rom the lovestruck Danish in Mere-Meherban to obstinate Salman in Mujhay Bhee Khuda Ne Banaya Hai, Humayoun Ashraf’s winning streak continues unabated. Humayun has more than 60 long plays and telefilms to his credit.

Crediting his journey to the challenges from his early days in the industry, Humayoun has come a long way. When he grew up into a young boy he used to style himself like a model and knew that modeling is something he really wanted to do. From searching newspaper ads to visiting shoot locations, he approached every possible place where he could be noticed and one fine day his luck clicked when on a location he became the pick of an ace director who asked him to approach him with his portfolio and he grabbed his first gig with no looking back.

From getting a break and learning how to sustain without a godfather the challenges were massive. “There were times when it was difficult to even hold onto hope,” Humayoun says, “but now when I overview those things, I realize that the struggle I went through, brings me where I am. It helped me become more me, kept me grounded, helped me evolve and shaped my perspective”.

There was a time when there was hardly any TVC where Humayoun wasn’t a part of and now when it comes to acting, he has done numerous projects with every production house and director. So what does he have to say about this stardom and the cost he has to pay to retain it? “It is a double-edged sword,” he says and continues, “ If the stature of being a star empowers an artist to pick better roles and best teams then at the same time you feel immense pressure of living up to the expectations of millions for whom you are a role model. When it comes to the scripts it’s not that every character is to your liking. You have to wait years to find a subject that is very unique or has never materialized before. When I agree to do a role, I make sure it has something real for the viewers to connect with and relate to. It’s about leaving a lasting impression in people’s minds, getting traction and staying relevant.”

Humayoun made his big screen debut few years back but the film didn’t do well. So wasn’t doing a film like Dhai Chaal a risk for his film career which hasn’t been smooth. “I already know how such movies fare at the box office but I didn’t do this film for money and it doesn’t really matter how big of a hit or miss it is commercially. I am satisfied that I have invested time in the right place for a good topic and such unique scripts will remain my priority in future as well because such roles satisfy your artistic urge.”

Directed by Taimoor Sherazi and produced by Irfan Ashraf, Dhai Chaal released earlier this month. Shamoon Abbasi, Ayesha Omer, Tipu Shah and Areej Chaudhry play important roles in the movie as well.

“Trends are like the rotation of the hands of the clock which start from 12 and then come back to it,” says Humayoun while talking about the shift towards reality-based narratives of television drama. He thinks that when one thing proves a hit, everybody becomes the part of this blind chase takes over and starts trending.

Amid all the glitz and glamour of showbiz it becomes tricky to get out of your on-screen life but Humayoun believes in compartmentalizing. Instead he values his off-screen life more. “After work I go back and spend quality time with my friends having nothing to do with showbiz,” Humauon divulges, “they keep me humble and help me through thick and thin.”