Affan Waheed is not only a frequently appearing young actor from Pakistan but a painter and an admirer of good literature as well. In his latest photoshoot done by Haseeb Siddiqui in the dilapidated yet aesthetically appealing walled city, Waheed is holding this year’s booker-prize nominated “Ten Minutes Thirty Eight Seconds in this Strange World”. “Shafak never fails to surprise me with her words,” he says about the author of the novel while gearing up for an interview, which was a must, considering that the actor recently appeared in a record-breaking block-buster drama serial titled ‘Do Bol’ which ran on ARY. “Initially, I used to consider every hit project of mine as my breakthrough. But now when I come to think of it, ‘Do Bol’ was the breakthrough I was actually looking for and it is without any doubt that I consider it my most popular project to date,” he says. The success of “Do Bol” brought him in connection with his co-actor once again and both Hira Mani and Affan Waheed are currently performing in another serial on the same channel titled “Ghalati”. About Hira Mani, Waheed tells that the woman is not only sweet and humble as a person but highly professional when it comes to work. However, “Do Bol” and “Ghalati” are not Waheed’s only serials for ARY Digital. When the highly controversial debate of fresh hot chapattis stemmed from Aurat March, Affan Waheed appeared in a comedy telefilm titled “Apna Khana Khud Garam Karo” which dealt with the matter in a lighter tone and starred veteran actors like Nadia Khan and Saleem Mairaj. This did not stop Waheed and he continued to perform in controversy-sparking projects, the next one being “Be-Dardi” which was made in order to refute the misconceptions related to Aids prevalent in Pakistan. About his character in the serial, the actor says, “Shafay from “Be-dardi” was quite a demanding character and I hold it very close to my heart.” When asked about his other personal favourite projects from his work profile, Affan Waheed named “Do Bol” and “Neelum Kinare”, the latter penned by the award-winning dramatist, Amna Mufti and shot in the breath-taking mountainous locations of Pakistan, as its very title tells. Among Affan’s currently running projects is also “Mein Na Janoon”. “Mein Na Janoon” is a HUM TV serial in which the actor plays a manipulative lover who is bent upon procuring his love and is not afraid of any hurdle in his way. When asked about this character, Affan Waheed replied in the following words. “The most challenging part while doing “Mein Na Janoon” was that I never felt satisfied with my acting. I am not a wee bit vicious in my real life and when I look at myself on the screen while “Mein Na Janoon” is on air, I feel surprised at myself for pulling off such a negative character. So, it is always difficult for me to do such roles, especially considering the fact that I have been mostly given romantic roles. I have to put extra effort in such a character by developing an even keener sense of observation.” ‘Initially, I used to consider every hit project of mine as my breakthrough. But now, when I come to think of it, Do Bol was the breakthrough I was actually looking for and it is without any doubt that I consider it my most popular project to date,’ he says “Whether I did it right or wrong according to the viewers is not what matters to me, but the input that went into it,” says the actor, for he believes that negative remarks are not to be taken as hindrances in the pursuit of one’s ambitions. About people’s negative remarks, he says, “I read such comments but I do not tarry on the comments’ section to sulk. I accept such views, then put them aside without allowing them to create hurdles for me in my career. I move on. One needs to understand that he or she cannot be liked by everyone. Once you accept this, you learn to imbibe negative remarks without losing your patience.” When asked about his upcoming projects, Affan Waheed told that he is currently shooting for a film in Islamabad along-with Amna Ilyas. The script of the film has been written by Usman Rizvi who also happens to be its director. “But yes, I mulled the offer over for quite a long time before finally accepting it, for I always think a lot in every matter but the script of the film enticed me towards it,” he tells. Usman Rizvi belongs to US with a couple of short films to his name. After the film, Affan also has a web-series in his pipeline, discussions on which are still in progress with the producers. Despite this time-demanding, day in-day out routine, the actor manages out time for himself in which he paints and reads. He says, “A busy routine is never fulfilling. I do not agree with the view that it is good to remain busy in order to attain contentment. For me, it is reading which emerges as a relief from hectic work schedules. Now that I am a bit free these days after a few months of constant indulgence in shoots, I am trying to reconnect myself with books. Reading is de-stressing and rejuvenating in many ways. Whereas painting is concerned, I always find it therapeutic.” The writer is a freelance journalist and can be reached at m.ali_aquarius85@yahoo.com. He Tweets at @MuhammadAli_DT