The Jami we know from various commercials and videos is broody, elusive and has some phenomenal projects to his credit, like Pal Do Pal, Chaye Chaye, Ankhiyan, Chal Dil Mere, Dhanni, Anjaane and many more. The Jami we don’t know is the man, who likes to speak up his mind, digs movies, is laid back. We take a peek on the other side of this director’s fence.

How does it feel to be known as the best video director in Pakistan?

I’m trying to enjoy it. Because when you’re at the top, people want you to fall down, which is why I get scared of being called that. But honestly speaking, we are not doing that well. Abroad, there are so many good short films being made by the kids. We’re doing commercials to run the kitchen, making music videos, and we try to balance both, which is why we try not to sell our souls in music videos. We should do justice to the song. In commercials, the clients will listen to you to an extent. Like in the Indigo commercials, they’ve given a very free rein, but you know that you have to sell something.

Truly one of the best video directors in Pakistan, Sohail Javed has come a long, long way. His videos have left a mark in the Pakistani pop music industry, and have been an inspiration for the new generation of video directors.

How many years have you been in this field?

It’s been eleven years. I started out in 1993 as a director, borrowed money from somewhere and made a programme.

Were you assisting someone?

Nope. I’ve never assisted anyone. I am not the sort who would assist someone. I know people who were assistants eleven years ago and are still assistants, or are trying to figure out what they want to do or have changed their profession. They’ve been let down and mistreated.

Under which banner are you working?

My company is called Saya films. It’s an independent film company. We ‘ll be starting a film this January.

Film as in film?

Yes. It’s basically a 100-minute English film. The script is 70% in English, 20% in Urdu and 10% in Punjabi. It’s called Baavan (52). Shahzad Nawaz is producing it, and I’m directing it. We’re making it on 35 mm.

What is power? Who has it? How can you tell? These are questions that have no easy answers. Ask an assertive journalist, and you’ll hear a vehement dismissal of all glamour types and the list of powerful people whittling down to a stodgy industry bigwigs. Ask a starry-eyed showbiz fanatic and you’ll hear a bubbly eulogy for all the hot starlets who in reality would not even have the clout to wangle a solo project. So the dilemma remains.

As a six- year-old I could hardly understand music. But there was one tune, which I still remember humming in my class when I was in grade one. The song had a distinctly catchy tune and had taken the Pakistani Pop scene by storm. It started off as Sar kiye yeh pahar. Then suddenly the band who sang this song vanished. And when after eight years the Strings launched their smash hit album called Duur I realized that they were the same guys whose tunes infused a craze of music in me at a very young age.