Director Musaddiq Malek has sparked controversy after dismissing the importance of viewers’ comments on YouTube videos, specifically the digital presentation of dramas, which has led to widespread criticism on social media.
Malek made the remarks during ‘Kya Drama Hai’, a show he hosts alongside judges Nadia Khan, Marina Khan and Sadia Imam.
While discussing drama serial Case No. 9, Nadia recalled a line from character Sehar, played by Saba Qamar, who said it was “really easy to just sit at home and comment, but your comment can actually mess up someone’s life”.
Musaddiq agreed, saying, “True.”
“That was really fun and such a good point. It was also important to show this to the people watching, including those commenting. And look, when you comment, how do you know the truth? You shouldn’t be commenting like that,” Nadia said.
Musaddiq then said it didn’t have as much an impact as people think. “But I think all these Facebook warriors, Instagram warriors, because of them, we’ve developed thick skin now. Like, it doesn’t matter to me anymore.”
Marina Khan spoke of the seriousness of online harassment, saying, “This medium is allowing kids to commit suicide just because of comments.”
“I want to emphasise this, that we should just close the comment sections. Yes, I said it. Because if you want to watch, go ahead and watch. If you want to message, go ahead and message. You can even inbox or just dislike,” Musaddiq said.
“You don’t have any more value than this. You think it’s super important just because you have a tab for the comment button, but honestly, that’s all you’ve got,” he added.
The clip quickly spread across social media platforms, drawing sharp criticism from viewers who felt disrespected by the director’s remarks.
One user commented, “Nothing great about him.”
Another wrote, “Drama is for the public, so they have every right to comment. And if we don’t watch dramas, yours won’t run either.”
Some viewers defended Musaddiq’s stance after watching the full interview. “Watch the full interview. Then things will be clear. He said this because people bullied Fariya in the comments. They harassed her, saying we’ll do this and that to you. That’s when the director made this point,” one comment read.
However, several others remained critical. “Boycott Musaddiq Malik dramas then he will understand the value of viewers,” suggested a user.