KARACHI: A Pakistani artist, Safdar Ali Soomro, from Ghotki in Sindh province, recently discovered one of his long-lost paintings featured in the popular ARY television drama “Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum.” Soomro had submitted two paintings to Frere Hall for display in 2017, only to be informed later that they had gone missing, along with works from other artists.
Seven years later, Soomro was watching episode 17 of the drama when he spotted his painting in the background at the 22:30 mark. Overwhelmed with mixed emotions, Soomro posted about the discovery on Facebook, expressing both happiness and disappointment.
“I was happy but hurt at the same time,” Soomro said. “It was clear that Frere Hall had committed a fraud.” He also claimed that his attempts to contact Frere Hall after the discovery went unanswered.
While the Frere Hall management has not commented on the issue, Badar Mehmood, the producer of the drama, clarified that his team had rented the space shown in the show and had no control over the placement of the artwork.
In response to the incident, Provincial Culture and Tourism Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah formed a two-member committee to investigate the matter, with a seven-day deadline for submitting a report. The minister’s spokesperson, Shabbir Ali Babar, assured that appropriate action would be taken if negligence was found, emphasizing that “young artists are our assets, and we will not tolerate injustice.”
For Soomro, the rediscovery of his artwork is bittersweet: “Finding it is like recovering a lost child.” He hopes that the investigation will lead to justice and the return of his paintings.
