With over 5 years of theatre and stage experience, the most recent being Shah Sharabeel’s Twins Apart, the artist is gearing up for his first appearance on the small screen.
Theatre in Pakistan has produced some great actors who are ruling the small as well as the big screen. While Zahid Ahmed, Ali Rehman Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi, Sohai Ali Abro and Gohar Rasheed are some notable names, a few recent additions to the list are Hajra Yamin, Kaif Ghaznavi and Nazar ul Hasan, who are brilliant performers. Joining the league is thespian Faraz Ali, who has a range of diverse stage roles to his credit and is all set to make his television debut.
“I have decided to establish myself on TV and in films,” Faraz shared in an exclusive telephonic interview with Instep. “Before that, I used to be mostly occupied with rehearsals and long runs of theatre plays; theatre is very demanding in terms of time. A theatre actor is so stuck with commitments that he or she is unable to do anything else (TVCs, etc.) despite the offers. But I have finally decided to take a break from theatre so that I can make a name in TV and/or film.”
Faraz played the role of one of the twin brothers, Moosa in Shah Sharabeel’s comeback Urdu musical Twins Apart that is presently running at the Karachi Arts Council. His performance as the intense, aggressive and stubborn Moosa was flawless even though he was suffering from dengue; unfortunately, he was unable to continue after the first few shows due to poor health and is no longer a part of the play.
Coming back to his TV debut, Faraz shared that it is a costume drama that he will begin shooting for next month while the play is expected to go on-air in April this year. He will be essaying the role of protagonist and the character is different from what he played onstage so far. “It will be a surprise for my fans and viewers,” he maintained.
Faraz always wanted to be an actor; he decided to become one ever since he took part in a stage play at school. He graduated from University of Karachi, followed by a 3-year diploma in acting from NAPA, and he’s been associated with the field for about five to six years. Some of his notable performances include the role of a homosexual in Apartment 746, playing Bhutto in Dawar Mehmood’s Hua Kuch Yoon and essaying the role of an investigation officer in Investigation Cell. He was recently offered a role in Anwar Maqsood and Dawar Mehmood’s upcoming play Naach Na Jaanay but he refused due to other commitments.
“It is a small faculty in theatre; there isn’t much exposure here,” Faraz noted. “For me, a play called Investigation Cell was the biggest achievement in which I performed as the lead for the first time, at T2F. After that, things changed for me and people started taking me seriously as an actor. Thankfully, I have been playing key roles since then. It was a game-changer for me.”
“In theatre, it is never about money; it is a craft for me,” he continued. “The passion and magic in theatre is unmatchable; you see your audience’s reaction then and there as opposed to a drama or a film where it is unpredictable. However, in terms of money, they give us peanuts. Though I have established myself as the highest paid actor in Twins Apart as well as Hua Kuch Yoon but even that’s not much.”
When asked if this is the reason he wants to move beyond theatre, Faraz was quick to respond in affirmative. He is in talks for some scripts that he is presently considering. Though he is choosy and turned down multiple theatre plays when he was offered similar roles, he understands that when it comes to TV or films, he will have to be a little flexible in the beginning.
“It is a fresh start for me and as an actor we cannot be very choosy during our struggling period,” he said on a parting note.
