YKS#12 Sajal&Ahad AT !! 'Vote for Asfi and Zobia'124p

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smssr84

@smssr84

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Posted: 7 years ago

#701

Originally posted by: SS88

I have started watching Rangreza, and their chemistry on screen is fantastic. Having said that, as good as they look together, off screen they give me bhai-behen /BFF vibes. There's an ease between them, that comes from platonic relationships. It's cute, but yes, I agree, there's no "spark".

haha yesss... they did look like Bhai-Behan off-screen... On-screen I saw actual chemistry in this week's episode. And for first time I thought Bilal can actually act in diverse characters

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Ain

@OnepoundChic

Stunner

+ 4

Posted: 7 years ago

#702

Originally posted by: Jiyagulabi
Hi how r u all? How is the situation? Yesterday in Pakistan things were worst ,I hope now everything is fine

Yea the corruptest NS government banned all social media and all news channels for 28 hours. So that people dont get to see what the f**k they were doing with the protesters on roads. People were still using social media using VPNs and proxies though. Its all open now.

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Jiyagulabi_26

@Jiyagulabi_26

Inactive

+ 2

Posted: 7 years ago

#703

Hello! Exclusive: Ahad Raza Mir Reveals His Future Plans, Love for Acting And Ideal Woman

November 25, 2017 Webdesk Featured Stories 0

This is the story that we really don't want to ignore as Pakistan's entertainment industry grows by leaps and bounds: An insider view into Karachi's latest creative class that has significantly channeled its ingenuity to Pakistan's hubs of showbiz. We get up close and personal with Ahad Raza Mir whose talent has his name abuzz.

Ahad is veteran actor Asif Raza Mir's son but that is not what Ahad relies on to become a successful actor or what he wants to be his claim to fame. Ahad went on to learn and study acting, drama and theatre in Canada, where he grew up. He returned to Pakistan to pursue it by working hard and proving himself worthy.

Q) Do you think your father being an actor contributed to your success?

People might argue that it's made it easier for me. Honestly, however, it's not fair to say that. I think if I really wanted to use my father's position to become an actor, I would've easily started my career from one of his production companies. There are many others ways in which I could've taken advantage of his power in the industry but that's not what I did. I love my work, I love acting, I love film and TV, my passion is there. I wanted people to recognise me for my own talent and take me seriously as an artist. I spent 2 years at a Performing Arts High School; 4 years doing my Bachelor's Degree in Drama in Canada and worked there professionally for 2 years as an actor, director and writer. There was no connection to my father over there. When I came back to Pakistan, the first place I went to was MD Productions, where Momina Duraid took a chance with me. So, I believe I am responsible for my own success but I do give credit to my father for instilling ethics and values in me and for teaching me how to manage myself professionally. I am sorely dedicated to this industry and I feel that I need to carry on my family legacy and that is what I attempt to do with each project I take on.

Q) Dr Asfi has won a million hearts, how does it feel to be the man of every girl's dreams out there?

I think it's fantastic that people connect to the character and to the story. The most important thing for me is that the public appreciates and enjoys the story and gets involved in it. I've seen on social media how much people have really connected to it with every post, and review on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. It's truly a wonderful feeling to see that kind of support and love. I am really happy to know that people have appreciated my work to this extent.

Q) What is one of your fondest memories from the sets of Yaqeen Ka Safar' with Sajal and Hira?

I have a lot of fond memories from the show. But actually, the whole experience of it was very special for me, especially when we shot in Kashmir. I got a chance to really connect with the entire team and we all felt a homely vibe from each other. My experience in Kashmir was definitely my favourite because since we were there in Ramadan, the entire team would wake up and have sehritogether over endless conversations and laughter, looking over the most magical view outside.

Q) You were seen singing in Yaqeen Ka Safar', are you planning on pursuing it as a career anytime soon?

First and foremost, I am an actor and that is what I love doing. However, I believe that as an actor, I have to constantly update my repertoire and keep bettering myself by honing other skills I have. My goal is to learn something new every month so with that in mind, I've learned how to play instruments as well. A lot of my training is also in musical theatre so I don't classify myself as a singer but if I have to sing, I am always open to that option. If something positive is offered to me to build my singing career, I would definitely consider taking it up.

Q) If you were offered to work for a Bollywood project, which actor or actress would you love to work with?

