COVER STORY

What does success mean to you?

Whatever I aspire to, I go out and actually do it without thinking too much about the results.

One thing you learned early in your career...

I went to Ireland at an early age and one thing I learned was that hard work is the key to success. I started working in a shop as a security guard; I worked as a financial analyst for Novartis, and I got a job at Microsoft. There are no shortcuts in life.

Memorable audition?

One of the auditions was for the movie The Lobster. It was very early in my career and I was still learning theatre. I went prepared for two parts and I was convinced that I had it. During the audition, I was loud and I was all over the place and after I finished the casting director said, “This is not how I want to see you. I want you.” What she really meant was if someone plays a character it has to come from within in order to be convincing.

Did you get any formal training for this career?

My experiences, like starring in Pushto music videos before I moved to Ireland, writing and producing projects had taught me a lot. But I really started off my acting career acting as an inmate in a foreign movie; the first time that I was on set, in front of these huge cameras – the whole thing was so beautiful that I, who had never aspired to be an actor, started considering it seriously. I got out of the extra thing and started educating myself.

I am glad I got a chance to learn under the supervision of an amazing teacher, Hope Brown, when I was in Dublin. I got training in Stanislavski (a technique in acting by which an actor strives to empathize with the character being portrayed, so as to effect a realistic interpretation) which was quite challenging for me. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone. Additionally, courses like the one teaching the Meisner technique (a specialized acting style that teaches students to “live truthfully under imaginary circumstances”) helped.

Are good looks and connections the only things that make a star?

In some cases, people with good looks and connections have an advantage; I’d be lying if I say it doesn’t help. You certainly get in through the door. But it was not helpful for me. I always had my showreel to prove my capability.

Funniest gossip you have heard about yourself?

That my father has mapped out my career. This is one ridiculous thing circulated around in the industry, because I started off like everyone else.

Have you ever been late for a shoot?

I’m very particular about being punctual.

Any tips for aspiring actors?

Acting seems to be one of the easiest jobs, but this is not the case. Aspiring actors have to put in a lot of effort to train themselves, since we don’t have many institutes that teach performing arts. So, before you get your big break, you can simply start with recording your own videos, writing scenes among your friends, listening to motivational stories on YouTube, etc. because once you are in the industry you’ll be on a tight schedule and you won’t get that learning opportunity.

In moments of self-doubt or adversity how do you build yourself up?

I try to engage myself in different things, like reading a book or meeting a friend or watching a movie; my focus is on the process rather than the result.

                                     MY TEENAGE YEARS

Date of birth and star

April 9, 1990; Aries

I was always listening to

Bollywood songs and Junoon

My favourite actor/s

Shah Rukh Khan and Amir Khan

My favourite superhero

Superman

My least favourite subjects were

Pakistan Studies, because we had to write a lot and had to remember a lot of dates and I wasn’t really good with my memory; another subject I disliked was Maths.

My closet was full of

Random stuff, like tickets of a certain event or different currencies or stamps

My friends were

I couldn’t make friends due to constant shifting

My first crush was

My class fellow in Grade VII. I don’t know if she liked me; I was an extremely shy kid and would hardly talk to her. During the summer holidays, I would pass by her on a bicycle trying to catch a glance, but I never did.

My dream was ...

To have a lot of money and the power associated with it, and for some odd reason, I wanted to become a pilot

I wish I had known then

To take it easy and everything was going to be fine; to just appreciate the moments

Relations with family were

I was closer to my mom than my father; I am grateful to both of them for their support and guidance

My college was

Islamia College, Peshawar; I had a great time there

My favourite sport was

Cricket; I used to spend a lot of time playing cricket in the evenings and even arranged matches