Zahid Ahmed - 1

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Zahid Ahmed

by

Ally Adnan

One of the busiest actors on television today, the young, likeable and energetic

Zahid Ahmed has made a name for himself in show business in a period of just a

few months. He stars in two serials that are currently on air, has three on set, and

two scheduled to begin shooting this summer. In an exclusive interview for the

Nation, Zahid Ahmed talks to Ally Adnan about himself, his life in show business,

his plans and his aspirations.

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1. You recently secured one of the most coveted roles on television, that of

one of the three principal characters in Sarmad Sehbai and Sarmad

Khoosat’s upcoming serial, Mor Mahal. How did you land the role?

I auditioned for the role. It was not a formal audition though. I was sent

two scenes to read and record using my mobile phone. The scenes were

not easy ones but I was determined to do well. I put my heart and soul into

preparing the scenes. It was only after a lot of preparation, research and

rehearsals that I felt ready to record the two scenes. My hard work, it

seems, paid rich dividends. The producers loved the audition video and I

landed the coveted role.

2. Do you still have the video of the audition?

Yes, I do.

I plan to upload it to my official Facebook page once the serial is on air.

3. What is Mor Mahal about?

Mor Mahal tells a three hundred year old story that is full of romance,

magic and mystique. Nothing like that has ever been done for television in

Pakistan. I have high hopes for Mor Mahal and look forward to its

popularity and success.

4. You play a psychotic character in Alvida. How did you prepare for the role?

I do not subscribe to method acting and use my instincts, feelings and

intellect to act. This requires a thorough and complete understanding of

the roles I play. The character of Rameez in Alvida is complex and layered.

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In order to prepare for the role, I spent time with the director and read the

script several times to fully understand the character and his psychological

make-up. I completely immersed myself in Rameez’s dark and disturbed

world. In order to make the character plausible, I had to develop a

comprehension of the cause of his psychosis and the reasons behind his

neurotic behavior. This required some serious research and study. The

preparation was a lot of hard work but, once it was done, playing the part

was rewarding and enjoyable.

5. In Jugnu, you play the role of a rich young man who is weak and does not

meet the Pakistani standards of masculinity. The role is not necessarily an

attractive one for young male actors looking to play lead characters. Why

did you accept the role?

The role afforded me an opportunity to demonstrate my range as an actor.

After playing the role of an honorable young man in Mehram and a

psychotic one in Alvida, my character in Jugnu represented a very welcome

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change. I enjoyed playing a comic role with no machismo and solemnity. I

do not ever want to be limited as an actor and wish to play all sorts of roles

in my career. I think that, with Jugnu, I establish both my range and my

versatility as an actor.

6. What projects are you working on currently?

This would be a simple and straight-forward question for most actors but

not for someone as eccentric, unconventional and disorganized as me. I

enjoy the ‘acting’ part of being an actor but dread the other parts – time

management, scheduling, payments, travel and much else. It is hard for me

to keep a track of all that I am working on and have to rely on my diary to

answer questions such as this one.

I am currently shooting three serials. These include Mor Mahal and a very

interesting play with the legendary Bushra Ansari in which I play her son.

The serial deals with the various facets of the relationship between a

mother and her son. It examines the many layers, contradictions and

Oedipal overtones of the bond between the two. I am enjoying doing the

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serial. I have also signed up to do two more serials that will hit the sets in

June. I am keeping myself busy.

7. You gave up a very successful career as a trainer in telecommunications to

move to acting. Was the decision tough?

It was not tough at all, actually.

I was doing very well in telecommunications but my heart was not in the

field. I wanted to act and be in show business. This is where I believe I

belong. God gave me the strength to follow my heart and I quit a stable

career to join the decidedly fickle world of show business.

8. Have there been moments in the last few years when you have regretted

becoming an actor?

No, there have not. I enjoy being an actor.

I am not the kind of person who second-guesses himself and regrets past

decisions. I follow my heart and cherish wherever it takes me. Letting my

heart lead my way has always worked well for me. I do not have any

regrets.

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9. You started as an actor in theater. The medium, albeit artistically and

intellectually rewarding, is not known to make people rich and famous.

Why did you chose theatre?

I did not take up acting to become rich and famous but because I felt that

it was my true calling. The start of my acting career in theater was pure

happenstance. I had watched a total of one stage plays before I auditioned

for the lead part in a production of the British farce It Runs in the Family by

Ray Cooney. The play was a hit and put me on the road to success in show

business. Theater is great fun. I enjoy the immediacy, energy and instant

feedback of the medium. It is the best training ground for actors.

