The actor talks to Instep about his upcoming projects, selection of roles and much more.
Bilal Abbas Khan is certainly one of the most talented actors to have surfaced in recent times. The young, budding actor has some remarkable performances to his credit including Rasm e Duniya, O Rangreza followed by Qurban, in which he proved his mettle as a versatile actor and won over audiences. Though Bilal Abbas Khan has landed some rave reviews for all the characters he has portrayed so far, it’s the meek and sensitive portrayal of Qasim in O Rangreza that he has been most applauded for.
These days he can be seen in a serious avatar in drama serial Balaa (helmed by Badar Mehmood) that features Ushna Shah and veteran actors Samina Peerzada and Sajid Hasan, among others. 12 episodes into the play, Bilal’s performance is commendable as a loving son and brother, in fact it is quite relatable. He essays the character of Taimur, an assertive, responsible and caring man, who is a family-oriented person and faces turmoil when he is unable to marry the love of his life.
“My character Taimur gets challenged over and over again, but what happens in the end is something you need to wait and watch,” Bilal shared in an exclusive conversation with Instep, adding that he has received an overwhelming response for the play.
When asked about his upcoming projects, he said, “I am currently shooting for a project titled Cheekh, which is a thriller and mystery. The project is definitely different from the usual dramas that you see on TV. It has an all star cast including Saba Qamar, Aijaz Aslam, Emaad Irfani, Azekah Daniel and many more.”
As far as his character in the play is concerned, Bilal informed that it is unlike anything that he has done before in his short acting career. “At this point I can’t reveal much but I am very nervous about it,” he added. “To be honest there were times where I almost said no to this project but after a few very detailed discussions with director Badar Mehmood, I gave it a nod.”
Bilal considers it an honour to share the screen with an incredible actor like Saba Qamar, who will be seen opposite him in the upcoming play.
“Working with Saba Qamar has been a great learning experience, especially for someone like me who is just a few dramas old,” he expressed. “But at the same time, she is a really talented and genuinely an easy going person. Hence, it’s fun to discuss the scenes and character nuances with her before each shot.”
Having done his Bachelors in Marketing, Bilal has no formal training in acting, however he has done a bit of theatre at NAPA and also did a few theatre plays during school and college years. The actor made his big screen debut with Rafay Rashdi’s Thora Jee Le in January 2017, (in which he essayed the part of of Party Khan, a taboo-ridden drug addict) but the film wasn’t received well at the box office.
On whether there is any movie in the pipeline, the actor informed that he is just waiting for the right script. “I’ve been offered movies after Thora Jee Le but I haven’t come across a convincing script yet. In Pakistan very few people know what they are doing when it comes to films, so I would rather take my time and work on good projects on television till I land with something substantial.”
As far as the selection of roles is concerned there is no formula or checklist that the actor keeps in mind before signing any new project. However, before taking up any acting assignment, he makes sure that the plot and/or character is different from what he has done in the past. “The story has to be out of the box. In fact I opt for roles that challenge me as an actor.”
Talking about his future plans, the actor said that he’s just doing what he is passionate about and going with the flow. “Let’s see where it leads me. For now I have my fingers crossed for my upcoming drama, Cheekh and I hope that my fans, who are used to seeing me play a certain type of hero, will accept this version of Bilal Abbas too,” he said on a parting note.
Photo by Ammar Ahmed
