Daily Times

Many actor and even singers go by stage names? Do you go by your original and if yes, have you ever thought about changing?

Currently, I do not have any stage name or such but if someday any of my character touches the audience to the level that they start recognising me by that and call me by that name, that would be an achievement.

You have an immense following on social media. How much do you interact with your fans and followers? Does it get annoying at times when you simply want to take a break?

Luckily, I am not a social media person. I don’t take it as a hassle in fact, I enjoy the little time I spend on social media. Reaching out to each and every fan is impossible but when I interact, I would be amused. I am at a patch where social media needs to be handed over to someone to be honest. At times, I find it difficult to use new features and respond to new advancements. I believe if you extract gold from coal then these discussions do not matter. The only benefit was I had exposure of the industry and showbiz. Once you learn how to deal and move along, things get easy. Social media plus TikTok has brought things so close that no matter if you are from Dera Ghazi Khan or interior Sindh, you can prove yourself in the field.

We hear you are a trained theatre actor from the National Academy of Performing Arts. Tell us about that experience.

Yes, I am a trained actor from NAPA. I have always believed in working hard. Talent does bring ease in polishing skills but working on your skills can make a big difference. Training helps us face the audience and act in one go.

You have worked in some notable drama serials like ‘Dil-e-Veran,’ ‘Amrit Aur Maya’ and ‘Hina Ki Khushbu.’ Tell us about your working experience in all these serials. Did the work you did encourage you to do more or were some days a buzz kill?

‘Soteli Mamta’ was my first play which I did right after my training. I got a wonderful response from that play. Then I did ‘Juda Hue Kuch Iss Tarhan’ which somehow got controversial because of content and all and then it got banned for some time. As far as ‘Dil-e-Veeran’ is concerned, that’s one of my best performances and got extraordinary response from the audience.

You run a businessman on the side also. Tell us about that.

I belong to a well-known business family but I always wanted to do something of my own. I used to go to the office with my dad back in the day when I needed something from him.

We hear you are loving and doting father to a baby boy. How would you describe yourself as a dad?

The change I have felt is after the birth of Hadi, I have started sharing my personal happiness with my fan family. I share Hadi’s special moments, prepare him for social media posts and share his pictures and fun times which I spend with my family. This automatically gives a sign of what nature carries. I believe being a father is the most beautiful feeling in the world. You can experience that feeling once you go through it. Words cannot do justice.

Do you limit yourself as an actor to do certain kinds of roles? Any constraints?

I think putting yourself in boundaries and keeping constraints at choosing roles, limits your talent and you cannot show your full ability so no constraints or limits in choosing roles. This is the moment to audit myself at which roles I can be best at and where I need to polish my acting skills.

What are you currently working on?

Currently, I’m doing a project for Hum TV and in discussion with Big Bang on their new upcoming serial.

What according to you has been your biggest achievement so far?

My biggest achievement until now is working in ‘Dil-e-Veeran.’

You are one of the most influential people in the country. Who influenced you to pursue your current line of work?

Fahad Mustafa influenced me to choose this line. His character and his determination to work is amazing.

Who do you think is the #1 actor and actress of Pakistan right now?

It’s difficult but I think in male actors, it’s Faisal Qureshi and Nauman Ejaz and in actresses, Saba Qamar.