The many sides of Ahmed Ali Butt

Ahmad Ali Butt has mastered several tricks of the entertainment trade with almost two decades in the business. Having begun his career with theatre and following it up with his musical outfit, EP, Ahmed has rapped his way into the cultural vernacular.

There’s certainly been no looking back since.

For now, he is a host, occasionally makes music, has a sitcom of his own and has starred in some of the highest grossing Pakistani films such as Jawani Phir Nahi Ani, its sequel and Punjab Nahi Jaungi (PNJ).

What stood out most in the recent JPNA 2 was Ahmad’s character PP playing a female British event-manager, Maina. Is Ahmed comfortable taking on the role of a woman when most actors may have avoided it?

“Vasay and I go way back, and he knows that I’ve always wanted to play a woman. I’ve always been inspired by Dustin Hoffman (in Tootsie) or when Moin Akhter Sahab played Rozie so I think as an actor it’s a very challenging task, to be able to convince the audience,” he begun.

He added: “Anybody can come out, playing a drag [role], we were very clear that we never wanted to go overboard.” He explained that the idea was to keep Maina’s “appearance” most of all “authentic.”

It is also true that all three of Ahmad’s big screen roles have been with Humayun Saeed and Nadeem Baig.

“Humayun and Nadeem are amazing people to work with, and I always did want to work with them,” he replied when asked about the apparent ‘boy’s club’. “When I did JPNA, PNJ was already in the pipeline and I had to be a part of JPNA 2 of course, so I never really had time to think about what I was going to do next.”

Believing that ‘people who can’t take jokes shouldn’t be in show business,’ Ahmad responded to criticism on the politically incorrect humor in the JPNA franchise in similar tones.

In an age where body-shaming and trolling has been recognized as a global epidemic, Butt holds the belief that comedy comes at the expense of something and he has no qualms in lampooning himself on-screen. “Being a heavy person all my life, I’m making fun of myself. We now live in a generation where we take things too seriously.”

As Ahmad explained, “When you buy a ticket for JPNA and (as a franchise) it’s a biryani with all the masala, it will make fun of everyone and we all do that ourselves. If I’m comfortable enough to make fun of myself, I don’t think anybody else has the right to question me,” he observed. “Comedy is an art-form as well and there is a fine line between making fun and being offensive, but if you can’t take that, this isn’t the product for you.”

Celebrations and criticism aside, Ahmad has already completed the first spell for his next film in Islamabad; it’ll be his first film outside of the Nadeem Baig-Humayun Saeed team. The film is Asim Raza’s upcoming directorial effort, Parey Hut Love.

Loosely dealing with commitment phobia within the youth, the light hearted romantic comedy-meets-drama stars Sheheryar Munawar and Maya Ali (Teefa in Trouble), while Mahira Khan will be seen in a special appearance. As the shooting resumed in Turkey, Ahmad felt the film allowed him to take on a character he hasn’t played before, on celluloid.

“Asim called me about a year ago and I would always tease him for not working with me. So when he finally came to me with a role, I wasn’t expecting something big but when I found out it was written by Imran Aslam, I was already doing it. I did want it to offer me something and not require me to say a few comedic dialogues, so they have a very strong storyline,” he revealed. “My character is very energetic and street-smart whereas all my previous roles have been very naive. I also think it came to me at a very good time because it’s important for an actor to keep exploring and working with different people.”

As for hosting, Butt co-hosted the third season of Pepsi Battle of the Bands (BoB) with Ayesha Omar this year, mainly to break away from the standardized award shows that he’s been a regular at.

“Comedy is always at somebody’s expense and (obviously) if you can’t take a joke, you can’t be in the ‘show’ business. My humor and making fun will always be about your accomplishments, it’s about your work and the roles you’ve done. I’ve only made fun of people that I find worthy enough, if you’re nobody, I wouldn’t. It’s a compliment from my side to give you my attention.”

He added: “I’ve never mocked someone because of their height or on a personal level, there was this huge controversy when I had dwarves on-stage, but the joke wasn’t on them, they were professional actors. People simply speak before understanding.”

As for hosting award shows and as such, said Ahmad, “I’ve reduced hosting; especially award shows because all of them are the same now. It’s funny how it’s the same formula that everybody wants to do and it pisses me off. Hosting is the closest I can get to theatre, my roots. It gives me that creative liberty and the live environment, so I love it, but when there is a certain direction for everything by the brand(s), one realizes that I might just do something else.”

“That’s when I decided to do Battle of the Bands (to break the monotony) even though I had a very hectic schedule during that time. When you’re doing something on TV, things like the BoB, it is scripted. You sit down, discuss the brand pointers and stay within those lines and rehearse. However, when I do characters like my ode to Waheed Murad on the show, I got a free-hand,” Ahmad continued on a parting note, speaking of experimenting with hosting and trying to step out of his comfort zone. “I’d be shooting in Dubai, fly in to record an episode and go back the next day. But it was something different from what I was doing and Pepsi gives me a very nostalgic feel, it’s very dear to us (EP).”