Daily Times

Your friend and co-star from ‘Sadqay Tumhare’, Mahira Khan found herself in the middle of a controversy when her photographs with Indian actor Ranbir Kapoor surfaced on the web. What do you think of the controversy?

I was directing Mahira Khan for a commercial on the day that the photographs appeared. She became very, very distressed when that happened. Mahira is a professional and perfectly capable of putting personal issues to the side and performing well for the camera but, on that day, I had to take the initiative to call the shoot off because I knew that Mahira is an actor who thrives on positivity and because I needed her to be spontaneous and open. Things were just all too raw for her, on that day. As far as the controversy goes, I believe that the storm was caused by a confluence of three things – one, she was dressed in a certain way; two, she was smoking; and, three, the photographs made the meeting seem like a personal tête-à-tête. I did not see it as that big of a controversy. It is just that Mahira has cultivated this nice image of the girl-next-door for herself and the photographs broke the image. I understood her pain but felt that this was an opportunity for her to shed the image, say “good riddance”, realise that she did not have to put on a show for anyone, and drop the baggage. Yes, perhaps, she could have been more responsible and made sure that her image was not shattered by photographs that would give her detractors fodder to attack. So, keeping that in mind, maybe she should have been more careful. Sadly, no one would have raised an eyebrow if the photographs were of a shirtless Fawad Khan with a female Indian actor. We hold men and women to completely different standards. In my opinion, it is Mahira’s life, her body, and her choices. She can do what she wants. What is the big deal about wearing a dress, smoking a cigarette, and hanging out with an Indian star? Most other actresses would have loved to be photographed like that. Yet, Mahira felt exposed and believed that she should have been more responsible.

Did you give Mahira Khan an advice about handling the controversy?

Yes, I did. I advised her to lie low and stay offline for a few weeks. This culture of gossip exists mostly online. Sometimes, one has to tune online chatter out and let the furore die on its own. I told her that she should spend time with people who love her and do not care about what really was a storm in a teacup. I also told her that the media could be cruel and, regardless of that, she needed to stay true to herself. In the ultimate analysis, the controversy gives Mahira a little more edge. She is much bigger than a few minor controversies. Her talent will far outshine and outlast such silly little incidents.

You made a big splash with your first television serial ‘Sadqay Tumhare’. Your second television serial ‘Dil Banjara’, barely made a ripple. What, do you think, went wrong with ‘Dil Banjara’?

Gosh, these are really personal questions! I was closely involved with the ‘Sadqay Tumhare’ from the get-go. The serial was very well written. I found the director Mohammed Ehteshamuddin to be brilliant, thorough, and thoughtful. The entire team was wonderful. I have always been someone who shines amidst positivity and does his best when the team is good. ‘Sadqay Tumhare’ was, therefore, great for me and a huge success. ‘Dil Banjara’ was different. It was meant to be a segue to other things that were promised to me but that never materialised. I always knew that the script was not great but felt that the idea was fun and the characters had the potential of being interesting. There was also travel involved, which I like. I, therefore, signed on to do ‘Dil Banjara’. Things did not go as planned. I felt that the director just did not care about the serial and that affected all of us. Even Sanam Saeed, who is usually stellar as an actor, faltered in Dil Banjara. The failure of the project made me realise the importance of good writing, inspiration and leadership. I was actually offended by Dil Banjara’s approach to storytelling. I have studied cinema and filmmaking at school and hold the storytelling process sacred. I did not like how it was done in ‘Dil Banjara’. The project served as a wake-up call for me and I resolved only to work with good teams that had inspired leadership.

You are now working in a film titled ‘Cake’. The title does not let on much about the genre or subject of the film. What is the film about?

It’s a beautifully written, contemporary family drama that is full of dysfunction and intrigue. One could say that it is a coming-of-age family drama.

How did you land the role in ‘Cake’?

