At a time when actors are concerned about their looks more than their work, it is a pleasure to have young, aspiring artists who are serious about the projects they attach themselves to. Case in point: Ahad Raza Mir, who joined the local entertainment industry almost a year ago after returning from Canada where he worked as a theatre artist for several years.
At a time when actors are concerned about their looks more than their work, it is a pleasure to have young, aspiring artists who are serious about the projects they attach themselves to. Case in point: Ahad Raza Mir, who joined the local entertainment industry almost a year ago after returning from Canada where he worked as a theatre artist for several years.
Ahad comes across as an extremely grounded artiste, more concerned about his craft rather than his public perception. Acting isn’t just a job for him, it’s a passion that he has been honing and fine tuning in Canada. It’s no wonder then that he managed to bag prominent roles in several prolific productions, one after the other. Ahad made his small screen debut with recently concluded social drama Sammi and he picked up positive reviews for his small yet impactful role in the play. Currently he is essaying the role of Dr Asfandyar opposite Sajal Aly in his second and ongoing play, Yakeen Ka Safar.
“My character goes through a transition from a carefree, fun loving guy to a more serious and vocal one in the play,” Ahad told Instep in an exclusive interview. “There is a complete flip now. In the first few episodes, I had fewer scenes and dialogues but the upcoming episodes will have more of it. I hope the changes read well with the audience.”
Aside from television, Ahad has signed on for his first big screen project called Parwaaz Hai Junoon, which is about Pakistan’s Air Forces. It has an all-star cast including Hamza Ali Abbasi, Hania Amir, Kubra Khan, Shamoon Abbasi and many others aside from Ahad who plays a pivotal role in the film.
Speaking about PHJ, the actor shared, “Parwaaz Hai Junoon is a complete package in which you will find everything – comedy, action, drama and romance. While films like Yalghaar and Waar are solely based on fighting, terrorism and action, PHJ is exploring the other side of all this. It is less about the action and more about the stories of the characters and the drama behind it. It is going to be very refreshing for the audience.”
Ahad will shoot the last spell of the film in the coming days and the film is expected to release in December this year. Given the kind of criticism and bad reviews that local films have received in the last six months, we wondered if Ahad is nervous about his big screen debut.
“I am excited but I am very scared,” the actor shared. “But I believe, once the film releases, it doesn’t belong to you anymore, it belongs to the people. It doesn’t matter how hard you try, it’s the viewers who decide if it is a hit or not. Reviewers/critics are quite smart actually. They give credit where it is due and criticize where they find it necessary. I am still very new and it is not fair for me to give a critical response about films that are being made in Pakistan but I feel it’s time we move ahead. I am not saying we should copy anyone but we have some great examples of filmmakers. We shouldn’t go below the standard. It’s time for people to start taking the idea of filmmaking very seriously, it’s not a joke. There was a time when everybody used to say we should support our film industry but that period has passed too. Now we need to give quality and entertainment to the audience; we can’t keep giving them disappointments, one after the other.”
Apart from shooting for Yakeen Ka Safar and his upcoming film, Ahad is also gearing up for future plays and films. Though television has given him a platform to rise and create a fan base, he is more inclined towards films.
“Film is something I want to consider more seriously, not just as an actor but as a writer and a producer because I feel that young filmmakers should come forward. I’m not against the old school of thought of filmmaking but young people will bring in fresh stories and ideas. Now it’s time for that,” Ahad concluded.
