Actor Urwa Hocane has criticised the entertainment industry’s tendency to measure local productions against Netflix, arguing that Pakistani projects should be recognised for their storytelling and creative identity rather than their resemblance to international streaming content.

Speaking in an interview, Hocane questioned the use of the phrase “Netflix quality” as a benchmark for success, saying local productions had their own strengths and did not need to be validated through comparisons with the global streaming platform. “When someone says a project is ‘Netflix quality’, I find it so lame. I think we are doing better than that,” she said.

The actor also questioned whether Netflix should continue to be treated as the industry’s gold standard, arguing that the platform’s reputation should not overshadow the work being produced locally. “It is just an app or a portal that came along and worked for a couple of years. I don’t think they know what they are doing anymore,” she said.

For Hocane, the defining strength of Pakistani productions lies in their stories and the creative processes behind them, rather than their technical polish or glamorous presentation. She argued that the industry already had quality work to offer and should focus on developing its own creative identity.

“There is quality in what we are making and showing. Why do we need more Netflix, and why are we comparing ourselves to it anyway?” she said.

She added that storytelling should remain central to the way projects were developed, with commercial appeal and visual presentation serving to complement the narrative rather than overshadow it.

“The soul of our projects lies in the stories and in how we prioritise our work process. We are not all about the glamour,” Hocane said. “Later, we commercialise it and make it beautiful,” she added.

Ultimately, the actor returned to what she considered the most important element of any production: the story itself. “I think the simple thing is our stories,” she said.

Hocane began her career as a video jockey before establishing herself as an actor in Pakistani television and cinema. Her acting credits include Udaari, Mushk, Punjab Nahi Jaungi, Na Maloom Afraad and Rangreza.

She has also ventured into film production, producing Tich Button, a romantic comedy featuring Farhan Saeed, Iman Ali, Sonya Hussyn and Feroze Khan, which was released in 2022.

Her interest in the creative process has also surfaced in earlier interviews, in which she discussed the importance of scripts and her desire to contribute to storytelling both in front of and behind the camera.