The director of ‘Cake’, Asim Abassi, contacted me for the role in ‘Cake’ after the hugely popular ‘Sadqay Tumhare’ and before the disaster that was ‘Dil Banjara’. I was deeply moved by the script of ‘Cake’ but turned the role down because I felt that the role was a minor one. I was riding high after the success of ‘Sadqay Tumhare’ and being offered all sorts of interesting roles. I only wanted to play leading roles and did not feel that the one I was offered in ‘Cake’ qualified. However, after getting trapped in ‘Dil Banjara’ for a few months, I came out seeking oxygen and connection. I learnt that ‘Cake’ was in pre-production but the role I had been offered had not been cast, as yet. I contacted Asim for a meeting to discuss the role. He agreed to the meeting but told me that I would now have to audition for the role. The stipulation came as a rude shock because Asim had offered the role to me originally. I think Asim asked for the audition because ‘Dil Banjara’ had been so very bad. I felt that I had to make him realise that I was the same actor he had loved in ‘Sadqay Tumhare’, that ‘Dil Banjara’ was an aberration, and that I was fully capable of delivering the performance he needed for ‘Cake’. We met, I auditioned, and also learnt that the role had become much more significant than when I had last read it. The next thing I remember is calling Asim and telling him, “let us do this,” signifying the beginning of a new relationship with a new character.

Are you happy that you did ‘Cake’?

I am very glad I worked in ‘Cake’. The script of ‘Cake’ is excellent. The director of the film is a visionary leader. The production team is great and the entire crew is just beautiful. ‘Cake’ also stars Sanam Saeed who was with me in ‘Dil Banjara’. This was a totally difference experience than we had in ‘Dil Banjara’. People will see the difference in our performances in the two projects. Much like ‘Sadqay Tumhare’, I gave everything I had to ‘Cake’. I think the film will do well.

Although you have a high profile in the world of show business, you have acted in very few serials and are just doing your first film. Is that because you are busy with your commercial production company, Adnan Malik Productions, or because you are very picky?

Both, really! My ultimate goal is to be a storyteller. In order to be a good storyteller, one needs to know each and every aspect of the medium. I can write, I can handle the camera, I can edit, I have a good musical sense, I direct, I am passionate about wardrobe and production design; so, acting was obviously something I wanted to learn, as well. Acting came along as a form of personal therapy for me; something that helps me tackle my demons of anxiety, self-esteem, confidence and worry. Acting also helps me be more empathetic and truly understand the world around me, because acting means being you, but channelling other people. I immerse myself completely in acting in a way that other actors probably do not. I try to only work in projects that appeal to me and that I believe in. This limits the amount of project I do but that is fine. Doing only a few acting projects allows me to gain what I need from acting without giving up all the other things I like to do.

How and why did you set up AMP?

We got our NTN in 2012. So, I guess that is when it became official! I set it up because I wanted a banner under which I could become a director of commercials. The next step is to set up a film production company.

Do you enjoy making commercials?

Yes, I do. Commercials give me access to big budgets, allow me to work with some of the best professionals in the country, help me make some money, and let me add my personal values to my work. Fortunately, I have been able to create a niche for myself in the world of commercial direction. This allows me to have my work reflect my personal style and values. I only get offered the kind of work that I like. This is good because I cannot do justice to work that I do not believe in. Agencies and clients know that I am a creative director and will add value to their boards and ideas. Hence, they hire me. I am happy to have just a handful of loyal clients that I can work with regularly. That being said, I must add that making commercials is a stepping stone towards telling stories for cinema and, possibly, for television. That is what I plan to do in the long run.

You have worked both as a director and an actor. Which do you enjoy more, directing or acting?

I am definitely more at home as a director. Direction comes very naturally to me. There is no pretence in it. I get deeply involved. Acting, on the other hand, is challenging on many levels, especially because one’s physical self is in the equation. As a director, I am so immersed in my work that that there is no sense of the physical self or any self-consciousness. Acting helps me grow as a person but is intense and demanding. I, therefore, take on a very limited amount of acting work. I will continue to act and direct because both help me tell stories, which is what I like to do. My goal is to be able to affect people emotionally and pass on positive values to the world, through a very powerful medium: the moving image.

What do you think of the drama serials being made currently in Pakistan?

Honestly, I am pretty disappointed. Barring the occasional drama that deals with real and current issues, most of them are very myopic in their worldviews.

What are you views on the current state of Pakistani cinema?

Pakistani cinema is in a nascent stage. People are getting into make a quick buck, which is fine, but things will improve when the focus shifts to content. I want to see finished work that emphasizes social change. I want to see films like the ones made by Zoya Akhtar, Aamir Khan and Vishal Bharadwaj as well as those in the style of Asghar Farhadi and Abbas Kiarostami. I guess it will happen once the mainstream takes off. This is how industries develop, around the world. First moneymaking mainstream stuff is made and then superior, connective content is developed for more sophisticated audiences.

You spent a few years studying and living in the US. Why did you decide to return to Pakistan?

