“Working in movies is a beautiful experience” - Rizwan Ali Jaffri

interview

Having long hair, good height and exceptionally good looks, Rizwan fit in the mould of a model perfectly. Rizwan gives credit to his best friend who brought him in showbiz. “When my friend told me that he had a photographer friend who would do my shoot and make my portfolio, I didn’t know what does a shoot mean. He explained it to me that I had to wear good clothes and pose. He showed me a fashion magazine for reference. So, I had my first photo shoot and it was an exciting experience,” tells Rizwan.

“I had recently completed my intermediate, and it seemed like a dream to live a sponsored life; staying in a hotel, travelling, getting shows and being paid. I was getting shows in Lahore and Karachi. I was lucky enough to get selected amongst other models by an American choreographer, Kevin, and hairstylists from Germany. My first show was of Wella’s hair show. Then, there was no looking back. I got shows through Nabila, Frieha Altaf, and the list might not end, as there are so many people behind my success,” The Daadal actor reminiscences.

The model-turned-actor did not limit himself to modelling only. He explored other venues and did acting in theatre plays in London and USA, narrated by Zia Mohyeddin and directed by Rizwan Beyg. He acted along with Nauman Ejaz in the play Anarkali. He also auditioned for singing, for which he was selected too.

Having achieved so much in just a little span of time, Rizwan still wanted to complete his studies for which he took a break from everything and focused on his education only. “During my break from acting, modelling and singing, I was still getting offers for roles and shows. When Khawar Riaz called me to his office, I honestly told him that I want to work but study, as well. So, I must thank him for trusting me and gave me a chance to work and study together,” says Rizwan.

Meanwhile, the actor also touched some strings of music and in the period of two years he produced an album titled Yaara Di Tooli. It brought him fame in the music industry so much so that he won an award for the best music album at the Lux Style Awards. It was also the time he was getting offers for dramas. He had met with Sarmad Khoosat, who was directing a drama titled ‘Pani Jesa Pyar’, and made his acting debut.

It is rightly said that the people who dream big, achieve big. Rizwan was one of them. He always wanted to be on the big screen and not just a pretty face doing mediocre roles. “Throughout my entire career, I sought tough and challenging roles,” replies Rizwan when asked about how he survived in an industry where there is cut-throat competition. “A lot of times, I was dropped at the last minute. However, I took rejections in my stride. There were times when I was excited about a character and at the last minute the director changed the actor and I was ok with it. I did not let such incidents break me,” he adds.

In 2013, Rizwan shifted to Karachi. At that time Lux Style Awards were taking place, where he sent his modelling portfolio and music album and won the best album award.

Over the years, the Daadal actor explored himself and got to know his true craft, which was acting. “I got my first film in 2016, which was Thora Jee Lay. And Daadal, which has been released recently, is my second film. How I got cast in this movie is an interesting story. I know the producer of Daadal, Neha Laaj. I went to her office just to meet her and she cast me just two days before the shoot,” expresses Rizwan.

Explaining the character Samad from Daadal, Rizwan said that he had to work hard to get into the role, which is of a typical Lyari man. “I quickly jumped on to it and I accepted the role because I needed to do something challenging. Looks were not the priority, what mattered was the accent, the oomph, and the aura. Adapting the accent was one challenging part and I got training from a guy who was from Lyari. The character needed raw and rough looks. The love of Samad’s life is Haya Balouch (played by Sonya Hussyn). He is a kind-hearted man but situations and surroundings made him the way he is,” he shares.

Usually, actors take time to shift from dramas to movies, But Rizwan made quick decisions knowing that the industry is still in its ‘revolutionary’ age. According to him, making movies is a craft and it is a beautiful process. “It’s very easy to say that a movie is a hit, fit, or flop. Who decides these formulas? The problem is that we do not have many institutes that teach filmmaking. Daadal is that one movie which is talking about child abuse, women empowerment and Karachi’s issues like gang wars, etc. So, the industry is also making room for such scripts and people also want to watch these movies. It is mutually beneficial and if actors, directors and producers would not take risks, then there will be no progression of Pakistani cinema,” opines Rizwan.

Rizwan is a film fanatic and he really enjoys watching and now acting in movies. “Working in movies is a beautiful experience, however, working in a movie is more challenging because the momentum is fast, there are no episodes, so no room for many re-takes,” observes Rizwan.

Towards the end of the conversation, I had to ask Rizwan how he manages to be humble. To this end he says, “I simply cannot pretend. I don’t like negativity. I stay with people who are positive and exchange positive energies. If there is any negativity, I jog and let all the negativity get out,” smiles Rizwan.