Sheheryar Munawar doesn’t have too many films to his name but the ones he does have are carefully chosen, credible film projects. From Asim Raza’s Ho Mann Jahaan to Meenu Gaur and Farjad Nabi’s Saat Din Mohabbat In to the upcoming Parey Hut Love, the actor has come a long way, taking on different characters every time he appears on the big screen.
“The idea is to keep experimenting with characters and bringing some change to them, every time – whether it is physical or the emotional quotient of a character,” Sheheryar Munawar, who is gearing up for his next film, Parey Hut Love, told Instep in a recent interview.
“You will find this one [Parey Hut Love] completely different as well,” he added. “We completely worked on my look; I have gained a lot of weight for this character. This is very exciting for me. I have put so much of myself into this character. As an actor, we show everything to our viewers but not ourselves. This is the first time I have added so much of my personality into the character. Let’s see how viewers receive it.”
Munawar, who is also the executive producer of the film, is starring in PHL with Maya Ali as his leading lady and wrapped up the film in December 2018. It also features Ahmed Ali Butt and Zara Noor Abbas in important roles while Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan will be making special appearance(s) in the film. Scheduled to release on Eid ul Azha 2019, the film is directed by Asim Raza whom Sheheryar says he thoroughly enjoyed working with, again.
“No director has ever directed me the way Asim does,” Sheheryar shared. “I have done a lot in this film as an actor. There was a lot of testing because there are so many layers to the character. I have danced a lot. I have different romantic sequences; young romance with Maya and when Mahira comes in, there is more mature romance. It is a coming of age film so there are different stages of life in it. It was very important for my character to grow every time I come on screen.”
The actor was last seen in Saat Din Mohabbat In (7DMI) which was more of a fantasy. Paired opposite Mahira Khan, he stole the show as the naïve Tipu who embarks on a journey to find true love.
Speaking of how Parey Hut Love is different from 7DMI, Sheheryar shared, “Parey Hut Love has a more realistic genre. I will call it a ‘light film’ as opposed to a rom-com. It is more like a classic romance with hints of comedy. Ahmed and Zara are amazingly funny in this film; they have done an amazing job. The core of PHL is the soulful romance that has not been shown in Pakistan for long. Ever since the revival, no one has come up with that kind of romance. You guys will enjoy it.”
Sheheryar worked with Maya Ali, who made her debut with Teefa In Trouble last year, for the first time in Parey Hut Love. Reflecting on his experience, he told Instep that it was great fun working with Maya and that he had realized it when they shot the first scene together.
“There are artists whom you get along with really well and Maya is one of them,” Sheheryar maintained. He added that their style of work is very different from each other. “I do a lot of rehearsals beforehand and while shooting I’m into the character, I don’t rehearse at that time. Maya, on the other hand, rehearses before the scene. All of our takes had spontaneity and that was amazing. It wasn’t acting ‘acting’ but action-reaction where we complemented each other so well. You will see that on screen.”
We also inquired if Project Ghazi is scheduled to release anytime soon. Project Ghazi, if anyone remembers, had a disastrous premiere where the film couldn’t be shown in entirety due to its technical work and the lead cast walked out.
“I have been told it is coming out this year. They have asked my availability for dubbing. The team is working on it. Let’s see,” Sheheryar informed on a parting note.