Ahmed Sarym

journalist and co-founder of Qissa Nagri

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Ahmed Sarym is a filmmaker. At 14 he ended up writing for a publication. He emailed a publication his online work as an author, and it picked him up for a story.

Early life and background

Sarym's grandfather worked at a radio broadcaster and wrote plays for radio. His father is a fan of movies, art and culture, works in the corporate sector and is a businessman. Sarym says his father encourages him toward Urdu literature. He says he has always been passionate about art, the expression of art and film. He attended a school in Rawalpindi. [1]

Career

At 14 he ended up writing for a publication. He emailed a publication his online work as an author, and it picked him up for a story. He spoke to an Indian actor about what it is like to live in Pakistan for a month, and he describes the conversation as his first print story. He says he had been writing online for about three to four years at that point. [1]

Filmmaking

Sarym wrote a piece in Urdu and realized it could not be published. His second short film was about anxiety and depression. [1]

Midsummer Chaos

Sarym is working on a web series called Midsummer Chaos. He describes it as a coming-of-age teenage drama, and he says it follows students who have just finished high school. He says it is inspired by his life as a high school student, and he wrote its story when he was 17, about himself. [1]

Sarym had to reshoot the series and recast it. He says his best friends from Islamabad were in the production. Brands he spoke to about the series thought it was too dark. The series has five episodes. [1]

Qissa Nagri

Qissa Nagri is a YouTube channel that Sarym hopes will become a production house. His father gave it its name, which Sarym says means the land of stories. It was founded by Sarym, Mustafa Babar and a third friend. [1]

One co-founder is no longer part of Qissa Nagri, and Sarym runs it with Mustafa Babar. That co-founder could not continue because her university took her to Amsterdam. [1]

Views

Sarym says he felt journalism might not give him the chance to tell his own story. He says he took a back seat from journalism because he gave up on it. He says there is a charm in holding the paper, and that anyone can start a blog. He says he has grown as a person and as a filmmaker, and that he wants to write and direct. [1]

Timeline

2013
Sarym is 11 years old.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2021-05-05 Ahmed Sarym on storytelling, journalism, and filmmaking in Pakistan Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

What is Qissa Nagri?

Qissa Nagri is a YouTube channel that Ahmed Sarym hopes will become a production house. His father gave it its name. Sarym says the name means the land of stories.[1]

Who founded Qissa Nagri?

Qissa Nagri was founded by Ahmed Sarym, Mustafa Babar and a third friend. One co-founder is no longer part of it, and Sarym runs it with Mustafa Babar.[1]

What is Midsummer Chaos?

Midsummer Chaos is a web series that Ahmed Sarym is working on. He describes it as a coming-of-age teenage drama that follows students who have just finished high school. The series has five episodes, and he wrote its story when he was 17.[1]

Which publications has Ahmed Sarym written for?

Ahmed Sarym says the four best-selling newspapers in Pakistan have published him. He was a freelancer and was never signed to a publication, because he was too young for a contract. He began writing for a publication at the age of 12.[1]

Why did Ahmed Sarym step back from journalism?

Ahmed Sarym says he took a back seat from journalism because he gave up on it. He also says he felt journalism might not give him the chance to tell his own story. He says he wants to write and direct.[1]

