming and televised phenomenon. Produced by Abdullah Seja's production house Idream Entertainment, the show gathered massive viewership. Its first episode alone stands at 55 million views and achieved over 4 billion views across platforms altogether. Abdullah Seja's other shows, such as Kaisi Teri Khudgharzi also hit billions in numbers.

City Times spoke to one of the youngest producers in the industry to discuss his journey and his views on content consumption in the future. Edited excerpts from the interview:

Is there any responsibility that you take on your shoulders, being a young producer, and having a lot of success with your shows like Sher and Kaisi Teri Khudgharzi ?

Delivering content is always a responsibility; you have to be relevant to the society that you're producing content for, or the atmosphere where it will be aired. It brings pressure; we need to take into account a lot of things. I interact with all segments of society, in terms of age, so I keep all of those elements in my mind when I create content.

What brings you to Dubai this time? How's your connection with the city?

Dubai is my second home; I'm here every few days. I love spending time here as I have a lot of friends here. Dubai is a melting pot for all creative individuals. Whenever I'm here, whether at a coffee shop or at a work meeting, I see so many creative individuals. I come here often to align my vision too and to see what the world is up to. I get to expand my horizon, and I get to understand the market dynamics. It is a perfect place for collaborations.
How do you feel that the UAE and Middle East diaspora connect with your content? Are there any collaborations on the cards?

ARY is a big name in the UAE. It airs in the UAE as a channel and as a production house that works with ARY; we have a strong foothold in UAE. We have access to the Dubai diaspora, which is visible through the feedback on social media. I'm certain that the time isn't far that we will start building Urdu-based content for our audiences here in collaboration with more local channels and market stakeholders in the MENA region. We know the pulse of the audience. We are very open to collaborations. Dubai's population is expanding, and expatriates bring their lives and families here, and dramas make them feel connected to their home countries. Urdu/Hindi are the commonly spoken languages in Dubai so OTT platforms here will also tap into original content from our sources.

How do you see the future of content shaping up?

YouTube is now a second-screen consumption. You're watching it at your own pace. Content consumption is also very personalised. If you watch one drama, it will start pushing another drama similar to you. And that's how more content is funnelled in. I met a lady the other day, she had a list of dramas that aired from Monday to Saturday. It was very interesting to us. Habits may change, but content will remain the same. There are only seven stories in the world, they say. The execution and packaging will evolve. Earlier, everything was explained in detail, and it was staged. Now, a lot will be left to your perspective, and what you want to assume from the content. However, this has decreased focus (we're called the goldfish generations), so what I previously wanted to tell you in 38 minutes, I will now have to convery in eight minutes.

After a massy, popular entertainer like Sher , a small neighbourhood story drama like Sharpasand is a completely different flavour. Was this deliberate, and do you expect both to fare in a similar vein?

After over a decade of working in this industry, the one thing I know is that every drama will have its own life. Every drama will be received by its unique audience, be it small or large. Every drama will either supersede the previous one or will be a hit or a flop in its own terms. No two dramas will have the same effect on you as a consumer or on me as a producer. Whenever we finish a drama, we finish it off, and we move ahead to another drama. Now, we know what kind of content is relatable, what is relevant and how people can connect to it. Sher started off as a massy entertainer and Sharpasand has its own audience. Each drama will grow into its own audience.

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