BRINGING IDEAS TO LIFE
In conversation with
Hamza Khan Baande
The story of an artist in Pakistan is a struggling one. Creative minds need to explore their talent, but the common mindset of the Pakistani society does not allow them to do so, rather dismiss the industry. Similar is the story of a young man in his twenties, Hamza Khan Baande, a filmmaker, fashion photographer, theatre artist, vocalist and dance performer who started off as a fine artist at a very young age.
Known to be a visualizer and an observer, he turned this passion into film-making after he joined the National College of Arts (NCA.) GLOSS caught up with the young talent to know more about his work and his journey ever since he started.
“Like any Pakistani parents, my parents wanted me to stay away from this field and do something technical; and so, I graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering” Hamza tells us as we sip on our coffees at a local café.
Despite being the youngest kid in the house, Hamza recalls all the effort that went into convincing his parents to do something that he had a passion for; photography and film-making.
While recalling the incidents, Hamza said, “In the process of convincing my parents, they shaved my head among other things, for wanting to do this, yet I was determined and so it eventually happened. I joined NCA, started professional work and now they listen to my day-to-day work stories with pride.”
Everyone faces ups and downs in their career, but this man has been struggling from the very beginning, so the need to struggle is what drives him to do more and is his source of energy in every situation.
“I remember the first time I held a camera during a shoot with a friend, the battery ran out and he told me to change. I did not know how to get the battery out, when I asked him how to, I was told to figure it out on my own and he used the other camera for the shoot.”
Hamza says that he learned a lesson that day, learning is an important part of your life and it is something that sticks with you for the rest of your life.
“By the time I figured out how to change the battery the shoot was over but had my friend told me how to remove it without struggling, I wouldn’t have learnt it. Absorbing things is easier when you do them yourself.”
During the interview, we realise that this man is going to go places when we ask how he manages all the skills as a theatre artist and fashion photographer? This is when he tells us about his journey at NCA.
We have seen that artists like to explore and learn new things every day in their lives so that they can go out there and create masterpieces. So, was the case with Hamza, who initially joined NCA for a photography course.
“I had an idea about photography when I joined the university, so in a year I learnt all that there was I needed to know; the techniques, film-making etcetera and I was done. There was nothing new coming my way after this.”
“Thus, I joined theatre and then acting, and after acting, I realized I can manage to direct too.”
The kids who work the entire day should get a chance to learn as well. It is better to get three hours of education than to get no education at all.
Hamza, like every human, was imperfect. Despite going into acting, he still had stage fright which he overcame by trusting in his skills and continued the course for the next 3 years. He was also a part of the dance society during his university time.
As of now, he is waiting to submit his thesis, graduate from NCA and continue his journey finding and visualising stories for his films in everyday situations.
There are never too many stories you hear when you sit down with an artist. We sip our coffee just as Hamza recalls his first theatre experience.
“The first time I did theatre, I couldn’t absorb the character and I had to attend workshops to learn the skills of how to get into character in every different situation,” Hamza tells GLOSS.
The excitement in his tone and the glow in his eyes have us in admiration, “The situation I was given was post-partition in a café based in Karachi. It was a café opened before partition, but was still operating in Pakistan.”
“My role was that of an 83-year-old sweeper and in that 32-minutes play I had just one dialogue, ‘You only get a mother once, not again and again.’”
The tiny details that Hamza recalls from the play are so beautifully conveyed that they leave us in awe. From the setting up of props to the lights going on and off, his queue when he is supposed to walk in, to the improvising he had to do due to a technical error.
“I was supposed to open the play while cleaning the restaurant and turn the open tag on the door. There was a technical error at that point and I froze, but within seconds I knew that this is where I had to improvise.”
“Just when the lights came back on again, I re-enacted the whole beginning all over again and at the end, it all paid off when the audience gave a standing ovation and even the director was impressed.”
“Another scene where I came back to reality from imagining kneading the dough with the woman I love, but could not tell her anything. Within a span of 10 seconds, the lights went on and off twice as we changed the act.”
“During this, I stepped on my wiper and it broke. I fixed it in the dark and almost escaped the wooden planks that were about to fall on me. When the lights went back on I was in my position at the restaurant. So, if in my first play I could do this when everyone was watching, I believe I can conquer anything, it’s all about improvising, focusing on what you are doing at the moment and learning at each step.”
“This is one of the many reasons I love theatre.”
While talking about his theatre experience, Hamza laughs and remembers a funny incident on the set when he was shooting for a video and the actors were to do a romantic.
“The actor got so awkward that he started to tremble as he pulled the actress closer. Then I had to show them how it is done using a male model and everyone on the set started clapping.”
“Thank god he improvised the next time and got it right.”
Hamza being a talented man himself is keen on educating children and changing the perception of artists in our society.
For educating the children he is working on arranging schools and funds for them so that they learn the basics. Not only that, he is planning to address this cause at the government level as well.
