Daily Times

In an era of Pakistani television drama marked by the association of female characters with nothing but tears, Yumna Zaidi has carved a niche for herself in which she performs in her own style and outscores everyone.

Although young, Zaidi seems to possess a very keen sense of observation, for she infuses individuality in every character that she does. Without carrying the traces of her previous character, Zaidi moves towards a new role with an altogether different avatar. That is why she took us off-guard with her performance in “Ishq Zahe Naseeb” while we still hadn’t snapped out of “Dar Si Jati Hai Sila” and “Inkaar”.

‘All of my projects are very dear to me, since I have always tried to go for special stories. From my work profile, you might come across only two to three serials which are commercial. The rest of them are off-beat. However, if I still have to point out, then I would go for Pyaar Ke Sadqe, Yeh Raha Dil, Inkaar and Dar Si Jati Hai Sila’

While the charm of her character in “Ishq Zahe Naseeb” was still hovering over our minds and hearts, Zaidi came up with her role of a less literate but a confident girl in “Pyar Ke Sadqe”.

What is your usual preparation strategy when you are given a role? What are the things that you focus on before going on a shoot?

First of all, the physical appearance enters. In accordance with the character, I work on my body and consider the changes that need to be made: loss of weight, putting on fat and the shape of eyebrows. Then I work on the kind of facial expressions my role requires, be it naivety that has to be depicted or sharpness. Although the viewers might not have noticed stark differences in my looks, I do work a lot on them for my own self.

Which project of yours is closest to your heart and why?

All of my projects are very dear to me, since I have always tried to go for special stories. From my work profile, you might come across only two to three serials which are commercial. The rest of them are off-beat. However, if I still have to point out, then I would go for “Pyaar Ke Sadqe”, “Yeh Raha Dil”, Inkaar” and “Dar Si Jati Hai Sila”.

Do you give credit to any specific director for your refined acting or do you believe that it is your hard work which has polished you more?

I really admire Kashif Nisar for his unparalleled story-telling skills. He has always given me a lot of margin to perform, and is the kind of person from whom one receives positive vibes. My second favourite director is Farooq Rind. He is quite an intelligent person and I always get to learn a lot while working with him. Most of my projects are with these two directors and the experience has always been great!

Mehreen Jabbar is known for her unique style of direction. How was your experience of working in her “Dil Kiya Kare”?

“Dil Kiya Kare” was an extremely beautiful project, and of course, the most special aspect about it was Mehreen Jabbar herself. Apart from being a sensible, professional and a focused director, Mehreen Jabbar is an excellent human being. I would love to work with her again.

Is there any writer with whom you wish to work but haven’t been given the opportunity uptil now?

I have worked with all good writers including Khalil ur Rehman Qamar, Faiza Iftikhar, Amna Mufti, Bee Gul and Mustafa Afridi. I also did a guest appearance for Saji Gul but I would love to give a whole appearance in some project of his. Also, I really admire Farhat Ishtiaq and would like to enact a character penned by her.

If you were to write a story for yourself, what would your character be like?

I would demand some extra time to think about this. Although I imagine and dream a lot, I have never thought about the kind of character I would create for myself.

Who has been your inspiration in the Pakistani drama industry when it comes to acting?

The one and only, Noman Ijaz! He is a powerhouse, and it won’t be wrong to call him the father of acting. I really look up to him, the most interesting part of his acting procedure being that there is no visible technique to his work. Still, he aces it every time.

Bee Gul’s scripts demand refined Urdu in terms of both language and pronunciation. Did you face any such difficulty while doing “Dar Si Jati Hai Sila”?

This question should have been asked from the other actors in the serial, since I had very few dialogues. Most of my acting was based on facial expressions. Even my director, at the time of receiving his award, said that Yumna had dialogues stretching over only four pages from a script of twenty four episodes.

Tell us about your upcoming projects.

One which has recently gone on air is “Raaz e Ulfat”, a story from which a lot of girls will learn. Another one in pipeline has been written by Amna Mufti, directed by Kashif Nisar and produced by Kashf Foundation. My track in the project is based on human trafficking and the viewers will find me in a completely different avatar this time. The character demands that I completely step out of my own personality. I hope that the audience is able to accept me that way, for I will be representing unfortunate, innocent girls who are forced to enter brothels.

What have you learned the hard way in the industry? Have things been as much smooth and easy as they seem to the viewers sitting at home?

Every work demands extra effort. My belief is that if you are focused on your task, nothing can stop you from outshining. I also have done a lot of hard work, but things have been easier considering that God had blessed me with the skill of acting. Apart from that, I possess a patient personality. That’s another reason why I have been able to make my way through difficult times.

With talent and fame comes pride. Yumna Zaidi, however, is a different case, blessed with not only unlimited skill, but extreme humbleness as well. There are few people gifted with both talent and a down-to-earth attitude. Pakistanis are fortunate to have a lady like Yumna Zaidi in their drama industry, who is not only an excellent performer, but an excellent human being as well.

The writer is a freelance journalist and can be reached at m.ali_aquarius85@yahoo.com. He Tweets at @MuhammadAli_DT