We have seen you play a brutal husband many times. How do you personally feel on showing audience domestic violence on screen?
As actors, we do not have many options, but I personally don’t like what is depicted on our screens in the name of women empowerment. It is ironically opposite to what women empowerment is for the female is always presented as the oppressed one. No doubt that whatever is written and presented on the screen is a depiction of social realities, but we should go beyond these stories now which are more or less the same and revolve around victimised women only. I want our drama industry to do some experimentation with the themes. The inclination of people towards digital platforms and various genres tells that they are in need of something new and pleasant to watch.
How do you to care of your physical health as a young actor of the modern times?
I exercise regularly and keep a check on the diet I take. The quality of food, the quantity of food and the timings of my intake are my concerns when it comes to eating.
How difficult is it to keep a balance between a married life and a busy, work routine?
I believe that one must set priorities. For me, family comes first, for I think that familial relations stay with you until the last breath and time must be given to these relations. Therefore, I don’t work on Sundays at all and spend most of my time with my parents, wife and siblings. My work might not remain with me forever but my relations surely will.
Is there any character which you wish to perform but haven’t been given the opportunity yet?
I really wish to act in a period play or in a kind of drama in which I am given a soldierly character to perform. I desire to do something which is different from what I’ve been doing.
Do stories with moral lessons such as ‘Balaa’ personally affect the actor?
They shouldn’t affect you at all. Acting means that you are in the clothes of someone else. And you should be different in your real life from what you present yourself while you’re acting. It’s for a specific span that an actor becomes someone else and when that span is over, the actor should assume his or her real self.
Your upcoming drama is based on acid throwing. While making such dramas, is any care taken to disseminate the message behind it?
The very purpose of this drama is to tell the audience about the suffering of acid-attack victims. They’re normal people and it’s unfortunate how we alienate them after they encounter this brutality. Empathy should be prioritised over pity in their case. This is all what we wish to teach through ‘Surkh Chandni’ which will be on air soon, probably this month. Not only the producers, Sana Shahnawaz and Samina Humayun have taken a bold step by coming up with this idea but the director, Shahid Shafaat has also done a commendable job in creating the serial in such a way that the message is conveyed in a fine manner
You recently did a web series as well. How do you think web series will take Pakistani content to another level? Did you find progressiveness in the content or technical advancements in the direction while doing the web series?
It’s unfortunate that we’ve now turned our attention towards web series while the whole world has been attending to it for quite a long time. It is unavoidably a digital world and one without any doubt. Web series will hopefully incline Pakistanis to go for experimentation because through this, the content becomes accessible to the whole world. As a result, stories related to our part of the world only will not be suitable now and there will automatically be a change in the content. The competition with the world requires it and gladly, it’s taking place. A lot of web series are being made with a consideration that we are competing with the world now.
Your debut film is going to be with your wife. How difficult is it to maintain a professional attitude towards work while working with someone so much close to you?
Yes, this film to be released around Eidul Fitr will be my debut work with Zara. It’s not difficult to work together but rather easy. The easiness comes from the fact that we’ve already developed chemistry and also from the fact that both of us are actors and know how to behave on set. We brought the same professional attitude here which we take to our respective sets. The best thing about working together in this film was that our comfort level was high and we would tell each other about the mistakes being committed. So, it was quite supportive being with each other. Also, I found out how wonderful an actress Zara is. I had the best time working with her. I’m thankful to Wajahat Rauf for trusting me with this role and giving me the opportunity to play it.
The writer can be reached at [email protected]
Published in Daily Times, March 10th 2019.