INSTEP EXCLUSIVE

A very common perception is that there is little to no room for experimentation in television for male actors, since television is considered to be more women centric. However, there are a few exceptions. Zahid Ahmed is one actor who stands out amongst his contemporaries for choosing roles that are unconventional, mostly. He started off with the role of an anti-hero in Alvida, followed by essaying a rapist in Sangat (which generated criticism too), an aspiring politician in Besharam and a trickster in Visaal, among other diverse roles.

The recent, and perhaps the most outstanding addition to the list, is his character in new drama serial, Ishq Zah e Naseeb that features him as Sameer, a man suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), more commonly known as split personality disorder. It is a "mental disorder characterized by at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states," according to Wikipedia.

The play that went on air earlier this week (on Friday) subtly tackles the issue, together with other important themes such as poverty, deception, commitment issues, women empowerment, family values, etc. The opening scene hints at Sameer’s traumatic childhood that perhaps led to the aforementioned condition as he grew up. The plot follows multiple storylines, including one of Gohar (Sonya Hussyn) and Kashif (Sami Khan), who are crazily in love, while it also highlights the fate of Gohar’s elder sister Bushra (Jinaan Hussain) who is married to a narrow minded man. Sameer, on the other hand, is struggling with his condition that does not allow him to live in peace as past experiences keep haunting him.

"Sameer is a man with a mental disorder caused by severe trauma," Zahid Ahmed reflected on the character, in an exclusive interview with Instep post the first episode. "As the play proceeds, viewers will find out what caused this disease and if there is a way out or not."

"The disorder has nothing to do with sexual orientation; this is somebody who has another personality inside of him and it is just a matter of coincidence that the other personality is a female," he added.

Those who haven’t been able to gauge from the teasers and the first episode, Yumna Zaidi represents Sameer’s alter-ego (Sameera). Sameer doesn’t leave the house after six in the evening, locks himself in the room, puts on makeup, dresses up as a woman and talks to himself till dawn.

Sameer is a very bold character and one that we haven’t seen on the small screen before. Given the sensitivities of our people and society, viewers may not easily accept Zahid Ahmed dressing up as a female. So there was a bit of risk involved in opting for this one.

Was Zahid hesitant to take up this role?

"The nature of the character appealed to me because it is bold and very different," he replied, adding that he is somebody who looks at his career very differently. "I don’t ever want to play safe and risk-taking is within me. I did feel that the character is risky and it can go both ways but that is the kind of risk I love taking as an actor. I feel that whenever I do something that I love, it resonates with the audience."

Other than diversifying as an actor, Zahid also wanted to do it for the sake of the audience as he feels viewers always wish to see unique content on the small screen. "I was well aware that I might get a bit of negative feedback but now with characters like Bhola, people are delighted to see diversification in the television industry," he noted.

The actor also maintained that Ishq Zah e Naseeb doesn’t delve into the technical aspects of the split personality disorder, such as the medical and psychological aspects. It is rather based in a real setting, where viewers will see that it is as much a trouble for him as it is for people around him.

"The most important thing the play will communicate is the fact that if somebody suffers from such behaviors, the first thing that people around them should take into account is that it might be a disease and not just a behavior," he asserted. "It should be treated the same way as any other mental disorder. It should be approached with consideration that this particular individual is suffering. Sameer is ‘suffering’ and it is clear on his face, through his life; he wants to be normal, he wants to move around in society like a normal person, he even wants to fall in love with women but it is such an interesting disorder that there is a woman in his body only."

Written by Hashim Nadeem, who is known for his unconventional scripts and directed by mastermind Farooq Rind, Ishq Zah e Naseeb is produced under the banner of Momal Productions. One must acknowledge that it is a brave effort from the entire team and we hope the play is able to convey the message it aims to. With the teasers, posters and the first episode out, one can see the hype on social media, with very few comments that reflect negative criticism and that’s understandable.