Veteran Pakistani actor and director Usman Pirzada has shared his thoughts on how Lahore’s culture has changed over the years, saying that people who moved to the city from smaller towns did not always understand its unique character.
Speaking during a recent television appearance, Pirzada recalled his college days, when he studied at Government College and mixed freely with students from the old walled city of Lahore. He said there was never any real tension back then between residents of the old city and the newer parts of Lahore.
However, Pirzada explained that things gradually shifted. He said he has always felt that Lahore’s culture was affected to some extent by people who arrived from smaller cities. He was quick to add that moving to a bigger city for better opportunities is completely normal and nothing to criticize. The issue, he said, was that some newcomers struggled to understand and respect the temperament and traditions of Lahore.
Even so, Pirzada expressed confidence that the city’s core spirit remains unchanged. He said certain traditions and ways of life continue to exist despite everything, and that his love for Lahore comes from growing up there. He also revealed that he once had chances to move abroad for a better future but could never picture himself living away from his beloved city.
Pirzada has worked in Pakistan’s entertainment industry for more than fifty years as an actor, director, producer and writer, starting with theatre and later appearing in Pakistan’s first English-language feature film in 1976. In 2023, he received the PTV National Icon Award for his lifetime contribution to film and television.