Even though, Lollywood and Bollywood both have great talented artists, the person who speaks out to me the most from India has to be Ranbir Kapoor. He chooses all his roles so carefully and everything he does is so different and that is the kind of stuff I'd like to do. Speaking from that perspective, he is someone I take inspiration from for my own work. Even the romantic films he does are so different from one another and I really respect that. Out of the actresses, I would love to work with Madhuri Dixit because she is simply iconic.

Q) Share with us any of the obstacles you faced working in the Pakistani drama industry.

To be honest, I have faced a lot of obstacles in the industry. I feel like we just don't take the Pakistani drama industry seriously, which is something I don't understand considering we have immense talent and we can easily pave our own paths. We have to treat it the way we want to see it and that will only happen when we realise that it needs to change positively. The biggest challenge that I faced personally was being treated like the "new guy. People in the industry often underestimate new talent, thinking that they may not have the required skills and that can be very disadvantageous for both parties involved. People should recognise and accept new people and contemporary actors should be more supportive of each other.

Q) Where does Ahad see himself in the next 10 years?

My goal when I entered the industry was to become an actor and I am blessed and grateful that in this short amount of time, particular in the last 8 months, I have established myself well. In 10 years, I would like to be a part of that generation that really takes the industry forward. There is so much growth that this industry needs and even though it is evident that it's already happening and that too happening well, I really hope that I can be a part of the wave that takes this industry to new heights. Whether it's through film, TV, post production, script, or story, I think I want to be part of everything, and that is what I feel my purpose here is. I often say this to my colleagues who are just acting, which is fair, but if we want to take this industry forward like never before, we must grow tremendously as artists, producers, directors, and writers.

Q) Is there anything about you which nobody knows out there?

Honestly, I am a very shy individual and I don't think many people know that about me.

Q) What's your perception of your dream girl? We're sure all your female fans are dying to know!

For me, all girls are beautiful, and I mean that. But the most important aspect for me is the internal beauty- when someone speaks and the ideas that they have- those are the things that really attract me. Also, a really great trait that a girl or anyone can have, according to me, is when they can change my perspective about something, make me think differently, and challenge my way of thinking. That is something I consider to be a great quality.

. Oh and I love big eyes.

Q) Who is Ahad closer to, his mom or dad?

I am actually close to both of my parents. Sometimes, it may depend on the situation but my mother really is my best friend. I go shopping with her, I travel and party with her. She is probably my biggest fan and I treasure her the most because she has sacrificed a lot for me to be here. We've spent a lot of time apart from each other; sometimes she was in Pakistan while I was in Canada and vice versa so it was really difficult for both of us. I always appreciate that she has been tough enough to deal with that. My father on the other hand, is my hero; I look up to him the most. I am aware that no one is perfect but when I look at my father, I do see the perfect man- I see someone who cares limitlessly for his family, his work and for the industry. Ultimately, my parents and my brother are everything to me.

Edited by Jiyagulabi - 7 years ago

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Jiyagulabi_26

@Jiyagulabi_26

Inactive

+ 2

Posted: 7 years ago

#704

it is difficult to describe Sajal Ali.

The world sees her as a pint-size performer with emotive eyes that can seemingly shed tears on command; her contemporaries see her as a serious threat; her family sees her as its anchor (despite her being a middle child); and she still finds it difficult to see herself as a star.

When I contacted her for this interview, she was reluctant, telling me she was "afraid of interviews, that her "first interview was only a few months ago, wondering what she "could possibly say this time that was new. Eventually, my persistence paid off, however, and she agreed to meet.

But managing to find a time convenient for both of us was not easy. Like many busy actors, often the only time she'd find for herself was in the middle of the night, once she'd wrapped shooting for ongoing TV productions. She once offered to meet me at 2.30 am.

After repeated attempts to coordinate times and multiple apologies on both sides, I finally sat down with the doe-eyed beauty at the time of her choice: 8.30am. Not the ideal time, but we both managed to wake up early despite night shifts.

Career trajectory

As she sits across me in her TV lounge at her home in a pair of grey pajamas, slightly sleepy but in a pleasant mood, she looks like the quintessential girl next door. From starting off as a brand promotions' girl at a mall to financially supporting her family to signing up for an audition (and getting rejected because of her screechy' voice) to becoming one of the most in-demand actresses in recent times, the trajectory of Sajal's career has been an interesting one.

