The glamorous, glitzy awards night for DIAFA in Dubai was resplendent with Ali Zafar’s charm and charisma. As he walked the red carpet with his gorgeous wife, Ayesha Fazli, he met his co-stars from his Bollywood stint, his counterparts from Turkey and his fellow artists from the Middle East. City Times caught up with the Pakistani mega star and found out more about his experience at DIAFA, his urge to speak up on matters he feels important and his upcoming projects. This isn’t Ali Zafar’s first stint in the UAE. He has been previously honoured at the PISA Awards and he was the first Pakistani actor to receive the Golden Visa. So how does it feel to be in the UAE and be a part of the events here? “This place is becoming the centre of the world where people can convene. It gives that facilitation, that oxygen to people from various countries and all walks life. It’s a place where businesses come together,” commented the Teefa in Trouble star. “Dubai is like a second home, which is why I keep coming back here.” At this stage in his life, and as an artist in today’s day and age, how important are awards? “I think art and artists can play a very vital role in shaping the world. You can foster human values like compassion, creativity, empathy through art. Through writing, music, or cinema you can enable these feelings. To me, an artist’s job is not just to entertain. If he chooses to do that, it’s fine too but if you are given a voice to speak for people who cannot – which is what I said in my speech – then it changes the outcome of your art. To me, these platforms, which I use to speak about issues, are bigger than us. They are not just opportunities to talk about yourself; I don’t give much importance to myself. These events are God’s gifts and opportunities given to render your services to humanity at large.”