10. So why did you make a move to television?

Theater treated me very well. I enjoyed performing on stage and acted in

some tremendously successful plays. Television represented the next

frontier for me. I needed to show others – and myself – that my acting skills

were not limited to theater and ported well to television. The medium of

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television has been good for me. It has allowed me to make a little money

while doing something I enjoy. I have, however, not said good bye to

theater. I am writing a play for the stage and, as soon as I have some time,

I will make sure that it gets produced. I do not plan to limit myself to any

one medium and will work in theater, television and film.

11. Did you have to struggle as an actor in the beginning of your career?

I did not. I had enjoyed

tremendous success in

theater and starred in

the hugely successful

Pawany Chauda

August and Sawa

Chauda August plays.

My credentials as an

actor were well-

established when I

joined television. As a

result, I had a major

role in my very first

serial, Mehram, and

was never relegated

to minor roles and bit

parts. I have been

fortunate as an actor.

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12. How did you learn to act?

I believe that I have a

natural ability to act. I

never performed as an

actor while in school and

have not had any formal

training. Yet, I feel very

comfortable acting. If I act

well, it is because I was

born with acting talent.

There is something

strange that I will share

with you. I have had this

eerie feeling that I am

being watched all my life.

Even as a child, I used to

feel that my actions were

being observed and

recorded. I did not think

that I was being watched

by a person or a ghost; rather I felt the palpable presence of a camera

focused on me at all times. It was a peculiar and, at times, unnerving feeling

but it prepared me to face the camera effortlessly. Thanks to the very weird

belief of being recorded at all times, I have essentially spent my entire life

preparing to be ready for the camera.

13. Do you think that you are a competent actor?

Yes, I do think that I am a competent actor.

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Acting is serious business. I prepare for my roles diligently, I memorize my

lines carefully and I rehearse adequately. I make sure that I do not cut any

corners as an actor. I spend a lot of time preparing for the roles that I play.

Good acting requires a lot of blood, sweat and hard work. I am happy to

give it all that I have.

14. The world of show business is known for selfishness, greed and abuse. Is it

really that bad?

Oh yes, it is! It is a terrible place but, since I am a terrible person, I enjoy

being here.

On a serious note, I have to agree that there are some rather ugly sides of

show business but that is true for most, if not all, professions. I have,

fortunately, had a good run and not seen the ugliness of show business thus

far. I hope and pray that this does not change.

15. You work with some of the most attractive females in the industry and are

known to have a way with ladies. How does your wife take it?

I am the perfect gentleman and my wife knows that. Seriously.

16. But you are known for being friendly and almost flirtatious with your

female costars?

That is true. I enjoy being naughty and charming. I can be cheeky, at times,

but am essentially a nice guy. Friendly and flirtatious on-set banter is just

that; nothing more and nothing less. It makes work fun and lets the day go

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buy faster. I respect my wife and myself far too much to allow myself to get

involved with other women.

17. Looks seem to be very important in show business and lot of very attractive

people work as actors in Pakistan. Do you think looks are given an

inordinate amount of importance in the industry?

Yes, they are, but good looks do not guarantee a successful career as an

actor. They get one noticed and probably cast in a few plays. What

succeeds in the long run, however, is acting talent, histrionic ability and

professionalism. The only guarantee of success is popularity with viewers

and it takes a lot more than just looks to achieve it.

18. Do you attribute your success as an actor more to your looks or to your

talent?

I am not a pretty boy. So it is definitely not my looks. I attribute my success

to my talent and, of course, to my voice. I think my voice is super cool. I try

to take credit for the quality of my voice but too many people know that I

was born with the baritone. They give God all the credit. Oh well!

19. You are one of television’s busiest actors today. Have you had the time to

make a plan for your career as an actor?

Acting is very important to me. I do not take it lightly. I always make time

to think about my career as an actor. I have a plan in place and am well on

my way to executing it.

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20. What is the plan?

I plan to become a well-known and well-

regarded actor at the international level. I

hope to accomplish this by working hard,

being professional and treating my career

with the utmost seriousness. I want to

progress as an actor and learn the craft inside

out. I plan to make good choices as an actor.

I do not want to take on run-of-the-mill roles.

I am more interested in roles that allow me

to prove my mettle as an actor; roles that

may not be glamorous but are challenging

and interesting.

21. Are you in show business for the long haul?

Yes, I am. Oh yes, I am. I will be acting till my last day on the planet.

Ally Adnan lives in Dallas and writes about culture, history and the

arts. He tweets @allyadnan and can be reached at

[email protected].