Daily Times

Fawad Khan was an established Pakistani actor when he landed in Bollywood. With three films, he managed to make a name in India and soon got a dedicated fan following. Post the Uri attacks and ban on Pakistani actors, Fawad returned to Pakistan but says regard for his friends in Mumbai continues. In an interview, the actor speaks about films, friends and controversies.

The actor, however, had his mind on fatherhood. He feels that the most important thing for him right now is his newborn daughter. “We’ve just had a baby and she takes up most of my time, and I’m finally getting to spend quality time with my family,” feels Fawad.

Fawad Khan feels that if he had not experienced the downs in life, he wouldn’t be able to appreciate the highs and his life will plateau. The actor totally feels that one needs to get a reality check from time to time. “Whatever that dark period was, I’m glad for it. Yeah, I’ve been penniless. I’ve had to struggle a bit. But now I enjoy thinking about that because it just makes me feel better about my achievements,” said Fawad in the interview.

When Fawad was asked about how the ban affected his friendship with Indian artistes, he said, “I’m still in touch with a lot of my friends there. Nothing’s really changed. Obviously, I’m not a man of steel in that people’s words don’t affect me. They might hurt me. But I am becoming immune to it as time goes by. I have no expectations from them, and that’s what I think has developed this camaraderie. Even if I don’t work with them ever again, I’ll still always have love and regard for them, and I assume that’s how they feel as well. That’s why we’re still in touch. We even make plans to meet, to catch-up.”

On what Fawad gained as an actor from his work in Bollywood, he said, “In Bollywood, they’ve got their systems in place. It’s a monster machine that’s churning out like 400 films a year, consistently. They’re able to efficiently process things. For example, when I was on the set of ‘Khoobsurat’, there would be a team of auditors who’d be analysing the cost of each day. Seeing it practically kind of reinforces your belief that planning is very important. There are a few producers who are doing that here and it’s encouraging to see that. But other than that, if you talk about acting, I think I’ve learned as much there as I have here.”