Her first major TV role was in a soap in 2011's Mehmoodabad Ki Malkaain, in which she shared screen space with four other newcomers, including her sister Saboor Ali. The soap had well over 300 episodes but the only two notable performances were those of Anita Kamphor and Sajal. And from then on there was no looking back.

"It was a hit with people. I didn't have any idea of what fame was. Anita Kamphor, who played my mother in that soap, told me Channels tum par makhiyoon ki tarha ayein ge [Channels will swarm to you like flies]', she remembers. "I did not understand what she meant by that, adding, "but overnight I was recognised wherever I went.

"The problem is that we are afraid of women who challenge norms no matter how regressive those norms are. We easily judge these women as buri auratein [fallen women] to justify our egos."

A few serials down, she landed the role of Neeli, a street-smart, flirty girl from a lower-middle class neighbourhood, opposite film star Resham's Shagufta in Mohabbat Jaey Bhar Mein. Though the play boasted an ensemble cast including Hina Dilpazeer and Adnan Siddiqui, it was Sajal's Neeli that outshone everyone, including Resham. Then there was another great performance in Nanhiopposite Javed Sheikh. But it was Sajal's role of a rape survivor in Chup Raho that really consolidated her position as an actor.

"There was a time when no one knew me and then my face was all over. [But] I haven't let fame get to my head. My mother made sure to keep me grounded, she says. "All these things seem very fickle sometimes.

When I ask her why she finds fame so fickle, she immediately replies that the death of her mother earlier this year taught her how temporary everything is.

Losing her mother

"I lost my mother within 17 days. I took my family for Umrah. It was a trip I had planned for them. When we came back, all of us suffered from a slight fever which we thought was due to exhaustion, except that her temperature didn't come down to normal.

Back then, Sajal was wrapping up her Bollywood debut Mom alongside Sri Devi. "Hospital tests confirmed her cancer and the end just happened so suddenly. I had a shoot scheduled for a song in Bangkok and when I came back, I barely got to spend seven days with her, she says.

"My mother had a difficult time when my father left. I worked hard and became financially stable and told him we didn't need his money. I was angry kaisay doosri shaadi kar li!' After my mother's death, I eventually learnt to let go. My father speaks regularly with us now and is very proud of me."

"One day she was with us, the next day she was gone. Whatever happened next is still a blur. The day my mother died, this very lounge was filled with people. I have no clue how I found the strength to get through it all, but I did.

"After what I have been through in life, I find it difficult to take stardom seriously. My first photo shoot was done by Nighat Apa at Depilex who also styled me for the Icon shoot. I met her after all these years. She told me years ago not to change and the day of the shoot I told her I still remember her advice. It surprises me though when seniors praise me. I met Khushbakht Shujaat at the Hum Awards and she met me like a fan. She saw me and said, Sajal, I can't believe I am sitting next to you.' I felt a tad overwhelmed.

First among contemporaries

Although Sajal appears modest, she cannot deny that she is a star performer. She is one of the many young faces to grace television screens Maya Ali, Urwa and Mawra Hocane, Sanam Jang, Sanam Saeed, Ainy Jafri, to name a few others who started out around the same time, but Sajal's portfolio far exceeds any other actress' work. Even Saba Qamar, one of the most acclaimed Pakistani performers, calls her a fine actress'.

So what is it that Sajal has that her contemporaries don't?

"I guess I have been lucky to have all these roles. Very early in my career, I faced a situation with a senior actor that upset me. I was fairly new in the business but I gave the role my best shot. However, my face was removed from all the promotional materials [at her behest] and I cried for a while wondering why I wasn't part of the promotional campaign. I am well past that point now and my work speaks for itself. People here don't appreciate others. When you accept the talent of the person working opposite you, it not only makes you a bigger actor but an even bigger person. Appreciating someone new is a big thing, she says.

Over the years, the memories of the experience with the diva have faded away. "Work keeps coming my way. I don't even know how I ended up with Mom but it was a lovely experience, she says modestly.

"Early in my career, I faced an upsetting situation with a senior actor. I was new in the business but gave the role my best shot. However, my face was removed from all the promotional materials [at her behest] and I cried for a while. People here don't appreciate others."

It's interesting to note that among Mahira Khan's hero ka love interest' role with Shah Rukh Khan, Mawra Hocane's atrocious B-grade flick and Sajal's debut in Mom, it was only Sajal who garnered rave reviews for her performance with zero social media influencers and paid hashtags. The biggest compliment came from none other than Sri Devi who said Mom would have been incomplete without Sajal.

