Mr. Mufe and the digital entertainment landscape of Pakistan
Mr. Mufe, does this name ring a bell? No! If you are trying to recall a person or a character then you are not thinking straight. You may not have heard of this before, but Mr. Mufe is all set to be really popular very soon. A project of Malaya United Films & Entertainment, this is going to be Pakistan’s first OTT platform.
Malaya United Films & Entertainment is an Independent Digital Content Production House and Mr. Mufe is their official mascot and platform. The company, based in Malaysia, was founded in 2013. Now they have established their registered office in Islamabad.
It is interesting to note that when Iflix came to Pakistan, people (and laymen like me) considered it to be Pakistan’s first OTT platform. Iflix is also a Malaysian company with operations all over the world, especially in the Asia Pacific region. Mr. Mufe’s claim to be the first is not likely to have any firm ground to stand upon, however, the platform could prove to be a breath of fresh air for Pakistan’s entertainment industry.
Mr. Mufe may disappear into nothingness if it is yet another OTT platform. The giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime have already occupied the space there is to target. Something there is that the company is doing differently that no other OTT platform has attempted in Pakistan before, ‘productions’. As I mentioned earlier Malaya United Films & Entertainment is a production house for digital content.
To begin with, Mr. Mufe will be producing its own dramas, shows, kid’s programs, music shows, etc. The exclusivity of the content could be the unique selling point for the platform. Apart from that, the production activity will usher in a new era of showbusiness in Pakistan. It will create more jobs for not only the artists but also for technicians and skilled labor. Writers will also get an opportunity to come up with new themes and concepts on a platform that is open to ideas.
Mr. Mufe can play a big role in reviving pop music culture in Pakistan. Music is one segment that needs a heavy investment of ideas and creativity. Brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Nescafe, and now Bisconni and Kashmir are doing their bit to promote music in Pakistan. An open platform like Mr. Mufe is the need of the hour to get things going as far as music is concerned. The biggest catch for the middle and lower-middle classes is that this platform is completely free to use. They are no subscription charges. This has happened for the first time that original content is accessible to viewers without any charges. Mr. Mufe is a kind of a hybrid platform; on one end it offers exclusive content like Netflix and on the other, it is free to use as YouTube.
