Entertainment / Why Humayun Saeed In “The Crown” Is A Stand-Out Moment For Pakistani Representation

Why Humayun Saeed In “The Crown” Is A Stand-Out Moment For Pakistani Representation

Entertainment Nov 02, 2022

by Hina P. Ansari

When it comes the upcoming (and controversial) season of “The Crown”, one of the biggest and most talked about romances, that of Princess Diana with Pakistani surgeon Dr. Hasnat Khan will be depicted. So when casting announced that one of the biggest Pakistani drama stars Humayun Saeed would fill those shoes, it went viral. With its November 9th premiere on Netflix, it’s undoubtedly one of the most important moment for Saeed and for Pakistani representation as a whole.

When it comes to South Asian representation the East to West crossovers are privy to a few. But don’t let the small number fool you. Who can forget Irrfan Khan in The Namesake and The Darjeeling Limited? And there’s Deepika Padukone in Fast & The Furious 7 and Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ long list of Hollywood projects (becoming the most successful Bollywood crossover to date). And of course there was that legendary turn before all of that, thanks to Amrish Puri in Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom.

Why Humayun Saeed In "The Crown" Is A Stand-Out Moment For Pakistani Representation — **Why Humayun Saeed In “The Crown” Is A Stand-Out Moment For Pakistani Representation: Who can forget the iconic cinematic turn by Amrish Puri in *Indian Jones And The Temple Of Doom*.** Photo Credit: www.hindustantimes.com

But if you noticed a common thread you are not alone. These crossovers are primarily from Bollywood to Hollywood.

In contrast, during this time, neighbouring Pakistan had a very small film industry but their tele-series have been and still are iconic. But sadly their stars seen as national treasures their own land, never got an opportunity to flex their thespian muscles in mainstream entertainment space.

Well, fast forward to today.

With Humayun Saeed’s casting as Dr. Hasnat Khan in the upcoming Season 5 of The Crown on Netflix. Pakistani twitter lit up. And rightly so. For the first time a Pakistani role is actually being played by a Pakistani. And here’s why it matters.

Bollywood is Hollywood’s Default Button

As mentioned above with the few examples, it seemed to be the driving narrative among white and non South Asian powerbrokers behind Hollywood films. Need an international South Asian actor? Someone who comes across as someone who may be from India? Look to Bollywood to see who would fit. Which makes sense. As Bollywood stars have a larger global following and therefore the name recognition would hold some value.

Representing All Of South Asia

As of late there has been an expansion when it comes to South Asian representation, beyond the typical East to West crossover. There’s Tamil-Canadian star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan in Never Have I Ever (created by Mindy Kaling who is half Tamil and half Bengali-American), and Canadian-Pakistani star Iman Vellani landing the role of Ms. Marvel. And now direct from Pakistan, Humayun Saeed is part of the elite group of South Asian stars who aren’t from India.

But why does it matter? It’s important to understand that representation should apply to all across the board. Not just to the Indian diaspora. And when you talk about national pride when it comes to their stars be they from Bollywood or Lollywood (Pakistan’s term of endearment for their own film industry) it is at just at another level. And the most important thing is being able to see yourself on screen whether it’s to reflect your own Tamil, Bengali, Indian or Pakistani identity, regardless of where you live in this world.

Who Is Humayun Saeed?

Not a slouch that’s for sure. He has earned multiple Best Actor awards and other accolades from ARY Film Awards, Lux Style Awards, Hum Awards. He has produced and starred in Jawani Phir Nahi Ani which became the highest grossing film in 2015 earning him another Pakistan’s ARY Award for Best Actor. He is also the recipient of the Pride of Performance by the Government of Pakistan, a civil award given to Pakistani citizens who have achieved great merit in literature, arts, sports, medicine or science. All the way he also co-founded Six Sigma Plus media production house which produces a string of nationally acclaimed Pakistani dramas and films.

There’s More Where He Came From

So when casting directors at Netflix found Saeed, it proved to be a huge moment for Pakistani representation. A shining moment which hopefully will open the eyes of mainstream entertainment powerbrokers that there is more incredible talent where he came from.

Season 5 of The Crown will be released on Netflix on November 9, 2022.

Main Image Photo Credit: Netflix

Hina P. Ansari

Author

Hina P. Ansari is a graduate from The University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario). Since then she has carved a successful career in Canada's national fashion-publishing world as the Entertainment/Photo Editor at FLARE Magazine, Canada's national fashion magazine. She was the first South Asian in...

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Why Humayun Saeed In “The Crown” Is A Stand-Out Moment For Pakistani Representation

by Hina P. Ansari

Hina P. Ansari

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