References

  1. Ahmed Sarym on storytelling, journalism, and filmmaking in Pakistan . Thought Behind Things , 2021-05-05.
Show the source passages (45 statements)
  1. His name is Ahmed Sarym. In conversation with Ahmed Sarym
  2. He has been described as Pakistan's youngest journalist, at the age of 11. from being Pakistan’s youngest journalist at 11
  3. He has been described as starting his own production house at 17. to starting his own production house at just 17
  4. His grandfather worked at a radio broadcaster, and his father is a fan of movies, art and culture. my Dada was in Radio Pakistan and my dad is a huge fan of uh movies and art and culture
  5. His grandfather wrote plays for radio. My Dada has written plays for Radio Pakistan.
  6. His father works in the corporate sector and is a businessman. He's in the corporate sector. He's a businessman entirely.
  7. He says he has always been passionate about art, the expression of art and film. I've always been unbelievably passionate about is uh is art and expression of art and somehow film
  8. He was 11 years old in 2013. I think I'll have to take you back to 2013. I was 11.
  9. He went on to interview several people who were in the cast of a film. I interviewed Shamoona Abbasi and Aisha Khan and Ali Azmat. People that were in the Waar cast.
  10. At the age of 12 he began writing for a publication. Like at 12 PakiUM ke liye maine likhna shuru kar diya.
  11. He later started writing for another publication. Then I started writing for Hip in Pakistan.
  12. He attended a school in Rawalpindi. I went to The City School, Harley Street Campus, Rawalpindi.
  13. At 14 he ended up writing for a publication. when I was 14, I ended up writing for Instep
  14. He emailed a publication his online work as an author, and it picked him up for a story. eventually I wrote an email to Dawn Images that this is my work as an author online only and uh they picked me up for a story.
  15. He spoke to an Indian actor about what it is like to live in Pakistan for a month. So I talked to her about what it's like living in Pakistan for a month as an Indian actor.
  16. He describes his conversation with the Indian actor as his first print story. And that was my first uh print sort of uh kya kehte hain story.
  17. He says he had been writing online for about three to four years at that point. I'd been writing for about three years, four years then uh online.
  18. He was a freelancer and was never signed to a publication, because he was too young for a contract. I was too young to have a contract. I was never signed on with any publications. I was freelancing but I used to write loads.
  19. He says the four best-selling newspapers in Pakistan have published him. the four best-selling newspapers in Pakistan published me. So that was Dawn, The News, The Express Tribune and Daily Times.
  20. He has travelled to Lahore and Karachi for interviews. I've had to travel for interviews, you know. Uh Lahore, Karachi waghera
  21. His father encourages him toward Urdu literature. he's pushing me towards Urdu literature a lot
  22. He says he felt journalism might not give him the chance to tell his own story. mujhe apni kahani sunane ka mauka shayad journalism ke through nahi mil raha
  23. He says he took a back seat from journalism because he gave up on it. It's also why I've sort of taken a back seat with journalism honestly because I kinda gave up.
  24. He says there is a charm in holding the paper. There's such a charm when you hold the paper.
  25. He says anyone can start a blog. But I feel like blog har koi bana sakta hai.
  26. He says a particular film was his introduction to media in Pakistan. Waar was my I like it was my introduction to media in Pakistan if I'm being honest.
  27. He wrote a piece in Urdu and realized it could not be published. It was just something I wrote in Urdu uh and uh and then I realized ki yeh publish nahi ho sakta
  28. His second short film was about anxiety and depression. My second short film was with Mahira Khan about anxiety and depression.
  29. He is working on a web series called Midsummer Chaos. It's called Midsummer Chaos.
  30. He describes Midsummer Chaos as a coming-of-age teenage drama. it's a coming of age teenage drama, and surprisingly enough, it's the first of its kind
  31. He says Midsummer Chaos is inspired by his life as a high school student. that it's inspired by my life in as a high school student
  32. He wrote the story of Midsummer Chaos when he was 17, about himself. I wrote this when I was 17 about myself.
  33. He had to reshoot the show and recast it. aur humein reshoot karna pada, aur recast karna pada.
  34. The series has five episodes. So it's it's five episodes.
  35. He says he has grown as a person and as a filmmaker. I think as a person, of course, and, uh, as a filmmaker, 100%.
  36. Brands he spoke to about the series thought it was too dark. And there were a lot of brands that I had spoken to, you know, to integrate them in the story, jo ki mujhe lag raha tha ki are in line with my story. But they thought it was too dark.
  37. He says his best friends from Islamabad were in the production. all my best friends from Islamabad were in it
  38. He says Midsummer Chaos follows students who have just finished high school. this is literally about a, a bunch of students that have just gotten done with high school
  39. He says Qissa Nagri is a YouTube channel that he hopes will become a production house. it's a YouTube channel. Uh we hope that it can become a production house.
  40. His father gave the name Qissa Nagri. Kissa Nagri is titled by my father, by the way.
  41. He says Qissa Nagri means the land of stories. So, Kissa Nagri means the land of stories.
  42. Qissa Nagri was founded by Ahmed Sarym, Mustafa Babar and a third friend. three people, two of my friends found it. It's me, Fatima Ali and uh Mustafa Babar.
  43. One co-founder is no longer part of Qissa Nagri, and he runs it with Mustafa Babar. Fatima is no longer a part of Kissa Nagri, but Mustafa and I run it.
  44. That co-founder could not continue because her university took her to Amsterdam. Fatima wasn't able to continue. Uski university thi to she went off to Amsterdam.
  45. He says he wants to write and direct. I want to write and direct.