There were several reasons. One was my true identity, which has always been Pakistani. I am a Pakistani at heart and have always connected as one. Yes, I have my issues with the country and its projected ideologies, but I love Pakistan. I had options to settle down elsewhere, especially when I was in New York, but never saw a future for myself outside of Pakistan. I had to return. Furthermore, my parents live in Pakistan and I am very close to them. I could not even imagine living far away from them. Things were very good in Pakistan when I thought of coming back. There was real perception of things changing in the country. This was during Musharraf’s era. At that time, I had made a film titled ‘Bijli’ about a transgender Muslim living in New York. It was a finalist at the Student Academy awards and also won the Best Short Film award at the Kara Film Festival. ‘Bijli’ made me realise that my work, which was recognized both inside and out of Pakistan, could be used to cross bridges, promote understanding and heal. So I decide to move back. I am a happy with the decision I took at the time. I now feel that it is time to venture out into the world again. I want to do more work like ‘Bijli’ that will resonate in Pakistan, as well as internationally. I feel that now is the time for me to do so.

Do you find running a business in Pakistan difficult?

Yes, because nothing is stable: not electricity, not labour, nothing. Corruption is rampant. The infrastructure is weak. Still, I have it relatively easy. Things are really bad for people belonging to the lower middle and poor classes of our society. Life is impossibly difficult for these people. Yet they go out to work each day, with integrity, sincerity and diligence, trying to make an honest living and making ends meet. The incorruptible, hardworking middle class of Pakistan makes me proud of my country. These are the Pakistanis that I truly love. May God bless them!

What is your education?

I have a bachelor’s degree in Film Theory & Production, with a minor in Public Policy, from Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York.

Has your education helped you achieve success in show business?

I do not think that one necessarily needs a formal education in the arts to succeed in show business. However, in my case, education absolutely did help me. My degree is in the liberal arts. It helps me see and understand things from multiple perspectives and viewpoints. Generally, there is not a lot of creative integrity in Pakistan. People tend to lack original ideas. My education taught me to develop creativity and inventiveness. It trained me to be original and not work off of the works of others. It helped me develop professionalism, punctuality, discipline, a passion for research and homework, and effective people skills. These attributes contribute directly to one’s success in show business.

You were a member of the ‘Coke Studio’ team in the early years of the programme. How do you think the series has progressed since you left ‘Coke Studio’?

‘Coke Studio’ is a fantastic, enduring brand that has done very well for Coca Cola and, in addition, has supported and promoted many artists. Umber and Rohail Hyatt, along with the original team, laid a solid and durable foundation for the programme. Anything with a strong foundation stands the test of time. Hence, ‘Coke Studio’ endures and continues to thrive.

One sees photographs of you enjoying qawwali, on social media, quite regularly. What interest do you have in Sufism, spirituality and mysticism?

I feel that I am just beginning to enter this phase of my life. There is great wisdom in Sufism and I am very drawn to mysticism. These are very early days for me on that front but I definitely feel a calling. I think there are some great universal truths in Eastern mysticism. I want to understand and discover those.

You were very active in the fashion scene at one point. Does that no longer interest you?

I like good clothes and dressing up well is a part of my personality. It never hurts to be presentable.

How would you describe yourself as a person?

I am evolving as a person. I try to stay open-minded and see all sides of situations and stories. I have worked hard to develop patience, self-love and empathy. I want to live in harmony with myself and the universe. I want to be successful and define success as something that benefits the entire world and not just me. I believe in community, authenticity and genuineness. I respect good intentions.

What makes you angry?

Shallowness, incompetency, laziness, decadence, hypocrisy, bullying and displays of power.

And, what makes you happy?

Balance, good intentions manifesting themselves as goodness in the world, true selflessness, travel, man respecting nature, seeing nature in its pristine form, clarity, communication, and genuine laughter.

Why are you single?

Am I?

What are your personal and professional plans for the future?

I want to keep acting and directing commercials for a few more years and then move to filmmaking. I want to tell Pakistani stories for ourselves and for the rest of the world, in an authentic, unfiltered and honest manner. I also want to do my part in giving back to nature, and helping the underprivileged. I may set up a philanthropic institution in the future that is sustainable and genuine in its intentions. All we have in this consciousness is this short burst of life. Instead of running around trying to create huge legacies and amass obscene amounts of wealth, we should try to leave this place a little better than we found it, and be present and truly enjoy the gift that is our lives.

Published in Daily Times, November 24^nd 2017.