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Touching base with Osama Tahir

By Maria Shirazi
10 May, 2019

The actor talks to Instep about bagging a nomination for Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila in the Best Emerging Talent category at the Lux Style Awards 2019 and his upcoming projects.

Osama Tahir, who started his career almost 10 years ago with theatre, is one of the most talented actors to have emerged in the recent times. He made his cinematic debut with Umer Adil directorial Chalay Thay Saath (2017) that featured Mansha Pasha, Syra Shahroz and Chinese actor Kent S. Leung in prominent roles. Though Chalay Thay Saath received mixed reviews, Osama was appreciated for his character, Zain, in the movie.

“My friends were the assistant directors for the film; I asked if I could audition for the part, which was a strong character. They wanted a prominent actor to play the part but I just wanted to give it a shot. I auditioned once and it didn’t go too well,” Osama told Instep in an exclusive interview on how he landed the role in Chalay Thay Saath.

“However, the director [Umer Adil] asked me to come in again and when I auditioned the second time; thankfully he saw something in me. A week later I received a call from the producer, Beenish Waiz, congratulating me on getting the part. I just couldn’t believe it.”

Osama then appeared in his first television play Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila in November 2017, which was directed by Kashif Nisar and starred Yumna Zaida and Noman Ijaz among others. The actor essayed the role of Raheel for which he has bagged a nomination in the Best Emerging Talent category at the upcoming Lux Style Awards 2019.

“Dar Si Jaati Hai Sila was my first TV show that carried into the year 2018. I really never thought I would be nominated, but it is definitely an honor,” shared Osama.

Talking about other nominees in the category, he believes all of them deserve to be nominated for their hard work. As for who he considers to be his biggest competition as far as the nominations are concerned, Osama said that it has to be Amar Khan, his co-star from the horror play, Belapur Ki Dayan. “I was on the same show as Amar Khan, and I think she did a fantastic job.”

When asked about the criticism and controversy that has surfaced after the Lux Style Awards nominations came out earlier this year, the actor believes that all forms of harassment and assault must be punishable. “Each for their own degree of offence; that’s all I can say,” he added.

Osama Tahir, who studied business management, doesn’t have any formal training in acting. However, almost a decade ago he auditioned for a theatre play called Starlight, which continued for three days at the Pakistan American Cultural Center (PACC). “I did my first theater play while I was in college; I auditioned just for fun and got the part. I instantly fell in love, and decided to keep at it. Later I realized this is where my focus should lie,” he said, adding that he last performed in theatrical play, Qusoorwaar, in 2016, which was directed by Sunil Shankar and was an adaptation of 12 Angry Men.

The Chalay Thay Saath actor can be currently seen in drama serial Hania that stars Junaid Khan and Zoya Nasir in key roles. In the play, he essays the character of Rohan, who is a helpless romantic. Rohan seems to be caught up in a real nasty situation with his cousin Hania’s (essayed by Zoya Nasir) marriage and tries to help her without realizing how dangerous her husband (Junaid Khan) is. 12 episodes into the play, Osama Tahir is doing a commendable job, proving that he is a versatile actor.

We asked the actor if he feels there is enough diversity for male actors given that television is considered more of a woman’s domain. He responded, “I actually don’t agree with that. It’s a medium and doesn’t belong to any one in particular. We see the changes in the genre that shows are taking, shifting from family dramas to thriller to horror. I believe it’s not about the gender, but about the characters and their struggles.”

According to Osama, be it films or TV, he finds both the mediums equally tough. “Films have a 50 ft. screen where every single thing you do is clearly visible, while the duration of a TV show lasts for months. So for both mediums your performance has to be consistent throughout - as far as the character is concerned,” he shared.

As for his upcoming projects, the actor revealed on a parting note that he is currently shooting for a TV play. “I’m working on a project these days with a working title called Zard Bahar. It is directed by the wonderful Rubina Ashraf that has an all-star cast including Sana Javed, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Mohammad Ahmed, Seemi Raheel and Irsa Ghazal among others. Apart from this, there is hopefully a film and a few theater plays in the pipeline.”