From October 1, 2019, issue-based serial ‘Surkh Chandni’ will be replaced by ‘Ruswaayi’, a project by Six Sigma Entertainment that has been written by Naila Ansari and directed by the veteran actress and director, Rubina Ashraf. Daily Times caught up with the multi-talented and graceful Rubina Ashraf to talk about this directorial project of hers which stars Sana Javed, Meekal Zulfiqar, Syed Mohammed Ahmed and Osama Tahir along with many others. After how long have you directed a serial? It is after five years that I have directed a serial. My last directorial project was “Shikwa” which also went on air on ARY Digital. You have been very selective about the scripts you have directed. What attracted you towards “Ruswaayi”? It was a very nice and better written script with an extremely interesting characterization and a strong message. The last two things were the most compelling aspects of the script. In this era of monotonous serials, what uniqueness will be provided by “Ruswaayi” to the viewers? The issues presented in the serial, no doubt, are the same that we see on TV. But it is the message of “Ruswaayi” which will turn out to be its novel element. The message it will send across is that instead of only verbally telling a woman that you love her, prove it through practical examples so that she is able to believe you. It tells that in our pages, we respect our women a lot and put our mothers, sisters and daughters on a high pedestal, but that respect does not only lie in saying that we respect them or in enforcing a certain kind of dress code on them and telling them that this is how they will remain respectable beings. “Ruswaayi” tells that if you love or respect a woman, do it in a way that the woman feels that she is being loved and respected. And this has to start from a woman’s family members and then reach towards the other people in her social circle. The message it will send across is that instead of only verbally telling a woman that you love her, prove it through practical examples so that she is able to believe you. It tells that in our pages, we respect our women a lot and put our mothers, sisters and daughters on a high pedestal, but that respect does not only lie in saying that we respect them or in enforcing a certain kind of dress code on them and telling them that this is how they will remain respectable beings It is after long that you have worked again with Syed Mohammed Ahmed. How was the experience of collaborating with him after such a long time? As a writer and director, Syed Mohammed Ahmed and I have worked on several projects together. As an actor, however, it is for the first time that he has worked with me and I must say that it has been an amazing experience. How difficult is it to maintain a professional environment when you are working with such a close friend? Even in a working environment, you have to prove your friendship and that you do by paying your friend his or her due. Friendships just don’t happen. You have to regard the other person which gives rise to long-lasting friendships. “Ruswaayi” will be on air on Tuesdays for the viewers to watch during prime time. As with her acting, Rubina Ashraf has never disappointed us with her direction, be it “Tere Siwa”, “Aik Adh Hafta” or “Tarazoo”. This time too, we expect something watchable from her and wish her the best of luck. The writer is a freelance journalist and can be reached at m.ali_aquarius85@yahoo.com