"When I started, I didn't have a stylist or a PR team and learnt everything from scratch. I still haven't mastered Instagram and social media but I have been lucky that I always received positive feedback, she says.

She believes one excellent advice given to her by someone was, If your work is not strong, billboards won't matter much.' "For me, having a greater social media following or covers doesn't make you a star. What is your body of work? What work do you have in your profile? It's easy to get hits and Facebook likes and awards, but you can't get critical approval from the masses if you can't act.

On her evolution as an actress, Sajal says she is still learning and Sassi in Hum TV's O Rangreza has set the bar higher. "But audiences are still uncomfortable with the idea of a strong, opinionated female character who goes against social norms. Hamare yahan baaghi larki kissay aachi lagti hai? Heroine ghar mein baithee ho, roti dhoti pasand hai[Who likes a rebellious girl in our society? They all want the heroine to be home-bound, crying her eyes out].

"In our society, independent women do exist. We don't need to find them, they are in front of us from the maids who work in our homes to the superstars on TV, to a policewoman and the female prime minister, she says. "Read Manto and you will find such strong-headed characters. Watch Tanhaiyaan and Ankahi and you will see more of such women. The only problem is that, as a society, we are afraid of a woman who challenges the norms no matter how regressive or decadent those norms are. We easily judge these women as buri auratein [fallen women] to justify our egos.

Sajal certainly has strong opinions she has obviously spent time thinking about. But she is also wary of TV dramas being asked to shoulder all of society's responsibilities.

"People need to chill! Entertainment ko entertainment ki tarha lein, sab kuch dramoon se kyon seekhna hai? Kitabein khol ke baith jayein. People complain kya, kya dikha rahe hain TV par. Bhai, TV ka kaam aap key bachchay paalna nahi hai [Entertainment should be taken only as entertainment. Why do we have to learn all of life's lessons through dramas? You should read books for that. People complain that TV channels show everything these days. But it's not TV's job to raise your children].

On the many roles she has played, Sajal says, "From all these years, Sassi is my favourite character. I have often played street-smart girls, plain Janes and simpletons, but this was a different experience. As an actor I had to push my boundaries and open up emotionally. It has so many layers and shades, and people might be struck by Sassi's brashness but they can't hate her.

Future plans

So where does she see herself in the next five years?

"There is so much to do. I just don't want to be an actress for the rest of my life. I want to finish my studies at some point soon. I have never travelled much and now I want to explore Pakistan and the world. And I want to learn singing and music and, if I meet a good person, I might settle down as well.

And what sort of a life partner is she looking for?

"Decent! she says. "To be honest I am scared of marriage and the whole rishta parade. Kisi ki mohabbat mein aap apna aap bhool jaeinthat is wrong [Losing your own identity in your love for someone is wrong]. I learnt it with time, seeing relationships around me break. Trust takes time, she says, referring to her parents' relationship and the upheaval that followed.

"My mother had a difficult time when my father left her. We moved from Lahore to Karachi and went through a very difficult period, she says, adding that she is reconnecting with her father. "I am a practical person but I was very angry with my father then. I worked hard and became financially stable and I told him we didn't need the money. I was angry kaisay doosri shaadi kar li!' [How could he get married again!]. My mother loved him all these years, the way she did earlier on, but somewhere in her heart and mind she was hurt and I could feel it. After my mother's death, I eventually learnt to let go. My father speaks regularly with us now and is very proud of me. Maybe things have their own way of settling down. I'm moving back to Lahore so that we are closer to him.

Why leave Karachi, I ask. "The weather and humidity is a killer, she shoots back. "I get sick here, maybe it's the air and the water. Also I don't have much fond memories here, maybe because I moved here at a very difficult time of my life.

In the meantime the actress is enjoying her newfound success as a singer she sang the title track of O Rangreza working on some interesting projects and, incidentally, trying to ward off a stalker. "It's some guy who knows a bit too much about me, my family, where I live. It is scary and I have tried to dissuade him... mohabbat-type cheez kehta hai [He says it's love or something of the sort].

Photography: Fayyaz Ahmed | Hair & makeup: Nighat Misbah @ Depilex | Coordination: Madeeha Syed

Originally published in Dawn, ICON, November 26th, 2017