I N
F O C U S
BRINGING IDEAS TO LIFE
In conversation with
Hamza Khan Baande
Text By Saneela Jawad
Photography Kazim Hamayun
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.
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
“Like any Pakistani parents, my parents wanted to remove it without struggling, I wouldn’t have
me to stay away from this field and do something learnt it. Absorbing things is easier when you do
technical; and so, I graduated with a degree in them yourself.”
Computer Engineering” Hamza tells us as we sip
on our coffees at a local café.
During the interview, we realise that this man is
going to go places when we ask how he manages all
Despite being the youngest kid in the house, Hamza the skills as a theatre artist and fashion photographer?
recalls all the effort that went into convincing his This is when he tells us about his journey at NCA.
parents to do something that he had a passion for;
photography and film-making.
We have seen that artists like to explore and learn
new things every day in their lives so that they can
While recalling the incidents, Hamza said, “In the go out there and create masterpieces. So, was the
process of convincing my parents, they shaved my case with Hamza, who initially joined NCA for a
head among other things, for wanting to do this, photography course.
yet I was determined and so it eventually happened.
I joined NCA, started professional work and now “I had an idea about photography when I joined
they listen to my day-to-day work stories with the university, so in a year I learnt all that there
pride.”
was I needed to know; the techniques, film-making
etcetera and I was done. There was nothing new
Everyone faces ups and downs in their career, coming my way after this.”
but this man has been struggling from the very
beginning, so the need to struggle is what drives “Thus, I joined theatre and then acting, and after
him to do more and is his source of energy in every acting, I realized I can manage to direct too.”
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