Usman Peerzada remembers old Lahore and regrets how culture changed

An experienced actor thinks about how Lahore is changing, what Pakistan was like before, and how AI is affecting creativity more and more.

Veteran actor, director, and writer Usman Peerzada recently looked back on his past in an interview, comparing the Pakistan he grew up in with today's fast-changing culture. Talking about how Lahore has changed, he shared deep thoughts on heritage, art, and identity.

For Peerzada, Lahore is still a special place he loves. Remembering the calm, green city of his youth, he said, "Lahore was more of a bicycle city. That was the beauty and joy of Lahore. I always call Lahore two cities: one is the old city inside the walls, and the other is outer Lahore, which the British started developing after the rebellion. There was no conflict between the people of old Lahore and new Lahore."

He said that people moving from smaller towns to the big city is normal for city growth, but he thinks Lahore's culture got hurt when new people didn't get the city's true spirit. 

He always feels that migrants from smaller cities hurt Lahore's culture. Sadly, they couldn't understand the city's mood. They couldn't see the beauty and fun that was Lahore and living there.

In his opinion, people who come to Lahore from smaller towns often try to change it to match their own wishes instead of accepting the city as it is.

Even with these changes, Peerzada thinks Lahore's true spirit cannot be easily replaced. Talking about his deep connection to the city, he said, "Lahore is what it is and will always stay that way. I have always loved this city; I could never think of living away from Lahore. Lahore has its charm; it's a wonderful city, it has great charm, and I always hope that people don't ruin this charm.

" Thinking about the bigger social changes across the country, Peerzada showed a clear difference between the Pakistan of his childhood and the country he sees now. "The Pakistan I was born in was not this Pakistan," he said, describing the Pakistan he knew as more tolerant, educated, and beautiful.

The actor also talked about his upcoming autobiography and said it's hard to write about your own life, especially when it involves private truths and real people. 

He said the book is not just for him but also to show young people how society has changed. He said, "It's not just my story; it's for these kids too, to show them what we were like and what we've become."

When asked as a joke if his life could be made into a movie, Peerzada said the project would likely face immediate problems with censors. He said, 'First, that movie would be censored. Also, with the book I'm writing, I can't decide what to remove and which names to change to fake names; I don't want to upset people.' 

He also talked about the modern entertainment business and fast tech progress, warning that depending more on computers and AI could change how people enjoy creativity and culture.

He said, "We are quickly approaching a time when computers will tell us what to do—what to eat, think, wear, listen to, and watch—and Generation Z is already living in that era." 

He admitted that AI can make creative work easier, but argued that true art needs a human touch that technology can't copy. He said even if AI gets notes about a character or situation, it can write a script fast, but asked if that work could ever match the emotional depth of human stories.

For Peerzada, technology can make words, scenes, and stories very fast, but the core of creative work is something less solid: the human experience behind it.

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