“The kids who work the entire day should get a chance to learn as well. It is better to get three hours of education than to get no education at all.”
“I want to tell people that if they are willing to help with the funds, then it will be in for a good cause. We will get some NGOs on board as well.”
“Eventually, I know that we will have all this worked out because I have seen people donate and they will donate more when they know their money is being put to good use.”
Moreover, when it comes to changing the perception of young musicians, Hamza is willing to be the mentor for these kids; which a lot of artists didn’t have.
“Being in the field, we know that it is not as good as it looks. There are flaws, but my aim is to make sure I promote these youngsters to learn how to dream and make it big.”
“When I receive messages on Instagram about my work, how I made it this far, I make sure I reply; even if it is a silly question. Because if they question they will learn and the day they stop questioning, they stop learning.”
Being the only artist in the entire family, Hamza knows the struggle, which is why he is willing to take this step for the aspiring artists.
“Being an artist myself, I know that there needs to be a balance of everything. In our society, very few know how to keep a balance of things. Taking up a commercial project and actually creating art are two different things.”
“Film, dance and music is not considered art in the society we live in. It is only limited to sketching and painting. To change that mentality is what I aim at doing right after I graduate.”
While talking about the recent fashion films and brand advertisements, he shows his dissatisfaction how nothing new is coming to the market.
“People are not thinking out of the box, no one is actually putting in an effort to generate ideas, rather than just promoting the brand, which has become a norm now and no one realizes that ideas are dying.”
Not discouraging commercial project he says that at least one project should be worked on for the sake of creativity and art.
He tells us how if he is given an emotion he can make a 10-minute long video out of it. Thus, coming to his latest project, a video depicting the emotion depressed.
“Give me a camera, a lens, and an actor. I can make an entire video without using glamorous elements, which are very common these days.”
“Film medium is an art because it is your own expression and vision without incorporating music, and a whole lot of glamour.”
As he links this to his objective to mentor young artists; he thinks that a lot of glamour that is added to this medium is a means of complexity for these newer kids.
“We are supposed to teach the kids that film medium is an art, it teaches people the way of acting.”
“I am also working on projects like fashion photography and music videos that are going on simultaneously.”
Looking at the bigger picture Hamza wants to work in the European Cinema.
“European Cinema is where experimental cinema starts from and I am a huge fan of that.”
“The places where directors like Xavier Dolan, Alfred Hitchcock come from.”
“Xavier Dolan and Wes Anderson are my biggest inspirations because they work on dysfunctional relationships.”
He tells us about his thesis, which is inspired by these directors and is about a dysfunctional relationship between a father and a daughter lost in a jungle. After being robbed of everything, they now have to survive and this eventually brings them together.
”Dysfunctional relationships and drama are my favourite genres to work on.”
Film, dance and music is not considered art in the society we live in. It is only limited to sketching and painting.
Thus, bringing us to the topic of working in Hollywood or Bollywood. We sit at the café conversing why Pakistani cinema isn’t progressing as much despite films being made every year.
“Pakistani cinema blindly follows Hollywood and Bollywood, but fail to promote our culture, which in fact is very rich.”
“Our culture is beautiful. There are a lot of folk stories one can gather if focused on. Indians do that, they promote their own culture.”
“We need to introduce our own trends, our own ideas. Show people how beautiful our Sindhi dresses are, for instance.”
“When I shoot my first film, my aim is to portray my culture in it. The music, location and the outfits because; the film medium is something that can be used to teach people.”
“Create something like Sarmad Khoosat’s work. He promotes Pakistani culture; his stories are not adapted, rather they are the stories of you and me.”
“The ideas he is promoting bring up a lot of hurdles, thus, they are not as big of productions as other films.”
“But change takes place slowly. I plan on doing the same, I will fail, but I will also succeed and as long as I stay true to myself, I know there is no stopping to promote the culture.”
As we wrap up the fun interview with laughs, Hamza gives the upcoming talent a little piece of advice saying, “A film can change lives, so if you want to change lives, do it the right way, don’t plant the wrong perceptions in the minds of the people, be friendly, be honest and most importantly, be a filmmaker.”
“Don’t just go with the flow, set your destination and make your own path if you have to.”
Lastly, Hamza in a soft voice says, “Do something that makes someone else happy, because we do a lot for ourselves already.”
TIDBITS
If your life had a theme song what would it be?
Mera Pyaar Tum Hi Ho
Describe yourself in three words
Focused, Visualiser, Committed
Two things you don’t leave your house without?
Earphones and my backpack
One personality you would like to work with
Xavier Dolan
What bores you?
Being idle and not working
What is your go-to mantra?
The word struggle
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Directing a feature film
One song on your playlist right now?
Everything by Deephouse basically, but these days it is Man O To
Something that no one knows about you?
I am sensitive and emotional
Biggest pet peeve
Bad Hair
